Why I Became Vegan
Amanda Kazzi
When you hear that someone has decided to go vegan your mind automatically assumes that they are an environmental activist or an avid member of PETA. However, that is not always the case. For me, I decided to go vegan for health reasons initially. I had recently watched a documentary in which a young woman in her early thirties was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, in which she was told there was no cure. Instead of living in despair she decided to change her diet and go vegan. She began shooting back daily green juice concoctions of wheatgrass and eating a whole-food, plant-based diet. She eliminated all animal products from her diet, and by the time she went in for her next scan her doctor told her that the cancer was gone. This documentary was incredibly inspiring to me, as someone who always cared about health, but was never brave enough to truly take the leap into the vegan/vegetarian realm.
I decided to go vegan in 2011, and I can honestly say that I would never go back. I feel better than I ever have and I enjoy my food much more than ever before. This article is in no way intended to pressure anyone to make the leap, as I feel that diet is such a personal choice and a decision that must be left up to the individual. I am not the type of friend that will stare at you from across the table as you inhale your cheeseburger and I chew on my lettuce leaves. All I know is that for me, personally, it has been one of the best decisions I have made. I was on several medications for various ailments prior to going vegan. Now, I take zero medications. I also find that my weight is much more manageable since eliminating animal products. In addition, prior to going vegan I never truly understood the farming industry and the extreme demand placed on the industry to supply our country with its extreme meat and dairy desires. After watching several documentaries, (which I would not recommend watching on an empty stomach), it just confirmed my commitment to this lifestyle. Even if you’re not interested in going vegan, I would encourage you to watch them just for your own edification. Some documentaries I would recommend are: Food, Inc.; Forks over Knives; Fed Up, and Cowspiracy. I have some friends and family who can’t necessarily make the leap to go entirely vegan, but they do implement “meatless Monday’s” where they try to eat vegan at least one day per week.
Whatever your dietary preferences are, I hope this article at least inspired those who are interested in trying the vegan diet to take the plunge, or at least offered some enlightenment.