Me?—a Vegan?

Part I -  A Devastating Look in the Mirror

I would like to consider myself a pretty healthy individual overall. Despite my hypertension ("hereditary"), when I first thought about going plant-based, I had been the healthiest I've ever been. I played sports in high school, began to work out during college, loved it, and have been on and off the fitness wagon ever since. Whenever I fell off and wanted to get right again, I would try different random diets like: low-carb, paleo, pescatarian, etc. And they seemed to kind of work--mostly because in limiting yourself in any way during a diet, you are usually cutting out some of the junk. But nothing was really sustainable in a way that I felt truly made an impact for me. I digress. 

Around the winter of 2017, I weighed the heaviest I ever have - 156 pounds (for a 5'3'' chic that is no bueno). I was devastated. It kind of snuck up on me during a period of craziness at work, combined with high stress and anxiety and no time to work out. I let weeks go by of eating out, enjoying myself (sigh too many bbq chicken wings), and being lazy because resting felt better than working out.

I looked in the mirror and I did not like what I saw. More importantly, I did not like the way I felt AT ALL. I felt sluggish, bloated, gross and heavy in a way that doesn't refer to weight (after all, still a petite person). Just tired all the time. So I said, okay let me cut out junk and eat cleaner in an effort to get my ish together both aesthically and internally--because this was not cute.

In kind of an unplanned way, while eating cleaner I started to cut out red meat and pork, and cooking more.

Part II - This Could Be a Good Idea

Around this time of checking myself for being reckless, and seeking out the eat-clean gods, I had been seeing a lot on my social media feeds about vegetarianism and plant based diets, which were beginning to really become trendy and popular, especially among fitness circles. This is one thing I had only ever considered in a brief, not-really-something-I-would-do, maybe-for-a-vaca-prep, kind of way. But you know how the ‘gram gets you--then the lurking began. I began to search random hashtags: #vegantransformation #veganbenefits #whatveganseat #veganlatinos --you get the point. And I became instantly intrigued by the fact that maybe I could live a plant-based diet.

At the same time, I was also desperate for solutions for my adult acne, which was mostly hormonal for me, along my jawline (pics to come in a later post re: plant-based for beauty). I figured this was more ammunition for me to entertain going vegan.

One night while searching the Netflix archives, I came across a movie -the infamous Forks Over Knives --and this, mis amigos it when it really clicked for me. This is a health-based documentary which explains that food should be our medicine not our source of illness and helps shed light on some of the health epidemics going on in this country due to our reliance on animal products. So now I was pretty much hooked, I knew I had to do more research if I wanted to really pursue something like a plant-based lifestyle. 

CLICK HERE for a list of some movies that I ended up watching that really helped to educate me and shape my perspective. I recommend them for anyone looking to learn more about the meat and dairy industries, learn about the environmental and health impacts of these industries, and the human health implications as well. This is what I love about veganism—there are many different angles to look at it from, depending on your interest for pursuing the lifestyle.

Part III - The Glow Up Begins 

After about 7 months of starting my "healthier transition" around January of 2017, I decided to go the full vegan route! I was nervous yet excited about whether I could truly stick to it and make it a sustainable part of my life. Being someone very close to family and my culture, I also wondered what my family and friends would think—especially at social functions & gatherings.

After about the 5 month mark of my vegan transition, I had lost ten pounds (with very little working out, as the gym was patiently awaiting my consistent return), cleared up my skin, and gained crazy amounts of energy—just by changing what I ate!

As of this article, I’ve now been eating a plant-based diet for 3 and a half years. I can confirm that the feeling of health I’ve enjoyed is like no other, and I truly don’t ever see a reason to go back to a conventional herbivore diet. In addition, my significant other—who has battled with gastro-related health issues—has also joined the plant-based movement and has seen a tremendous renewal in his health & wellness since the time we began incorporating plant-based eating.

Part IV - The Glow Up Continues

Three years into the vegan journey, and I have completely cleared up my adult acne, reduced the migranes I used to suffer from, shed some pounds to become leaner overall, and am still enjoying a sense of energy and vitality that I’m grateful for.