Once again Oprah copies me
Why can’t she just live her own life? Why does she always have to copy me?
See, what you don’t know is that while I’ve been away, I’ve finally and fully committed to being vegan. That means no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no fish–no animal products of any kind (yesterday I even cleared out my closet of leather. And man, I used to love that coat). But let’s not focus on the no, because it’s yes to absolutely everything else (except sugar for me for the next six weeks, but that’s another deal). I feel SO MUCH BETTER you can’t even believe it–more energy, better sleep, lighter, no bloating, and yes, happier.
If you want some incentive for going vegan, here are a few fun testimonials: here and here.
If, like me, the idea that you can radically improve your health isn’t enough reason to make the switch, then maybe you, like me, will be convinced by this. I’ll warn you, it’s hard to watch, but I think it’s important to understand what’s really going on. This and some other videos on the site changed my life forever. I can never go back, and that’s a good thing.
It just so happens that this is World Vegetarian Week. If you feel inspired to go veg for even the next seven days, see if it doesn’t make you feel better. You can find some tips for making the transition here.
I wasn’t planning on saying any of this right now, but seeing that Oprah has jumped on the vegan bandwagon makes me think maybe more people will be open to it. As some of you know, I tried to go vegan before, but had to retreat to vegetarianism because of my abiding love of cheese. Well, a veggie melt back at the beginning of April cured me of that. I’d been vegan for several weeks already, and decided to “treat” myself. That wad of cheese (not to be confused with the band Flying Wads of Cheese) stayed in my intestine (eww!) for three full days (ewww!) and gave me the worst pain. Yeah, it tasted great going in, but so not worth it. My last great holdout was milk chocolate, and once I watched the video above I decided my taste buds were not reason enough to support what happens to dairy cows. So out it went. Can you believe it???
Anyway, I know I’m on blog blackout right now, but this topic is important enough to me that if any of you want to chat about it, ask me questions, etc., I’ll be happy to spend some time answering.
Go Veg!!!
Technorati Tags: Vegan, Veganism, Oprah Goes Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegetarianism
May 21st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Those are SO not the cows I get my milk and cheese from! My milk cows are happy cows, and I visit them in the pasture when I buy my raw whole milk and artisan cheese . . .
Just one comment. Our teeth put us squarely in the OMNIVORE category. You are fighting your own physiology with this decision. I eat very little meat, and what I do eat is organic from the farm. My eggs are from happy chickens.
Having said that, I think we all make the decisions that are right for us. I hope yours works out for you, but do be aware that veganism isn’t for everyone. Some physiologies do NOT react well to it, and much of that is genetic. People whose ancestors thrived in cold climates are less likely to stay healthy on a vegan diet.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Soylent green is made of PEOPLE!
May 21st, 2008 at 5:05 pm
BJ, I hear you on the happy cows and chickens–I think it’s huge when you can actually see the animals who produce what you eat.
But the fact still remains–for me–that I don’t want to eat the flesh of any animal anymore. My tastes and preferences just aren’t enough of a reason anymore for an animal to die. I had a good run of eating meat and cheese up to this point in my life, and now I’m content to go forward another way.
But I agree with you that this is a very individual decision. For me it took over a year of flirting between vegetarianism (with fish and eggs and dairy on the side) and full-on veganism. I’m really happy I finally made the switch.
As for the argument that we were made to be omnivores, we certainly weren’t made to eat the animals we’re being presented with now: pumped full of antibiotics, hormones, etc., and kept confined in horrible conditions all their short lives until they finally meet with a brutal end. The human diet evolves, and this, for me, is the next step in my evolution.
What’s everyone else think?
May 21st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Patrick, I think about that line every time I buy soy. Why did they have to steal that word?
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:11 am
I was a vegetarian for a year and half.
Then my father decided to take us camping.
God, it was horrible.
Every single meal was made almost entirely out of meat.
By the end of the week I was so hungry I ended up eating it.
I’ve never tried to go back.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:38 am
I’ll pass on the videos because I already pass on meat. And once my finances allow me to avoid cheese pizza (it is verra difficult to buy only vegan for me when feeding the rest of my non-vegetarian family and trying to put gas in the car) I hope to be a full-time vegan.
Best of luck to you, Robin. And I bet you last longer than Oprah.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:44 am
I think it’s time to take Oprah off the list of 30. She should put YOU on HER list of 30…
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:46 am
I totally forgot about the List of 30. How do you remember these things?
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I take good notes?
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Just saw an article on People.com! I have been vegetarian for over three years now..nothing new…
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Robin, you know Oprah only copies you because you’re the original.
Best of luck to you. I’m hoping to make this transition myself, so maybe you’ll inspire me too.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Robin, I hear ya on the factory farming re animals. Geez, even the Pew Report has come out against it.
All I ask, since I loves ya, is to keep monitoring your health, take your supplements, pay attention to your amino acid combos, and PLEASE do NOT overdo soy, that stuff is worse for you than meat, and is not easily digestible by the human body. Not only that, but because it’s one of the Subsidy Crops, and because the USDA and FDA are subsidized by the people they’re supposed to be inspecting and regulating, there is no labelling of genetically modified soybeans or soybean products in this country, and almost every soybean in the US is courtesy of Monsanto, and produces its own pesticide, which you, in turn, ingest.
Okay, I’m done ranting now . . .
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
BJ-
You totally freaked me out with the info about the soybeans. I have a daughter who is severely allergic to dairy so she drinks soymilk. Of course then had to do a little research…and…there’s a Roundup Ready Soybean patent? This is really upsetting.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:10 am
Yay for veganism/vegetarianism! I’m so glad that you’ve made this decision. I’ve been a happy vegetarian for almost twelve years. I drink milk and eat eggs because I know where they come from. We buy from a family farm that puts no hormones in the cows and lets them have ample space. I’m very happy being a vegetarian, but I can’t really know what not being a veg is like since I became one when I was three.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Regarding soymilk… our doctor recommended rice milk for our kids instead of soy milk because rice milk is less allergenic and apparently healthier. And it tastes great! I use rice milk to replace regular milk for everything, even in cereal and in recipes.
Regarding GMOs… you might be interested to know that a friend of mine who works in a lab has been testing Silk and Kirkland brands of soymilk for GMOs. They claim to be organic and GMO-free, but my friend found GMOs in organic soymilk in repeated tests and then discovered that by law in America companies are allowed to have up to 5% contamination in organic foods!
Back to veganism…Robin, you may have inspired me to try it again. Being a vegetarian is working well for me. I think we all have to do what feels right for us, and I only feel comfortable eating animals that I would be willing to kill myself. I could totally catch a fish and cook it up, but there is no way I could kill a chicken or cow or a pig so I don’t want to eat them. For my family that eats meat we purchase free-range, natural and organic meats as much as possible. In my opinion if an animal must be killed for human consumption it should at least have a happy life, eat good food, not be pumped full of antibiotics, and be killed humanely. Factory farming is awful for animals and also for our health.
May 24th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
BJ, thanks for your information. As you can see, already helpful!
Michelle, thanks for the added info re your friend’s lab testing. VERY interesting.
But as for the idea that organically-raised animals have a happier life, I was shocked to learn (although it makes sense once you think about it) that they actually have worse lives than the traditionally-raised livestock. Because they have to be certified organic, the farmers can’t give them antibiotics or any other medicine if they become ill. So infections and other painful conditions go untreated. I used to think organic meat and dairy were the way to go, too, until I understood that.
Felicity, I’m curious: what made you go veg so young? Was it your parents’ decision?
Katlin, your camping story cracked me up. I can so sympathize! I’m a big backpacker, and last summer decided to try this company that makes dehydrated meals–all vegan. The food was fantastic! Lots of beans for protein, lots of dried veggies–we were always stuffed after the meals, and they gave us all the energy we needed to climb mountains. I’m going to use them again this year.
Heather, as that woman on Oprah said, all you have to do is “lean into it.” We have to let go of our need for perfection. It took me a long time to finally make the commitment, and so I’m certainly not going to judge anyone else about it. What finally did it for me were all the undercover videos of what goes on at factory farms. Excellent aversion therapy, and more important, the awakening I needed.
Shai, bueno to you, my friend. You’ve already saved many lives.
Elizabeth, *snort.* And good luck with your transition–you’ll feel so much healthier and kinder, it will be worth it!
Vivian, I like Michelle’s idea of using rice milk instead. There’s also almond milk, hemp milk–several choices to test with your daughter’s taste buds.
Patrick, you set such a fine example for all of us, as usual.
May 24th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
My parents decided to become vegetarian, yes, but now I’m the one that pushes it. A family friend sent them a book on how animals are treated. I don’t think I protested too much; I never liked meat except chicken when I was little.
I’d like to become vegan… but I’ve had a lot of problems with Iron and a few vitamins that has made me sick. So for right now, I don’t really want my hair falling out again. Robin, how do you get vitamins, Iron, calcium, etc.? I’d really like to know.
May 24th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Robin - what does a daily or weekly meal plan look like for you?
Melissa and I have done it before - long long ago, but we hated the meat-substitutes and tofu. Actually, I think there were a few vege-burgers that I liked. Mostly we did a tempeh stir-fry, if I recall correctly.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Felicity, I take a good stout multi-vitamin every day, which has iron in it, and also take a calcium-magnesium supplement.
Patrick, here’s the deal: for several months I was relying way too much on take-out from this great Ethiopian place (lentils, mixed vegetables, spinach with injera bread–mmmm) and Vietnamese (tofu and veggies), and the only thing I cooked for myself at home was bean burros and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Which is fine for a while, but after a while you sort of start to panic because you think, “Is this how it’s always going to be?”
But I finally started downloading recipes from the internet, and bought myself a few great cookbooks (including one just for vegan desserts–I have brownies in the oven as we speak) (remember how I said I was going no sugar for 6 weeks? *cough*). And now that I know I can actually make myself real food at home any time I want, I feel so much more relaxed about the whole thing. I wasn’t going to change my mind and go back to eating meat, but I was reaching that anxious point of wondering how I was going to live this way long-term.
A day looks like this:
Breakfast: Oatmeal made with half soy milk, half water; banana; walnuts; flax seed; flax seed oil; agave nectar (a great sugar substitute, and much lighter tasting than honey, which vegans avoid anyway); cinnamon.
Snacks: Fruit, almonds, tortilla chips (made in vegetable oil) and either hummus or vegetarian refried beans and lots and lots of salsa.
Lunch: Today I had leftover stroganoff I made a few nights ago, using seitan (wheat meat–delicious!) instead of meat, and these flavorful brown mushrooms. I got the recipe off the GoVeg.com site–it’s absolutely divine, and I’ll be using that to convert people who think they won’t be able to eat well without meat. I also made myself a salad, because I’ve been needing some greens lately and not really giving them to myself.
Other days I’ll make a pbj on homemade bread (I use a recipe that substitutes soy milk or rice milk for eggs, and uses molasses instead of sugar), or whip up a quick bean burro. I could have refried beans every day of my life, and usually do. Plus salsa is its own food group, in my opinion.
Dinner: I’ve been experimenting lately with seitan and tempeh, and I have to say I’m not really grooving on tempeh. I made shish kebabs last weekend using both, and for sure the seitan was the bigger hit.
If I don’t feel like cooking, I’ll go for the take-out. So many ethnic restaurants have great vegan meals–Indian, Ethiopian, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican. I’ll get something that will last me two dinners at least, just so I don’t drive up my food costs too much.
I’ll also throw in some smoothies here and there, especially when it’s hot outside.
So that’s basically it. I’m living on fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. I’ve made beans my meat, and make sure I have them at least once–sometimes twice–a day.
Plus like I told Felicity, I take a multi-vitamin and a few other supplements (B-12 is an absolute must, since you can only get that from meat otherwise, and being deficient in B-12 is not good).
I know people are always wondering, “How can you possibly get enough protein?” But studies have shown that Americans in particular already take in at least two times as much protein as we need, so switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet just brings us back into normal range. Which is why it’s often the prescription for people suffering from heart disease–it helps them clean out the clockworks and get everything ticking properly again.
Does that help?
May 24th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Whoops, forgot the vegetables.
Sometimes I’m really over them, and prefer fruit. Other times, like today, I have a craving for a lot of green. I’ll make a salad, or cook some spinach, or do a stir-fry.
I also found on GoVeg.com this great recipe for an avocado rueben sandwich. You make your own thousand island dressing, smash half an avocado, grill a few slices of bread, and put sauerkraut on one side, avocado on the other, dressing on both. Mmmmm. So good.
I’m kind of feeling like this is a food blog. Should I create a link for some of my favorite vegan recipes? Or do you guys not care so much? Either way, just let me know.
May 24th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
It’s ok with me.
I’m looking around at some recipes. I found a vegetarian chili to try. Actually, I’m just going to replace the beef in MY chili with lentils.
And this
http://publix.com/aprons/meals/MainDish/RecipeList.do#Vegetarian
May 24th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
though it doesn’t seem to jive with my low carb strategy….
May 24th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
P, can’t help you with the low-carb thing. I’m not even thinking of carbs. Vegetarian chili sounds great, though.
For those of you who care, tonight’s dinner:
I made my own batch of seitan, which I wasn’t sure about because that stuff is SO weird (you mix vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, some garlic, some vegetable broth, mix it into this very weird paste, then boil it for an hour–how can that be edible? But it totally was, especially because the recipe called for cutting it up in pieces and drenching it in flour, then browning it like it was meat. Really good).
Anyway, tonight was seitan picatta, with browned seitan over mashed potatoes, with barely boiled green beans sticking out of the potatoes just like it was a restaurant presentation, and then the sauce was shallots, garlic, vegetable broth, and white wine, with some capers and kalamati olives added at the end.
Very tasty, but also very labor-intensive. Don’t think I’ll do that one again. So far the best recipe has been that stroganoff I made earlier this week.
And for dessert (because I’m trying out various desserts so I’ll know what I can confidently bring to family parties), a batch of brownies with vegan chocolate chips (no milk chocolate) melted in the center. Now those were a big hit.
What I’m really striving for here is some meals that my meat-eater (and hunter) husband will eat. He said he really liked tonight’s, and I know he liked the stroganoff. I want to slip a few vegan meals into his diet every week. The key to that is making the food tasty, not just healthy.
May 25th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Michelle,
Thanks for this interesting bit of information about the soymilk. I’m switching over to rice milk today.
Robin,
I’d love to get your vegan brownie recipe. I’m mostly vegetarian and my kids love to eat whatever I eat. My husband, though, wants the red meat.
I haven’t gone vegan because nuts play too much of a part in the recipes and one of my kids is severely allergic to nuts.
Great things to think about!
May 25th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Vivian, give me a little time and I’ll put up some links to some great recipes, including brownies!
May 25th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Vivian, if your daughter does not like the rice milk you try, be sure to try a different brand. They all have their own unique taste. There are several brands I do not like, but have found one I do…and I prefer the vanilla flavored for my cereal…it gives it enough flavor so I do not have to add sugar. BTW…never could do the soy thing…gave me migraines.
May 26th, 2008 at 8:45 am
I can now report that the vegetarian chili was yummy. It went well with a homemade cornbread. You’d have to be ovo-lacto-veg to have the cornbread I made though…
Here’s a vegan cornbread, which is basically the same recipe I made with dairy substitutions, except mine called for 1 cup of sugar(I used splenda)
http://www.kosherblog.net/2005/03/09/blue_ribbon_vegan_cornbread/
May 26th, 2008 at 9:48 am
I am looking forward to seeing the recipes posted, Robin. Thanks Patrick for sharing some already. My favorite vegan dessert recipe is chocolate pie. Everybody loves it and it is completely simple to make. People don’t believe that it is tofu: http://www.marondweb.com/recipes/sweets19.html
May 27th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Michelle and Patrick, thanks for those great-looking recipes! And speaking of great-looking, Michelle, what is up with that recipe site of yours? Oh, my gosh! Beautiful! I totally want one! I’m really, really impressed.
Judy, thanks a lot for that information.
May 31st, 2008 at 7:37 am
I’m coming to this a little late, and am glad that BJ brought up the soy concerns. FYI, I use unsweetened almond milk for my cereal because I love cereal but can’t do straight milk. I was a vegetarian for four years, and joked later that it was the reason why I was so grouchy for four years! Really, though, there isn’t one diet for all people, and I discovered that I needed a jolt of red meat every now and then because I wasn’t absorbing iron well any other way. Do you have Vegan With a Vengeance, Robin? I bought it but haven’t used it yet. It’s supposed to showcase the decadent side of veganism for everyone who thinks that vegans just eat bean sprouts and shredded cardboard.
My two good vegan party foods are stuffed grape leaves and triangular spinach pies. Let me know if you need recipes.
Veganism seems almost mainstream to me, now that I’ve met a number of raw-foodies.
June 16th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Hi everyone. This is my first time on here and its very interesting. Let me just say that i have been considering being a vegetarian for a few months now. I don’t eat a lot of meat anyway but i just can’t seem to tear myself away from certain meals that i love (meatloaf, turkey burgers, chicken etc.) But i have been eating much healthier than i use to. I hope you can offer me some advice because i would really like to make that transition and eventually maybe become a vegan. HELP!!!!
June 16th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Hi, Selina. Welcome! I recommend a little aversion therapy. The thing that did it for me was watching “Meet Your Meat” and some of the other videos on the GoVeg.com website. You’ll never look at meatloaf, turkey burgers, chicken, etc. the same.
And pork? FORGET IT. Watch and see how you feel.