I cringe as I write this but I used to eat McDonald's every day....
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My concern for animals was brought out at an early age. When I was 10 my particularly cruel fifth grade teacher read aloud a detailed story about what goes on in a chicken slaughterhouse. I sat with tears in my eyes completely dumbfounded. At the age of 10 I began to be a vegetarian, or so I thought. My family said it was fine with them but I would have to fend for myself in the kitchen. I would open a can or two of beans but I mainly said "no thank you" at dinner when I was offered animal food. It was a challenge and I eventually returned to a SAD diet after about a year. My body paid the price and I struggled in high school consuming only salad with fat free dressing for lunch everyday, or no lunch at all. I was never happy with my body but as a naive teenager I was more concerned with fitting in and having a good time then with vitamins and nutrients.
I met my husband in college, I was so intrigued when we had our first meal together when he said he had been born and raised vegetarian. It was like a light was switched on in my head and a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I felt such a strong connection with him in that moment. I truly felt as if I met someone who connected me with my own deep feelings I had kept to myself for the past 7 years. I decided right then and there that I would never eat meat again. My father in law is a passionate animal rights activist and writer. Although my husband is half indian his vegetarianism is for the animals, not a religious affiliation like many people think when they meet him. My hubby has been raised vegan but when left to his own devices in college he ended up eating more of a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet.
As our relationship blossomed I learned all about foods I had never heard about growing up a very picky eater in Northern Ontario. Potato roti, falafels and veggie burgers were staple foods for us... along with cheap prepackaged meals. None the less after switching to a vegetarian lifestyle I quickly and effortlessly lost about 15 lbs.
The 2 years we were together before we became vegans were filled with processed, packaged foods with many milk ingredients. Boxed KD, microwave pizzas and little envelopes with powdered potatoes were a regular affair. It was a youtube video that finally made us convert ( or in my husband's case go back to) a vegan diet. The video detailed the incredible pain and suffering cows go through as well as the health effects of consuming their milk. I can't find this particular video now but there are tons on there if you are interested.
When we made the switch to veganism it was not as hard as I had imagined. We just did it. I immediately felt more energetic, happier and over 2 months lost about 10 lbs. I fell in love with cooking and during my pregnancy with our son I saw how nutritious and delicious vegan food can be. Breastfeeding my infant son was a magical experience, it also brought me great sadness thinking of cows having their sweet babies taken from them and their precious milk being sold in grocery stores instead of nurturing their young.
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| Zack at 10 months |
Our son Zack is now an energetic 2 and a half year old. He is very intelligent and tall for his age so we are always asked the classic question " What do you feed him?!"
I am proud to say that he is vegan and he eats tons of fresh veggies, fruits and whole grains. I have had mothers stop me on the subway and say "How do you get him to eat carrots or cucumber? My daughter wont eat anything green!" I truly believe by exposing him to our healthy vegan lifestyle he has fallen in love with the tasty choices that a vegan diet has to offer. He loves to cook dinner and bake with me. Food has been a big part of his life and I am so blessed to be able to share my love of cooking with my child.
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| Zack now at 2 and a half |
This is the perfect place for me to do my part to make the world a better place.
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