I used to think vegans were crazy and mean.
I grew up near PETA's headquarters and heard about their nonsense around Hampton Roads.
Stories about people affiliated with the organization throwing paint on the Ronald McDonald House and on folks who decided to wear fur...
I pretty much wrote vegans off as deranged assholes...
...until I read Sistah Vegan in 2010.
This book changed everything for me.
For the first time, I saw veganism as a lifestyle that related to me.
I saw it as loving, compassionate and necessary.
I made the decision to change for the better.
So what is a vegan?
- A vegan is a person who doesn't consume any animal or animal byproducts (including fish, honey, eggs, gelatin). So if it comes from an animal...we don't fool with it.
- Veganism also includes what you wear, put on your body and every other part of your life (including not attending the circus, zoo or a rodeo).
- It's trying your best every day not to contribute to animal cruelty, improving your health and spreading love and compassion to others.
- Vegan life is not perfect. It's definitely a process to completely transition to vegan life and it still won't be perfect when you transition. Always remember progress over perfection!
- Being a vegan doesn't necessarily mean healthy (Oreos and plain Lay's are vegan)...even though you will probably eat better than before. Here's what vegans eat
In a nutshell....vegan life is love, peace and soul!
Veganism is love....love for yourself, other people, our planet and our animal friends
Veganism is peace... a beautiful silent protest against factory farming
Veganism is soul....it's fun (not uptight), there's so much variety and yes, you can still enjoy some of your favorite meals. Like my boo, Eryah Badu said, “Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And, to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure."
love, peace and soooul
What's stopping you from starting your own journey? If you're already a vegan, what did you think about the lifestyle before you started?
Let me know in the comments