It’s not really accurate to say that my journey into a plant-based diet and then Macrobiotics just began because truthfully the seed was planted in the twenty-year old me who had put on fifteen pounds during my sophomore year of college. That year was filled with booze and late night trips to the cafeteria. I was fortunate as a child that I could truly eat whatever I wanted and never put on a pound. It wasn’t until that year when I slipped on a pair of jeans that used to be too big – and now were too tight – that I realized the impact of what I was consuming.
With some quick research on “how to lose weight” the summer before my junior year, I learned that calorie counting was all I needed to do. So I ventured down that road for the next two years and meticulously counted every calorie that entered my body. I wasn’t all that concerned with the quality of what I was eating, only the calorie count. What a miserable way to live. I really did a number on my psyche with that method and simply put, it just wasn’t right for me. My values were all out of sorts and I felt lost.
Then in the fall of 2009, post graduation, I was sitting in a bookstore on a lunch break (from a job that too was depleting my ambition) and read a review about a new book that was out: The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. In that moment I didn’t even realize it was about a vegan diet. The review talked about “helping you feel your best” and “being kind to yourself and the world around you”. I suddenly felt more inspired than I had in years. I bought the book then and there and devoured it over the course of twenty-four hours. I also made the choice to become vegan within that twenty-four hours. My journey had just begun…
Fast forward to now over four years later and I am entirely grateful for coming across that book review. I have not followed a perfect plant-based diet since that moment of clarity. Meat and minimal dairy did sneak back in for a period, but I’m thankful for that because it showed me how crummy I feel with those things in my body. Emotionally, I cannot handle the thought of eating meat. I’ve done too much reading on the animal cruelty that takes place. Further, dairy just does not jive in my body and I have since learned of its downfalls as well.
2013 was a year of finding clarity within my vegan self. Along with getting rid of meat and dairy, I also moved away from excessive processed foods and sugar, and jumped into a Macrobiotic Diet. The weight of calorie counting no longer fills my days. I eat beautiful healthy food that makes me feel whole. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds consume my diet. Within those borders, the meals are endless (and delicious!).
It’s no longer about being skinny, but being happy and healthy. With a plant-based diet, I do not have to worry about that. My body just sits in a balanced state. That’s the beauty of whole food. My mind isn’t congested like it used to be either. Most importantly, with the decision to embrace a plant-based diet, I love that I am making a choice to not only be kind to myself, but to be kind to the animals and environmental in this world. Our resources are not endless and I don’t want to be a part of the problem. I find a vegan diet to be incredibly rewarding.
My journey is not over; it will constantly develop. I continue to educate myself because my goal is to live life at my best.
No comments:
Post a Comment