Vegan

So hot topic. Especially in these days. When I want to make easier for people to understand my eating habits I say I am vegan. Some people imagine plant based diet, some imagine no meat,eggs, milk and either of milk products. You can find many definitions and to be honest I don’t fit in vegan definitions for a hundred percent. Naturally I found my own way.

My way started someday around my 15th birthday, maybe sooner. I got hands on every book from library and studied different kinds of nutrition. Needless to say that there were not that many of these books 15 years ago. And what I can tell now, they were sometimes pretty boring and black and white with no pictures.

At home they called me herb witch and fool, that insists on buying wholegrain bread. Nevertheless I muss say that we ate meat at home mostly during weekends for lunch, we didn’t find that attractive processed meat product and in the school canteen I had a choice of vegetarian meal.

The biggest change

has started along with my university studies, because I was deciding by myself what I am going to buy and cook. It was never meat.

I started my part time job in Green Ways, which is company distributing juice from barley grass and sweet water weed Chlorella. They have tough me so much about nutrition. It was great to be surrounded by so many inspirational people and hear so many good speeches. Using both green foods started also cleansing effect on my body and little by little I stopped finding meat tasty, in fact it was more and more tasteless. I started to deny it at home. That could not be left without any comment of course and it took time for my relatives to get use to the fact, I wouldn’t eat meat.

It continued for a few years. I had a fish sometimes as vegetarian, especially when it was just fresh that day. As my vegetarian journey was slow, so was the vegan one. Dairy products were less and less often on my plate. And more to that, ethical reasons why not support dairy industry were increasing and increasing.

I have been vegetarian about six years and last four years I have been vegan. Veganism for me is not fashion trend or label. I do it because it makes sense to me. I feel responsible for production and the way it is produced. How many animals are cared for and how they are treated. How many animals suffer and why. Am I able to kill an animal? Why should I want someone else to kill for me…

Quick Q&A

Do I eat meat? No.

Do I eat eggs? Sometimes. For example when I visit grandma and she offers homemade cake to me.

Do I drink milk? No, and I don’t feel well after I do.

Do I eat cheese? No, similar reason as for milk.

Do I eat honey? Yes, because I believe that when someone takes care of bees with love, it is not violence.

What is my guilty pleasure? Most of the times it is a real French croissant.

Do I wear silk? Yes, only if I buy it second hand.

Do I wear leather boots? Yes, I bought them five years ago. I know that when I will take care of them well, they will last another few years. In this case I choose sustainability. Rather one pair for seven years than every two years a new pair.

Do I have leather handbag? Yes, from second hand.

Do you have more questions? Please, don’t hesitate to ask.

Pureearthwoman

Translation with the help of Ellie Farrier