When I thought about starting this blog about being a practicing vegan, I was concerned that people would judge based on stereotypes of how many see vegans. There is this view of people who want to live a meatless lifestyle as pale, thin, unkempt and just plain weird.
Well, this is just not true. If you have ever met me you know that I am not pale, nor thin and as far as weird?...well maybe a little, in a good way.
Regardless of what people think, I have chosen to be a practicing vegan for several reasons.
I do not want to play a part in killing animals
I do not want to support the torture of animals for products I buy
I want to live a long and healthy life.
My third reason really hits home the past few weeks. You see, my father is very ill. I spent the past 3 weeks caring for him and I know that he does not have too much more time. Now, I am not saying that the fact that he ate meat all of his life is why he is sick, that has to do with smoking for many years. But I do know that what we put into our bodies reflects how our bodies age.
I am not a doctor(well, I’m not a medical doctor) so I will not lecture anyone about how, what they are eating could be hurting them, but I do know that I have been a vegetarian for almost 20 years and I am in excellent health.
Thanks to amazing technological advances humans are living much longer then ever before. This is why we need to pay attention to our health early on to make sure that those later years are spent enjoying life not fighting for it.
Please don’t smoke. We know for a fact that it will kill you. It might not happen right away but it will happen. My father has COPD and I have watched him deteriorate in the last few years, especially the last few months, because his lungs can’t take it any longer.
Please think about what you eat and drink. If you don’t think you can remove meat completely from your diet try just a few times a week. Or add more fruit and vegetables to your plate. Stop eating fried and fast food. I know it’s hard but it will make a huge difference in the long run.
Please exercise. Anything – Walk, bike, run, or my favorite yoga. Get some weights and lift them while you watch TV.
Please be happy. If there is a lot of unhappiness in your life, take steps to make it better. Your attitude can change your world.
It is so hard to watch someone suffer. I just wanted to do something that would help myself, my husband and anyone else who wants to try a healthier lifestyle.
And I am not saying that I will be able to do this all of the time, that is why it is a practice, sometimes you just have to have that slice of pizza! But small steps help.
There are so many products out there now that make it much easier to live vegan and this blog will explore them.
I know I will get my detractors who say that veganism is unhealthy, but it works for me. So if you would like to try or just follow along as we try, please join us.
Please consider sharing your journey in the comment section or go to our website and click on the SHARE Tab. The website is new but already has some of the products we are using. The site will soon be hosting our weekly video show where James and I share how our practice is going and products and recipes we use.
Website: http://bit.ly/practicingvegan
I wish you health, happiness and blessings.
Susan