by Roberto Miranda
My interest in veganism has grown since first hearing about it in 2006 through AFI (an alternative rock band) lead singer Davey Havok. At first, I didn’t understand how anyone could live without consuming animal products.
Growing up, I always ate heavy and was overweight due to eating large portions of meat and dairy. However, it wasn’t until August 2011 that I looked into other ways of eating. I developed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to a night of binge drinking. Since then, I have been more health and body conscious and found myself reading more and more about vegetarian and vegan diets and their benefits.
It is now 2014, and I feel like I am ready to openly talk to people about veganism. Due to my stomach issues, I was making the effort to eat smaller portions. This included more vegetables, fruits, and foods high in fiber for the sake of better digestion.
Upon interviewing vegans, I had already decided that I would not only keep an open mind for my interviews, but for my taste buds too. For every day that I conducted an interview, I decided to go vegan to show my support for more of a plant based-diet: a diet that is based on fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Replacing milk was easy. I stopped drinking red-cap, grade A whole milk since developing IBS and stuck to Silk Vanilla Almond Milk since it contains more calcium, more vitamins, less fat and less cholesterol than whole milk.
As for meats, I have eaten a few Morning Star soy veggie burgers and corn dogs, but that has only been a few times, since I did not want to rely on replacing meats with soy for health reasons; too much of anything really isn’t good for your body, in any consumption context.
As far as cheeses went, I found a lot of almond based vegan cheeses that were tasty. Interestingly enough, eating more salads that contain sunflower and pumpkin seeds in them is something I’d like to continue.
Although veganism leads to more bowel movements, it is certainly something I’d suggest if someone would like to feel better physically since the foods significantly compliment digestion and nourishment. I have felt: less full, less disgusted and overly bloated from eating too much, and somewhat better morally since the thought of slaughter houses always disturbed me.
At the end of the day, people say that they “have an open mind.” So for those who haven’t considered at least a vegan meal, why not try it? Thoughts for food are just as important as foods for thought!
