Why?

The unexamined life is not worth living. – Socrates

I’ve decided to become a vegan. I know it might come as a surprise for many people I know, but I have really good reasons for wanting a change in my lifestyle. Since I’m new at this, everyday I read about it and learn new things that convinces me further that I made the right decision. Let me make it clear that I am not the kind of person who makes judgment on other people and their choice of what to support. I am just writing this to tell you about my experience, and what led me to this choice that I made.

Even when I was a child, I have always preferred fish over pork, beef, or chicken. I could not stand the sight of dismembered animal body parts being sold in the market. I found the sight of lechon (any kind of lechon) distasteful. These are things that I carried on with me as I grew up, but I became a bit more tolerant of them. Well, the sight of dead seafood, pigs, cows, and chicken still bothers me, and I could never bring myself to buy live fish and then bring it home to cook it, but I learned to suck it up. I cooked and ate and enjoyed them. As long as I didn’t see them die. I even have a hard time enjoying meals in restaurants where you point at the fishes you like in an aquarium and they kill and cook it for you. Somehow it didn’t feel right for me, but I just shrugged the feeling off because there’s this preconceived idea in my head that it’s the normal thing to do. God did create the animals for us to eat, right? Of course, I didn’t care to consult the Bible on that.

A few weeks ago, I went with my mom to Dr. Tam Mateo’s clinic for a consultation because she has cancer, and we all didn’t feel like it’s a good decision for her to go through chemotherapy at her age. I went to take her there, and ended up agreeing to go again for the health seminar (which is held every Sunday, free of charge). My husband and I went to the health seminar with her last Sunday where we learned a lot of things about meat and other animal products.

I was bodily upset by the video we watched of animals being killed for food or forced to produce eggs and milk. I’ve never seen animals being slaughtered before, and have consciously avoided watching the slaughter of animals in videos or real life. Let’s just say that last Sunday I was a captured audience, and after watching the video and listening to the presentation, I couldn’t decide which really mattered more to me that time. I made the decision that I was going to be vegan from then on, but I can’t tell if it’s more because of the health problems meat can cause in my body, or if it’s my deep compassion for animals. Nevertheless, both are very good reasons to start changing my lifestyle.

I thought I’d have no problems giving up meat since I secretly don’t like it anyway, but the dairy products! Oh my, that’s a different story. I am totally in love with dairy products. I thought that it would be hard for me to give them up. But when I saw what dairy cows go through just to give us milk and other dairy products, my heart just went out to them. I literally couldn’t look at cheese the same way. I promptly threw out all the cheese, cheese products, and butter we had in our fridge when we got home. In my heart, I just didn’t want to support an industry that is so cruel to animals.

There are many wrong notions about vegans out there and I’m happy to find out that I don’t have to live a life of deprivation just to be kinder to animals and be healthier. Here are some things I discovered in the very short time that I have started to change my lifestyle completely.

1. Vegans are grossly thin and don’t enjoy food - not true. In fact, there are a lot of delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes that you can make at home. The first time I was able to try vegetarian food was at the mall (bodhi-something, I forget), but I feel that it’s better if you prepare food for yourself. You can even make vegetarian versions of your favorite dishes.

2. Vegans only want to get thin - people decide to become vegans or vegetarians for different reasons. Yes, some people want to lose weight so they stick to a meatless diet, but most vegans who truly understand what they are doing really do it for bigger reasons. Not just health but for animal rights and environmental reasons too. If you want to learn more about what Veganism/Vegetarianism is all about, I strongly suggest you listen to this essay and appreciate the reasons why a lot of people choose to switch to this lifestyle.

3. Vegan diet is more expensive - it’s actually not. I went to the market with only P250 and bought enough food to last both me and my husband a few days. Normally this will not even buy me enough meat and fish. Plus, being on a vegan diet will lessen your hunger pangs. At first it’s really hard to adjust because meat is difficult for the stomach to digest so it feels “heavier” on the stomach. Vegetables and fruits really nourish the body, and takes away the lethargic feeling. Eventually your body will adjust and recognize that it’s really not hungry anymore, and the hunger pangs will go away. Your eating habits will become normal too, you won’t need to run to the fastfood chains and still feel hungry after a few minutes.

4. Vegans don’t have enough protein or calcium in their diet - so not true. The emphasis on so much protein on our diet is actually overrated. Also, the kind of protein meat gives your body is not the same (not as effectively utilized by the body) as proteins you can eat from a vegan diet. You can gain protein and calcium from lentils, nuts, soya and other vegetables. Read more about sources of protein in vegan diets here, and sources of calcium here.

There are many websites where you can find resources to support the choice of a vegan lifestyle, my favorite is GoVeg. You can find video and audio resources about animal rights, how eating meat harms the environment, the dangers of including fish in your diet, even vegetarian and vegan recipes. It’s really a gold mine of information.

Turning vegan is not just a diet for me, I think that more than that, it’s a way of life. It’s choosing to be more thoughtful of the things I eat and the products I support. It’s choosing to put more thought into how I can prepare the meals I will eat throughout the day so that I can enjoy a longer and healthier life. It’s choosing to be more informed about the things that concern my health and well-being.

I’ve only removed animals and animal products from my diet for a few days, but already I feel the difference. Since I’ve started jogging again last week, and now coupled with a better diet, I feel truly changed. I don’t feel lethargic anymore, especially not after eating. I sleep well, I am more productive, my temper has improved, I can even think more clearly. Overall, I just really feel better.