As you know, this blog is primarily focused on my battle with mental illness. However, today I wanted to step away from describing my problems and explain a different piece of who I am. I was recently asked a couple questions about my decision to be vegan. I did my best to explain, but as explained before my thoughts and feelings are usually expressed more coherently if they are written. So today I will explain how and why I became vegan, what changes it brought about and why I continue this lifestyle today.
The title of this entry is called "person, place or thing" because of a vivid childhood memory. I was five years old and sitting in my first grade classroom. My teacher was explaining that a noun was a "person, place or thing". We were then given a worksheet with pictures of different people, objects, places and animals. We were then asked to place them into the categories of "person" "place" or "thing". I got it pretty easily - chair = thing, mailman = person....
Then it showed a picture of a goldfish
Even then, I felt uncomfortable viewing animals as objects. Putting a goldfish in the same category as a chair seemed wrong to me.
I was always an animal lover, but not just because animals were cute or fun to play with. I empathized with them in a way that I couldn't always do with people. I saw them as somebodies not somethings- individuals with hearts and brains and spirits.
However, I did not grow up vegan or vegetarian. I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of meat, and was known to say "I feel bad about the animals but they taste so good I can't help it!".
However, when I think back to my 10 year old self chowing down on my meat lovers pizza, I don't believe that I truly knew/felt a connection to the animals that I was consuming. Like so many of us, it was simply food with no ethical meaning.
This sort of cognitive dissonance kept me from really thinking about the issue. Now when I use the term "cognitive dissonance" please know that I use it without judgement towards the person who exhibits the behaviour. If we were to critically examine every aspect of our lives, from what we eat to what we buy, we would be completely overwhelmed.
So why be vegan? Why not buy local or organic? What about the clothes I wear, are they made in sweat shops? Do I produce too much garbage?
There are a lot of things that I could change so that I could live more ethically. However, being vegan is more than a choice to boycott animal cruelty. It reflects a shift in how we view animals and how we interact with them.
This perspective is clearly demonstrated in the film "Earthlings". You can find it on youtube easily- and I have a copy of the dvd. It is horrific to watch, but it was the narrative that really forced me to think. If you can, watch the first few minutes- it demonstrates the perspective without the gore.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkLt88_u5lQ&feature=PlayList&p=43B9A7F39BD66889&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1
There are many reasons people choose to be vegan, but in my opinion the most compelling reason is ethics. Some people adopt a vegan diet for health reasons (like Oprah!). While I do believe that a balanced vegan diet is extremely healthy, I don't deny the nutritional benefits of certain animal products. Vegans must ensure that they get adequate vitamin b12, iron and calcium. This can be difficult if you do not educate yourself on the matter. That being said, non vegans may be lacking in nutrients that vegans get plenty of. Basically, neither is inherently "superior" nutritionally. It is knowledge of nutrition and balance that fuel our bodies and keep us healthy.
There are some drawbacks to being vegan. Surprisingly, these drawbacks have nothing to do with the taste of vegan food (at least not to me). The challenge is living in a non vegan world. Food is so such a cultural and social thing, and I won't deny that being vegan can complicate these areas of your life. There is a certain sense of sacrifice. It does suck when your left picking at a green salad because that is the only vegan item on the menu. You will probably feel like an ass for refusing your grandmothers chicken soup (not that my grandmothers have ever made me soup). People can often get offended or defensive when you challenge their food choices (even without saying so, as your being vegan speaks loudly). So how do you deal?
You be polite and diplomatic. It is not about people being "bad" for eating animal products- it is about combatting our societies attitude towards animals. I try to voice my opinions honestly but not accusingly. I make amazing vegan baked goods and share them with people. I do not look to convert people, but instead strive to demonstrate that one can be healthy and happy without the use of animal products.
I should also mention that it is impossible to be 100% vegan. Identifying oneself as a vegan is more based on intention than it is about purity. We've created a world where just about everything contains animal products. There is gelatin in car tires and camera film. You will probably eat animal products by accident (I can recall a traumatic incident involving chinese food).
So where do you draw that line?
Ultimately, it's up for you to decide. For myself, I will only use an animal product if the product A) Is necessary for me to live healthily and B) Does not have a vegan alternative. There are a few scenarios in which I had to make this choice. I ride busses, cars and bicycles that have gelatin in the tires (there is no such thing as a "vegan tire" to my knowledge). I take medications in gelatin capsules, for without them I could not function. The most extreme example is when I "gave up" veganism for a few months in order to enter a day patient program for my eating disorder. There was/is no treatment program in Canada that would allow vegan diets. Even in the states I could only find three centers that would allow it. I needed intensive treatment, and I needed to learn to manage my eating disorder in the "real world" (IE: not in a far away treatment center). Though I disagreed with the "no veganism" policy, I still participated in the program, as without it I would not/could not be healthy physically or emotionally. Anyways, the point is that it is not about being perfect, it is about living your life in a way that reflects your values and challenges the way our society treats non human animals.
That being said, veganism can be (and for me, is) a wonderful way to live your life. It forced me to learn how to cook and try things I haven't before. I experiment with herbs and spices (even some I can't pronounce). I eat different styles of food, from Indian to Italian to Ethiopian. In many ways it actually expanded my diet instead of restricting it. It made me more aware of ways in which I could accommodate different dietary needs. When my sister removed dairy and gluten from her diet, I was able and more motivated to discover more alternatives for her. It also gave me a healthier relationship to food, seeing it as not only nourishment but a way to express my beliefs.
Ok, I should also mention the whole eating disorder and veganism topic. I recognize that many individuals use vegetarianism or veganism as a way to restrict calories and perpetuate the disorder. I also recognize the dangers of food obsession, and that being vegan involves a great deal of consideration and could possibly lead to obsession. For these reasons I sometimes hesitate discussing veganism to people, especially if I know the person I'm having the conversation has or is currently struggling with an eating disorder.
However, I think that this view is patronizing. It is this view that makes treatment centers shun vegan diets, and force people (like me) to choose between getting help and honouring our beliefs. I remember an intake worker at one center "challenging" me to consider how my veganism could be part of my eating disorder. This was really irritating. Deep down we know (though may not always want to admit) what we want and what the disorder wants. Ironically, there were many times the eating disorder wanted me to stop being vegan so I could eat the low calorie diet foods that contained animal products. It frustrates me that so many professionals share this viewpoint. It is a black and white mentality in which eating habits can only fall into the categories "normal" or "disordered". This reduces us (the eating disordered) to our disorders, viewing us as unable to make decisions on how we live our lives.
In the end, it is your choice. There are several reasons why I believe going vegan is the right thing to do, but I realize that they may not resonate with others as strongly as they did for me. I guess in the end all that I ask is for you think about it.
Peace, love and veggies,
Alex
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