I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I challenged myself to go vegan for a week in Oct. of 2019. I was hoping to get in shape, and be healthier. Having a history of being overweight came with constant stress to better myself, and to ensure that I wouldn’t be struggling with that issue and insecurity for the rest of my life, I ended up being vegan. 

I had seen YouTubers post lifestyle videos, depicting what they ate on a daily basis since becoming vegan. Contrary to what most people may think, these foods include a lot more than just roasted vegetables and fresh salads, so long as you are not a raw vegan. 

The normal vegan diet cuts out any animal products. Whereas the raw vegan diet  is strictly fresh fruits and vegetables, no processed foods, and typically no cooking at high temperatures. Personally, I have tried both. However, the typical vegan diet is the one I am going to focus on today. 

The first week, my mother took me to the grocery store where I looked for every vegan item that looked like the foods I had grown-up eating, which included vegan pizzas, ice cream, cheese and more.

The whole week I struggled to eat the foods I had bought, while watching my family continue to consume meat and dairy products. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the challenge and the satisfaction that came with knowing that I was doing everything in my power to ensure my health, so when the week was up I decided to keep eating vegan. 

The first few months were beyond rocky and filled up with days where I would consume non-vegan items, leaving me feeling guilty. The main turning point was when I stopped buying so much processed vegan foods that were made to resemble non-vegan foods, and started buying ingredients to cook vegan dishes like veggie stir fry and tofu.

 I began to accumulate a good amount of knowledge from personal experience, articles and videos I had watched on the internet. 

Something that really helped me was trying new things. One of my favorite things about going vegan was that it really got me to eat more produce and try foods that otherwise I would have never even thought about trying. It also made me feel like I was doing something to help the environment.

I have heard many arguments claiming that you can be healthy while still including meat and other animal products in your diet. But, the effect this diet has on nature, is truly my favorite thing about it. 

Did you know that being vegan actually helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Not only that, but it conserves water. This is because most of our water goes to agriculture, which is then used for growing livestock and to feed for the meat industry. 

As a result, when you ditch meat products you truly do cut back on the use of hundreds and thousands of gallons of water a year. Coming from California, a place who has suffered from numerous droughts, this makes a big difference. 

The moral of the story is that you don’t even have to go fully vegan to make a difference. I would recommend starting small to be manageable. Something like having one plant-based meal a week, and then moving up to maybe a whole day of eating plant based. See how you feel, and if it is something you would want to incorporate more into your daily life. It is not for everyone, but I think everyone should at least give it a try.