Now, before I start, I will have to explain why I put vegan in quotes. Since starting this journey, I have rarely told people I’m “vegan”. When I tell people I’m vegan, they will immediately (whether they realize it or not) look at me like I’m crazy. Do I care? Well, no. But this is so much more to me than just being “vegan” and eating leaves (Yes, people actually think all I eat are leaves). My reasons for going vegan include my health, having compassion for animals, being completely disgusted with how animals are treated for our “pleasure" and our planet. I won’t go all “preach-y” on you, but the food I put in MY body is MY choice. Period. I listen to what my body wants and needs and go from there. Just like what you choose to put in your body is entirely your choice. Now, let’s jump right into what I’ve learned along the way!

1. Everyone is going to have an opinion. EVERYBODY. And that’s okay! We are all allowed to have our opinions, believe me, I have mine ;) . But it’s funny how when you tell someone your vegan, they automatically become a doctor. The most common thing I hear is, “Well. How are you getting your protein? You can only get it from animals”. Wrong. That is so far from the truth and until I end up in the hospital from “protein deficiency”, I’m gonna keep doing my thing. Almost everything I eat has protein, and I have more energy now, then when I was eating animals. Still don’t believe me - Check this list out of non-animal products packed with protein. http://veganfoody.tumblr.com/post/132636279418/veganfoody-cheap-vegan-meal-ideas-click-for
2. You will go through the “angry vegan” stage (or at least I did). The day I went “vegan” I watched a ton of documentaries. My list included Cowspiracy, 101 Reasons to go Vegan, Vegucated and about 20 minutes into Earthlings. If you have ever watched Earthlings, you will understand. After I watched these, my mind was blown, almost literally. I had all this information and felt like I had been lied to my whole life and someone finally took the blinders off. I wanted to tell everyone that crossed my path what I knew and how insane the animal agriculture business really is. I felt angry at the world, including myself. I wanted to go protest, go travel the world and save animals - I went through every emotion possible. I had to give myself some time to calm down and realize that the world will most likely never change, but if people asked, I would educate them. My sister is currently making the switch, my mom goes meatless with me sometimes and even my fiance has decided to stop eating chicken nuggets (Hey, it’s a start!). I’ve learned to become the “peaceful” vegan; my actions of being vegan will speak much louder than me shouting at someone eating a piece of steak (even though inside I am screaming at the top of my lungs to stop).
3. Making food choices is so much easier than you think. After I made the decision to completely stop eating animal products, I thought “Okay. So what can I eat?”. Once I did my research, I realized that the options were endless. Not only were the options endless, but my choices were actually going to nourish my body, instead of the complete opposite. Now, going out to eat can be tricky but I promise there are vegan options everywhere! You might have to get creative, but it is possible! If I know where I'm going to eat ahead of time, I just google “Vegan options at ____”. Everyday gets a little easier!
4. You feel amazing! I am being 100% honest when I say that I have never felt this healthy in my entire life. I’m used to doing the “diet” thing, counting calories, writing down everything I eat, and the list goes on. I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to know that everything I eat is nourishing my body and going to make me feel good. Is “vegan junk food” a thing? Of course it is. But for the most part, I’m eating whole foods that are not processed. I am inclined to getting pretty awful headaches. About a week after I stopped eating animal products, my headaches stopped. I could cry tears of joy for that benefit alone! My skin feels and looks better, I don’t get bloated anymore and I have so much more energy than I’ve ever had. I have never felt this healthy in my whole life.
5. People who truly love you, will support you. At first, I’m pretty sure my family thought I was going through a “phase”. Yes, I’m a huge animal lover, that is no secret, but to stop eating animal products all together was not something I think my family thought I was going to follow through with. Two weeks passed, and I think they finally realized that I was serious. My stepdad, who is an amazing cook, bought tofu and cooked it for me and my best friend bought me vegan donuts for my graduation (I love her!). My family has been incredibly supportive and so open and willing to listen to my rants.

This journey has not been the easiest but the benefits far outweigh the challenges. I can not urge you enough to do your research and simply get educated. YOU are in charge of your body, and nobody can tell you differently but I strongly encourage you to just educate yourself on the food your putting in your body and the effects they will have.