Soyagera journey into healthier living

The biggest question I see (not hear, because I never hear it in real life) concerning veganism is, “How do I become a vegan?”  I am a regular poster and/or lurker on a few message boards that are geared toward eco-friendliness, and the topic comes up quite often, including issues of “safely” converting to a vegan diet and how to feed children in this way.

There are many, many resources online to aid in the transition to a veg diet/lifestyle, which I have listed at the end of this post. However, I’ll share my personal experience, too, in order to show how it can realistically happen. Our transition to this type of eating was certainly done in stages, so I’ll organize it as such:

Starting Out (Fall 2005)

We naively thought that eliminating animal products just meant substituting soy for dairy, veggie burgers for meat, and tossing any products/foods that didn’t comply.  When we found that all we were eating was a lot of soup, bread, and snacks (and gaining weight in the process!), we picked up a few vegan cookbooks and started learning more. One thing that made it tough was we tried to go, excuse the pun, cold turkey and ended up craving meat and cheese periodically. We called giving in to these cravings “meat cheats.”

Tip: Don’t try to go completely vegan right away. Start slowly, eliminating one thing at a time. For example,  start with soy milk in place of cow’s milk. Or, try getting rid of cheese but keep your eggs and milk for awhile.

Getting the Hang of Things (2006)

We began to understand how to cook without animal products and began building a small repertoire of dishes that worked for us, mainly using processed soy products (like soy “cheese” or “sausage”). We genuinely liked the taste of these products and didn’t miss meat. However, I’m pretty sure there were times when we were more vegetarian in our eating as we couldn’t totally get rid of cheeses.

Tip: Accept the fact that vegetarian/vegan processed foods aren’t always meant to exactly replicate the carnivorous version they represent. Enjoy these foods as they are. Enjoy a veggie burger as a veggie burger and not as a hamburger substitute. These products should make the transition easier, not painful, so choose things that taste good to you!

Really Learning, Really Eliminating (2007)

Here are some common questions (with my answers) about maintaining a vegan diet:

1. How expensive would it be in comparison to vegetarianism?  I really have to watch our budget.
I can’t really say much about cost in comparison. We spend A LOT of money on food and nutrition per month, but we also live in an area with limited options. We’re lucky enough to have an organic market that stocks many items, and there’s a chain grocery retailer that sells much of what we use, but we live in a resort area and pay high prices for everything, it seems. Like anything, there are ways of going cheap, and there are ways of going big. If you’re constantly buying processed, pre-made vegan food, it will add up. If you want, you could live off of rice, beans, and veggies and be fine!

2. What are the staples of your diet?
This is basically what we always have on hand, and consider it’s winter in the fruit/veggie dept:

Protein:
tofu (use this for everything, for any meal, including desserts)
nuts (not just for snacking–I use them in place of meat to make everything from stuffed cabbage to meatloaf to patties)
black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans,quinoa, soy milk, soy yogurt, avocados

Grains:
quinoa, long grain brown rice, cous cous, rice pastas, enriched pastas (the only thing we buy that’s not organic), hemp or other whole-grain breads, wheat tortillas, polenta

Fruits (right now we always have): apples, bananas,  citrus, papaya, mangoes, frozen berries

Veggies: Spinach (fresh and frozen), cabbage, leafy greens like kale, carrots, celery, onions, potatoes (technically not a veggie for us)

Supplementary items (this is where it adds up): greens drinks (for extra veggies), nutritional yeast (for necessary B vitamins), flax seed oil, good quality cooking oils, tamari, minced garlic, ginger, good spices, Earth Balance margarine, rice milk, etc.

Supplements: probiotics, enzymes, high quality multi vits, pre-natals, vit E, cal/mag/zinc liquid supplement (the only thing we take regularly is the vitamins and calcium; Hubs is better about taking enzymes and such–not really required for vegans, just something we do for good health)

3. What is a good place to start that is comprehensive but not overwhelming with vegan info?

The bottom of this post has a good list of places to start.

This is For Life (2008 to present)

We finally learned the right way to eat: we balanced our food groups, got the right nutrients, and eliminated processed soy products (which are no better for the body or the environment than any other mass-produced food).  A supportive and informed naturopath was essential in this process.

We started this diet together when we were dating, and I wasn’t in love with meat enough to hang onto it, so I supported Hubs in his quest to live a healthy, heart-friendly life, so I did most of the cooking. It was a learning process, for sure (still is). However, I advocate it not only because I learned about the horrible food-industry practices in this country, but because we have read SO MUCH about how a vegan diet is better for your health, hands down. The body cannot process all of the protein and dairy that generally comes along with a Standard American Diet, and it leads to other health issues.

Mainly, I found this: when I stopped eating meat (dead energy), my world got brighter. I believe it is because I stopped ingesting dead things. When we started eating more cleanly, more natural foods, we stopped getting sick. When I stopped eating dairy, my chronic sinus problems went away. And when I stopped eating things that most people eat, I was no longer tempted to buy into our consumerist society. Changing the way I ate changed the way I thought about life–and so much for the better.

Excellent Resources:
Veg for Life–excellent easy-to-read site about making the transition to veganism
Go Veg–in association with PETA; tons of info and their Vegetarian Starter Kit
Farm Sanctuary–a wonderful organization which is a wonderful reminder of why people choose to eat vegan

Books to Check Out:
Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet,  Davis & Melina
Food and Healing, Annemarie Colbin
The China Study, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
The Great Cholesterol Con, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick
Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer

Favorite Cookbooks:
Vive Le Vegan, Dreena Burton
Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Vegan Soul Kitchen, Bryant Terry
La Dolce Vegan, Sarah Kramer
Vegan Yum Yum, Lauren Ulm
Vegan Planet, Robin Robertson

The holidaze is through and, hopefully, the inevitable craziness of a marketing onslaught made everyone reflect on what’s really important. I generally don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I found an interesting site that makes creating and keeping resolutions much easier. The best part is that it isn’t so much about resolutions but life improvements.

This blog is The Happiness Project (great title-hm?). Read through to get the gist of the philosophy, then check out The Happiness Project Toolbox to put a plan into action! There is even a space for Group Resolutions where people can motivate each other for a common goal. If you’re interested in resolving to “Go (even more) Green!,” go to my user page and add yourself to the Group Resolution list! First goal: turn off lights when leaving a room. (We’ll start off easy, okay?) Look, as an known procrastinator, the fact that I’ve even created a profile and written ONE resolution is progress for me, so let’s support each other for change!

What are some future “go green” goals you’d like to add?

Okay, so why 1950? I really just chose that year because it seems like a good estimate. I’m sure chemical cleansers and petroleum-based products really became the rage following the war, with all the new-fangled technology to clean and polish. And as I’ve figured out, chemicals must make things disintegrate faster…

I’m in the middle of a huge cleaning job. (I’m taking a needed break by blogging. Don’t tell Hubs. He’s still cleaning the basement…heehee.) Hubs and I leave for our cross-country trip in a week. We’ve got a few errands left to run, a few days of work left to bear, and a few items left to buy. Today is CLEANING DAY EXTRAORDINAIRE. And since we gave up chemical cleansers months ago, we’re finding out that we need to increase a few variables in our (natural cleanser x H20) + (elbow grease) = Clean equation.

The proper equation should be
(natural cleanser X H20)+ 100(elbow grease) =Clean!

I’m not complaining. I just now see why women of the working class always had incredible arms. So far today I’ve:
-cleaned out a cooler that was getting mildew-y
-scrubbed my outdoor basement stairs and cement pad (Thank you wet Spring for the mildew you’ve brought. It’s so pretty green!)
-scrubbed my kitchen floor with a rag and a scrub brush
-scrubbed my carpeted stairs with castile soap, water, and borax using a scrub brush

And I’m worn out! I know my back will kill tomorrow. One thing that will not burn, though, is my lungs. Neither will my heart (with the pain of tossing chemical compounds into the water supply).

I suppose I should get back to work.  I’m moving on to my bathrooms and bedroom. A scrub brush is sort of a necessary tool for me, I’ve found. Do you have any natural cleaning tricks that you find magical?

From what I’ve read ABOUT this book (I haven’t read the actual text yet), it seems that the title is purely for attention-getting. And it works pretty well, no? The Vegetarian Myth is written by Lierre Keith, a former vegan, who conjectures that veganism/vegetarianism isn’t any better for the planet than a typical omnivore’s diet. Her argument is for sustainable communities, sustainable living, sustainable eating. And maybe wants to knock a few vegs off their high horses?

::putting tack and saddle away::

I’d like to read this book to see if Keith gets into a deeper argument or rouses any larger points beyond the obvious. In my personal experience, eating a meatless diet can certainly be just as harmful to your body as to the environment, and I’m not just talking about getting one’s vitamins and mineral intake down properly. I mean that there is a lot of processed vegan food out there contributing to the environmental problems just as readily as a bologna factory. This is why I have such a hard time explaining my diet to those who ask or think they understand. It’s not just about eliminating meat and cheese (though sometimes that is how to say it with brevity). It’s about eating organic, WHOLE foods and, when possible, locally produced foods.

I have a feeling that I’ll agree with many of Keith’s musings, and now I’m off to my state library’s website to see if it’s available (what’s your guess?).

…that will take DECADES for Americans to even wrap their heads around.

I recently read the following article in UTNE Reader mag and it made me think more about WHY this concept of granting the Earth constitutional rights (I know–sounds funny. Read the article!) sounds, well, sounds funny to Americans.  Hubs and I were discussing animals, creatures of this Earth like us, and how many people fail to see spiritual and emotional similarities between humans and animals. Hubs conjectured, “most people don’t understand things unless it’s in their face. ..” Mistreating or disrespecting animals isn’t something they can comprehend because it’s not affecting them directly. “It’s the same reason why people aren’t concerned with genocide or bombings,” he said, “they care only if it’s happening directly to THEM.” Ah, my wise husband, right again.

And it’s the same with the Earth. A dog craps on someone’s lawn, he’s angry about it. A power plant dumping toxic substances into natural waterways? Fuh-get-about-it!  Whether it’s apathy or ignorance, it’s annoying and enraging, and part of the reason I get frustrated living where I live. The majority of the population is in the “fuh-get-about-it” category. Or, more appropriately, the “I ain’t care” category.

George Orwell says in 1984, “the hope lies with the Proles…” Where do we go from here?

Check out this article: The Emancipated Earth

So, I’ve been lax in the blogging department. I took a trip to San Francisco to visit a friend who’s receiving some medical treatment there. Once I returned, I was still on California time and had developed a nice case of seasonal allergies. Read: my sleep schedule was off and I had zero energy, especially for blogging. I’m currently resting on my stomach with wet towels over the backs of my legs because I didn’t put sunscreen on them today and, you got it, I’ve got two long pepperoni sticks for legs. Since I’m indisposed, it’s a perfect time to type!

First things first: California. Ah….California. I got off the plane and there were FIVE recycling bins for disposables as soon as I exited the gate. That pretty much sums up CA. I had no problem finding veg options, there is ample recycling, and it’s clean and sunny. However, I was surprised that, as far as cities are concerned, I prefer New York to San Fran. The people in San Fran (and by people I mean the homeless, the cashiers, and the tourists) wanted to talk too much. When I go to a city, I want to disappear, be intent on where I’m going, not be bothered. In SF, everyone wants to converse, chit-chat, beg for change…. Goodness, I’m such an East Coast girl. (That experience will NOT stop me from eventually moving off the East Coast, though!)

Up second: allergies. I was getting the beginnings of some trouble before flying to CA. Apparently, the pollen was in full swing in SF, so I had an awful stuffy nose and post-nasal drip. By the time I arrived home, my throat was dry and scratchy from the plane and I developed the full-blown allergy symptoms a few days later: itchy eyes, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, sore throat. I don’t like taking drugs anymore, so I found something at our local organic market that is now my miracle cure: Buried Treasure Aller-Ease. We’ve used some Buried Treasure supplements before and they make quality products. This initially stinky liquid cured me of the sinus pressure I was having, and after the second day taking it, my allergy symptoms have disappeared. Glorious!

And, finally, sunburn. Sigh…. I haven’t tried any “natural” sunscreens yet, so I suppose that will be another post. I’ve read of a brand that makes biodegradable sunscreen that doesn’t destroy ocean vegetation. Hm, I’m thinking that wearing biodegradable sunscreen isn’t going to make a big impact when there’s literally sh*t floating in the ocean… . Anyway, today, I wore regular, traditional Coppertone and neglected to put it on my legs. My dermatologist warned me about my susceptibility to skin cancer, but after reading some research that skin cancer could have more to do with diet and less with the effects of the sun, I’m backing off on my use of the lotions and potions. Unfortunately, I’ve got a great pair of red legwarmers to show for it.  I’m sure I’ll continue to wear sunscreen to prevent burns (especially like the kind I got today), but what if skin cancer is simply the sun bringing to the surface all of the sugars, toxins, and free-radicals that the body can’t process [as per said research]? I like to think that by eating healthy and following a naturopath’s regime, I won’t have to totally slather myself with lab-produced chemicals.

But I’ll let you know how I feel after my next derm appointment.

A veg friend and I were giggling over the guilt we feel about certain items in our life that do not fall in line with our worldview. She feels guilty about not cloth-diapering her kid; I was embarrassed to step into my (albeit small) gas-hog SUV. So, since my last post was about perfectionism, I’ll debunk all that.

Non-eco friendly/non-animal friendly/non-health-friendly/non-my-agenda-friendly items Hubs and I still use:

-Our 2006 Jeep Liberty: 2 years left to pay; lost its value; it’s not going anywhere soon
- Razors; sometimes disposable ones!
- Swiffer Wet Jet: I’d like to think I’m going to get on my hands and knees every week and clean the kitchen floor. Like I said, “like to think…”
- Ibuprofen: in the land of chemical pain-relievers, this one is probably the “least harmful”
- Regular ol’ batteries: not the rechargeable ones
- Plastic wrap, plastic baggies, plastic cutlery: I try to remember to bring my own fork & knife to work, but usually just use the plastic stuff provided there…
– Pizza & Mexican food: about once every 5-6 weeks, we make concessions and just eat some damn cheese
– Traditional household paint: probably one of the most toxic things to bring into the home, but I can’t afford $30/can for the non-toxic stuff. Opening windows is free…
– Leather shoes/jackets/gloves: I haven’t bought any new ones but I’m certainly not throwing out the old ones.
– Paper towels & napkins: might switch to cloth napkins, but recycled paper towels is what works for us
–Trashbags: there are bio-degradable trashbags, recycled trashbags…nothing breaks down in a landfill anyway but I suppose we could use something that isn’t made of petroleum. One day, when we have a yard, we will compost and have minimal trash production.
–Tampons: my husband experiences enough of my bodily functions without throwing wearable cups and reusable pads into the mix.

I’ll add to the list as I think of more. This has actually been a good exercise for seeing what changes we have already made!

I’m a perfectionist.  So, if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it RIGHT. Take my lifestyle, for instance. I made the decision to be more eco/world/health-concious, and so, that influences every choice I make.  So, to use house-cleaning as an example, when I realized the harmful effects of chemical detergents and cleansers not only on the air quality of my home, but on the environment as a whole, I stopped buying those things. I found other truly natural options (like Dr. Bronner’s; vinegar; baking soda). Therefore, it’s very hard for me to accept small changes. I want change NOW! I want the Barack-Obama-campaign-poster-sized CHANGE in everyone! Yes, this is impossible (is it?) but I still can’t let it go.

An employee of the small, organic market where we shop said to me last week, “What if everyone just made one change–like even changing from whatever cleanser they are using to that new Clorox stuff  that is more eco-friendly? Just imagine how much of an impact THAT could have.” And she is totally right. I just have a hard time finding peace.

If someone says, “I just stopped using traditional makeup. Now I use minerals!” I want to know if they have switched all of their other cosmetics to natural/organic products. I want to know if they buy their minerals from an independent company versus a big box store.

I was on an “eco-friendly family” forum, where the main topic is cloth diapering. (I admit, that is what drew me to the forum in the first place even though there are no thoughts of children at the moment.) Women discuss the process of cloth diapering, the spraying, the soaking, the washing, the bleaching, the ammonia… I wanted to scream, “What about the water you’re using?!? What about bleach you’re inhaling?!?”  And by the way, there really is no answer as to which is the “better” method in the disposable vs. cloth debate. (And if you’re really bored, find one of these forums and post a message entitled, “Your method sucks because…” then wait for the mob to attack.)

If someone says, “we recycle,” I’m happy, but want to know if they continue to buy products packed in unnecessary plastic…

What is my deal? I’ve set the bar too high, perhaps even for myself. I didn’t create this petroleum-based world but I somehow feel like I can fix it. Perhaps that is the heart of the matter. Small changes are unacceptable to me because there is so much to do. I want everyone to make it her priority. My agenda is huge, my hopes high.  And so, I am constantly searching for peace with this idea…