We have all met the people who were forced to make lifestyle changes to save their health, or even their life. Maybe that person is you. Most people would happily go on eating the way they always have and doing what they have always done if it weren’t for that pesky heart attack that almost killed them, or a grim cancer diagnosis. It takes a pretty significant crisis to get people to radically change the way they eat.
But, not me.
I haven’t had a brush with death, nor a serious conversation with my doctor about the state of my body. Before I went vegan, I looked great on paper. The only criticism that could be leveled at me was that I was a bit pudgy. Even a little extra weight around the middle wasn’t enough to worry my doctor. My lab work always comes back clean. Healthy as a horse they would say.
I am asked often what happened to me to make me stop eating meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. What went wrong?
Nothing is wrong with me. Thank you for your concern. It is equal parts preventative medicine, personal taste, and how good I feel now that I’ve given up those things.
What they aren’t seeing are all the things I have gained. Increased fitness, improved energy levels, deeper sleep, smaller clothing sizes, clearer skin, and a robust immune system that seems so superhuman, I perversely want to go around licking doorknobs just to prove a point. I’ve also become a much better cook and baker. I’ve developed kitchen skills I never considered a few short years ago. My mental focus and clarity is better. I like exercise again, mostly because I recover faster and my joints no longer hurt when I run. I save a lot more money at the grocery store now too. Beans and rice are much, much cheaper than rib eye steak and salmon.
Everything seems right with me, from my perspective.