Personal vegan challenge, take 2 | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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This last week has marked what I can now call an annual tradition for myself. I have embarked on a one-month vegan challenge. It’s not for weight loss, it’s not because I’ve joined PETA (though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that) and it’s probably not going to stick past the ‘designated’ time frame I’ve given myself.

Last year was my first experience with this vegan journey. I even posted a series titled “The Vegan Diaries” on this blog. For me, the idea came after I watched the documentary “Vegucated.” If anyone has seen any of the food documentaries that have spurred cult followings in the past few years, I’m sure questions were called into mind about what exactly we’re eating. This just happened to be the one that really made me sit back and think. So, veganism for a month it was. I did it as a challenge for myself because it was something I never thought I could do. Well I did, and I’m back for round two.

In addition to forcing myself out of my comfort zone, I learned a great deal about food, and what goes in to it (and what shouldn’t), as well as plant-based diets. Food is the fuel our bodies use for our daily activities and to maintain homeostasis. As Americans, the majority of us don’t think of food that way – we are creatures of pleasure. That often includes the not-so-good-for-you foods, and sometimes not in small quantities. It can even include foods that are seemingly not-so-bad for you, but have sneaky, hidden ingredients and processing agents.

I was able to do extensive research on a whole spectrum of foods and how they’re processed. There’s a whole lot I can’t unlearn 0r ignore. Processed foods, synthetic ingredients and GMOs can be jaw-dropping considering they make it to grocery store shelves and in to our bellies.

Personal soapbox aside, I’m excited to delve back in to researching and learning new facts about different foods and how our bodies use them. And new, exciting vegan recipes, of course.

To mark the beginning of my second vegan expedition, I’d like to pay tribute with an excerpt of one of my first Vegan Diaries posts – essentially my take on veganism 101:

You can’t eat, like, anything can you?

Uh, actually, you can. You can have anything that is not an animal by-product. That does mean no meat, dairy, fish, eggs, or honey. Anything and everything else is fair game! The last time I checked, that’s quite a variety of food.

What do you mean you can’t have honey? What about sugar?

Well, it depends on the vegan. Honey is made by bees. Bees are an animal. Therefore, it’s an animal by-product. For all intents and purposes of this vegan challenge, I decided I would not cut out products from bees, but simply try to limit them. As for refined sugar, no it does not come from animals, but can be processed with animal bone char to remove color, impurities, and minerals, according to Vegan Action. I love agave nectar, so I’ll probably use that as my honey/sugar substitute.

How are you going to get enough protein?

The American culture is obsessed with protein consumption. From protein shakes to 12oz steaks to protein-enhanced foods, there is an overabundance of protein in our diets, which can actually be harmful to the body and stress out our internal systems. Based on a 1,800 calorie diet, only about 270 of those should come from protein. Don’t get me wrong, protein is an important component of a diet and should be consumed daily. There are, however, many different ways to get adequate amounts of protein without eating meat. Shocking? Not so much. Nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, tempeh, tofu, grains, and lentils are a few examples of foods that contain protein….not from an animal. An additional fun fact is that quinoa and hemp seeds are complete protein foods, which means they boast all of the essential amino acids.

Is a vegan diet even healthy?!?!?!!

The truth is, a vegan diet can be devastating to your health if you don’t keep a balance and variety of foods to sustain the necessary vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly and efficiently. I suppose this is true with the ‘regular’ American diet as well. As a vegan, you can have carbs (hallelujah!); however, if refined carbs turn to be the primary source of your daily caloric intake, you are essentially starving your body of all the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to function. Carbohydrates are not the enemy. In fact, they are in fruits and vegetables! If you choose to eat them in other forms, opt for the unrefined carbohydrates. Unrefined carbs are in their most natural state, without unnecessary processing that removes water, fiber, and nutrients. This unnecessary processing is called refining. Refined carbs have a longer shelf life and a more concentrated taste. This is the process that most ‘white foods’ have endured, including white sugar, white bread, cereals, white rice, many pastas, bakery items, etc.

Do you have any vegan cookbooks?

Actually, I do. I’ve tried recipes from all three, and I haven’t been disappointed once.

And last, but most certainly not least:

You can still drink alcohol, right?

The simple answer is yes, of course. How else would I get through this?! Just kidding. The more in-depth answer goes back again to what type of vegan you are. Alcohol is not an animal by-product, however, many companies use animal by-products in some way to produce their beverages, mostly for filtering purposes. One way to check if your favorite beverage is vegan is through a site called Barnivore.

For more vegan FAQs (if you haven’t had enough already), check out:

I’d love to know any questions you have, any input you have and any criticisms.

(Dear cheese, please know I still love you….)

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