Vegan Vengance

Remember when everyone watched What The Health last summer and became temporary vegans?Yes, I was one of them. People think that the hardest part about being vegan is missing out on meat and dairy. For me, it was figuring out what nutrients I needed. I have never followed that nutrition pyramid. I always ate what I wanted to and tried to add a side of veggies. Once meat was out of the picture, I knew protein would have to be replaced. I was so hell bent on that and I completely forgot about iron. Which I think added to Aunt Flo being seriously delayed. That was enough for me to quit until I could figure it out.

Then 'What The Health' slowly faded from my memory and I was back being a carnivore at full speed. Fast forward to the Christmas season, I found myself buying a book titled 'How Not To Die'. The title resonated with me because it's the only reason I try to eat healthy. Of course, I don't want to look like a busted can of biscuits either but longevity is at the top of the list.

This book is written by a doctor (Michael Greger M.D.). He was one of the doctors called in to help Oprah when the beef industry took her to court. Unlike 'What The Health', this book was not overtly bias. This book is 576 pages long with citations everywhere. And if he does not have any research to back it up, he leaves the topic alone (i.e. the cause of type 1 diabetes).

The chapters are focused on chronic diseases like heart disease, cancers, and infections just to name a few. He breaks down how food affects our body but it's explained in a non-PhD way. The verbiage isn't insulting and comes from an educational point of view. It's not meant to scare you but informing you of your fate if you continue to eat animal products.

I don't know if I will ever be 100% vegan. You can judge me all you want but I live near several Chick-Fil-As. I am working on getting to at least 80%. I need to continue to research what a balanced vegan diet is to increase my percentage. With a family history that is full of chronic diseases (lupus, lung disease, and hypertension), I have more than enough motivation. I do not have time to be taking prescription medicines regularly and being in pain. I'd rather eat right to avoid the issue before my health fails and I have no choice.