What I wish I’d known before I became vegan.

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For some of you who are wondering if I am vegan, the answer is no. However, I was vegan for a few months and am often asked why, as a health professional, I am not.


The truth is when I went vegan, I (like many other people) didn’t know the full truth about what being vegan meant.


Here are some truths I have found out, through experience and research, about being vegan:


1. Some people are not meant to be vegan.

When I was vegan, I thought that everyone was meant to be vegan. But, I quickly found out that that was not the case. Veganism can be great for many; however, it wasn’t great for me. After a few months, I had fainting spells, lost a ton of weight and felt weak. I went to a regular and Ayurvedic doctor and was warned that I could potentially not be able to have kids, develop cancer or lose my life due to my anaemia.


2. Being vegan is a way of life.

Truthfully, a part of me was vegan to lose weight; however, I quickly learnt that that was not the way to approach it and started eating the calories that I needed to get through my busy and active day. In my professional and personal experience, being a vegan requires listening to your body and eating healthily- there is no other way about it.


3. I can’t tell others to be vegan.

When I became vegan, I became righteous. A part of me was so in love with the idea of being ‘A good person’ that it became extreme. I would tell people why they should be vegan too and convince them to steer clear of meat. When I started to have health problems, I proved myself wrong. I was not practicing what I preached and, as a health professional, now I know to work each person’s bodies and not push people into health problems for the sake be labelled ‘good’.


4. Health has no label.

The biggest problem that we have with dieting and nutrition nowadays is that we expect a label like, ‘Vegan’ or ‘Paleo’ to suddenly make us healthy. However, health is a choice that you have to make for the rest of your life. If you want to be vegan, be vegan! But please, ask yourself if it is the healthiest decision for you at this time in your life.