It was the Summer of 2008, and my friend suggested I read Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin’s book titled “Skinny Bitch”. Initially, I was not interested, but once I started reading I was hooked! As much as one may get the wrong impression about the contents of this book based solely on the title, it ended up being a really great read that had life changing implications for me. Not only did it encourage a healthy lifestyle, it suggested that if you cannot pronounce an ingredient in your food, then you probably should not eat it.
The chapter that really stuck with me over time was the one where they describe animal cruelty in slaughterhouses.
I began a vegetarian diet after finishing the book, and stuck with it for eight years!
It was not until I moved abroad that I started eating meat again, because my host family members were Meat-eaters. It was easier for me to eat what I made for them, and since I lived in a small country, I figured the cows that I saw grazing in the fields were the ones I would eventually be eating.
When I left my host family, I began a flexible diet. Eating mostly vegetarian, but not declining meat if I was a guest at someone else’s for dinner.
Then I returned to Vegetarianism with the realization that if I myself could not find it in me to kill an animal, then I had no place eating them. It was not long after, that I made the big jump into Veganism.
Transitioning my diet was not easy at first, but I surprised myself because the one thing I thought I would miss the most is not even a craving...cheese!
I actually noticed that one of the reasons I had not tried Veganism before was because it is an expensive diet. Most of what I eat now...vegetables and nuts, come with a hefty price tag. It seems to be a diet for privileged people. Even ordering a salad at a fast food restaurant is more expensive than the cheap hamburger. Just to be clear...I do not condone eating at fast food restaurants, which tend to lack any nutritional food, but I used the common example to make my point.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not your ideal Vegan. I do not condemn others for choosing to eat a different diet, because at the end of the day everyone needs to choose what is right for them, but I do recommend being aware of what one eats.