I became a vegan in July of 2010, with an eye on remaining healthy into my seventies and beyond. Although I was bursting out of a size 12, I didn’t consider myself overweight. Therefore, I gave no thought to losing weight. Nevertheless, by July the following year, I was wearing a size 4-6, and feeling younger and stronger. I was happy to celebrate eight years as a vegan in July of this year, 2018. I use the term “celebrate,” because the many pluses veganism has added to my life are worthy of commemoration.
I had flirted with becoming a vegetarian for many years, but never bothered doing the research so I could understand how to maintain a healthy diet. As ignorance normally does, my ignorance led me to failure, and to a quick return to meat. Did I dare try again?
My decisive moment came when I heard Dr. Neal Bernard touting the value of a vegan diet on PBS television. The notion of food reversing diabetes intrigued me. We have a long history of diabetes in our family. I figured if proper eating could help reverse diabetes, maybe it could help prevent it.
As part of his presentation, he talked about his cookbooks of vegan recipes: Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes, and The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook. I bought both of them, mainly to start educating myself— not really expecting to do much cooking. To that point, I had limited my cooking to the bare minimal to meet the need. But those recipes fascinated me. I began experimenting with a few, and then a few more. I could hardly believe the ease of preparation. And I found such joy in eating, without feeling stuffed and sleepy, that I cooked more in the next few weeks than I had in the previous year.
Good health motivated me to become a vegan. I had no idea there would be so many other benefits. The most dramatic, by far, was the way the pounds melted off my body. Within a few months, people began to comment on my weight loss. One of the deacons at my church pulled me aside to ask in private whether I had been sick. I told him about my new eating plan.
I have learned to navigate restaurant menus, when I cannot find a vegan restaurant. That’s pretty easy to do in restaurants with a Chinese or Mexican cuisine. My family is learning to consider my style of eating when they plan family gatherings, and so is my church.
My most unusual experience came when a friend invited me to her house for a special dinner. After she finished boasting about her menu, I reminded her I could not eat anything she was serving. She told me I could bring my own special food like I did that day we went shopping. I chose to eat my “special” food at home.
My biggest challenge has been surviving banquets. I enjoy the speaker and interacting with the people; but there is usually a problem. People don’t understand that when I pay the money they charge to attend a banquet in a hotel, I expect to be able to eat. Of the last three banquets I attended, only one planner asked the chef to prepare something I could eat. Though I could not eat the food, because of the butter, I was grateful for the effort. Further, they served a wide variety of fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and non-animal dressings. At one banquet, the only thing I could find to eat was some not-so-fresh strawberries. I attended yet another banquet at a church. They at least had a plain garden salad, but I couldn’t eat the dressings they served. No problem. I have learned to carry small packets of Italian dressing with me.
Despite going hungry at times, I am not ready to give up on banquets. In fact, I plan to attend one later this month. When I picked up my ticket, I placed a note in the envelope with my money, and waited for my friend who sold me the ticket to read it: “I am looking forward to the banquet, but I need to be able to eat something. Please tell the chef I am a vegan; and do not eat meat, or animal products, such as milk, butter, eggs, and cheese. To simplify things, please provide a plain garden salad with Italian or vinaigrette dressing, and fresh fruit. Thanks.” I hope it works. Having gone hungry before, I think I will still tuck some peanut butter crackers in my purse—just in case.