Renouncing meat

Renouncing meat

Becoming a vegan is more about not trying to eat meat. However, through a lot of research and learning about vegan, it is more about becoming a better person by sticking to a plan. Some people have decided to become vegans out of choice, while some have been forced to become vegans due to medical complications. The reason behind each vegan is one that is scared and known to that person. I decided to renounce my meat-eating practice all to experience the life of a vegan. The experience was a new one to me, and it has proven that it is not as much about what people eat but how people behave as well. It has its benefits, which range from health and general life. Renouncing meat meant that I would become a vegan. This translated to eating foods that excluded meat, eggs, dairy products, as well as other animal-derived ingredients (Frazier, 2019). The process is not an easy one since I always loved eating meat from way back when I was a young kid. The foods that I was supposed to consume also had to avoid any animal processed products. It had to introduce only plant-based products.

The reason for me to start this journey was to challenge myself to try something new. Most of the things that one can try out can either be of benefit to the person as well as general self-development. This is because when trying to become a vegan, it is essential to plan. This kind of challenge would help me become a better person with better, developed soft skills. The process needs a lot of courage and a lot of planning to ensure that I would not go back.

For a start, I decided to renounce meat for four days. I was not allowed to eat any products that had any animals or their products (Scott, 2017). This process was a bit hard on the onset hence the reason why I listed some of the things of the goals I needed to be achieved at the end of the challenge.  The list comprised of any animal products that I would avoid. I would go ahead and make a list of foods that I would try and eat while doing the challenge.

To make it easy for me, I had to inform some of my close friends that I was trying the challenge. It is essential since the friends come in handy when helping you stay in check. I made sure to research on different blogs and vlogs on some new vegan meals that I would try during the four day renounce. In addition to telling my friends about my challenge, I made sure to upload a status feed on my social media pages to inform my online friends that I was trying the vegan challenge. The process was to include a plan that had exciting rewards for me if I managed to follow it to the letter. In reading different blogs, I noticed that there exists some benefits of trying to eat vegan. During the few days that I tried eating vegan food, I realized that I would run faster as compared to when I was running when I was eating animal products (Scott, 2017). This is because I could run longer distances than before. This kind of achievement was right and motivating for me. I have always had the goal to be athletic as possible, and being a vegan was working for me.

The motivating factor in life has always been being happy in all my endeavors. A lot of blogs link being a vegan to a good and healthier life. The process was a bit fulfilling, having to accomplish such a goal. The benefit also lies in the health which has been linked to some of the plant products. The experience was also the food that was vegan tasted good. Some of the dishes are tasty and delicious, which was good as well since I love delicious meals. Some of the benefits realized is that I started appreciating how essential fruits and vegetable are to the human body. Eating fruits daily and vegetables give one essential nutrients and vitamins that are good for body development.

Besides, trying the fruits and vegetables, I was part of a course that ensures the animals lived. This is because most people who kill animals for food are encouraged by meat lovers. This step was crucial in ensuring that more animals get to live. The digestion of vegetables is also quick and does not lead to any form of constipation. The fruits and the vegetables contained a lot of nutrients and minerals that aid in digestion, which helps the body to glow. According to the research, I found out that meat-eaters are more prone to have acne, skin condition, and stressed body as opposed to the people who eat vegetables (Belchior, 2018). My passion for good healthy body was also a substantial motivating factor in trying to start this journey. The research lead me to find out that more people who are living the vegan life are also less likely to suffer cancer. This is because, according to a study conducted, cancer cells cannot survive in an alkaline body (Frazier, 2019). When one eats meat, it produces a lot of acid. This makes the body acidic, which is a suitable environment for cancer cells. During this challenge, I had experienced some craving to eat some meat products. This was a bit challenging for me because I loved having good delicious meat food, but after reading on how to work on my craving, I would drink delicious homemade smoothies to keep my mind off the meat products.

My religion is Christianity. I made sure to check if my faith also supported my idea of being a vegan. I went ahead to research and found out that veganism and Christianity were compatible. Some of the bible characters were vegans. For instance, the clement of Alexandria were all vegetarians. They were characters who were in the early church. Besides, Paul had a lot of influence on vegetarianism. According to the bible, Jesus was also advocating for a lot of kindness to the animals (Cranston, 2018). The issue that prevails is that it is critical to practice ethical vegetarianism. Jesus, at one point in the bible, feed the multitude using a loaf of bread and fish. The fish are animals. There is a thin line about the stand that Christianity takes on vegetarianism. The kindness towards animals that people should show was upheld in the bible as well. This depicted when Jesus attacked the animal sacrifices that were being done in the temple. He also said that the good news is not for humans alone but the entire creation. During my journey of vegetarianism, I had a help buddy that ensured I stayed in check and maintained to my objective. I interviewed him to determine his story and how he has endured in the journey for almost ten years.

Why did you become a vegetarian or vegan? I used to eat meat as a young child, but I developed some medical complications which had me drop meat for good as advised by my doctor. Some of the medical issues ranged from vitamin D deficiency, iron, and anemia. At the start, It was a bit challenging to stop eating meat. But I grew to love pets. I became fond of animals, and I always would take care of my chicken and fish as pets. I vow not to harm these beautiful creatures as a way of doing well.

How do you deal with opposition? Opposition from meat lovers and eaters may mean a lot of theories to discredit the course of veganism. The issue is, are people doing what they love, and is it ethical. I find that eating meat is doing injustice to the animal. The argument is subjective to the person, and I do not like dwelling much on it.

What advice do you have for me? Just keep on doing what is right to yourself. If you find that it is fulfilling, you must keep on doing that. Keep doing it since you will appreciate yourself for taking the first step always.

How has it impacted your life? The journey has been fulfilling, and with many opportunities for vegans to meet, I have been able to meet a lot of people in positions of power and influence that share similar views. It has been an excellent platform for networking and a chance to get a deeper understanding of human nature.

References

Belchior, R. (2018, December 8). A Meat Eater Interviewing a Six-Year Vegan. Retrieved from Vegan Life: https://medium.com/a-vegan-life/meat-eater-interview-vegan-3316726a7b10

Cranston, T. (2018, November 19). I Gave Up Meat Based On These 7 Mind Provoking Ideas. Recovered from the ascent: https://medium.com/the-ascent/i-gave-up-meat-based-on-these-7-mind-provoking-ideas-f67f33b07e94

Frazier, M. (2019, May 23). 7 Steps to Eating Less Meat Now. Retrieved from Nomeatathelte: https://www.nomeatathlete.com/7-steps-to-eating-less-meat-now/

Scott, B. (2017, June 13). Six benefits of going meat-free for just one day a week. Retrieved from Hello!: https://www.hellomagazine.com/cuisine/2017061339754/health-benefits-vegetarian-once-a-week/