“The 3 Ways You Can Be 'Doing Vegan Wrong'!" (FROM MY EMPOWERED EMPATH SERIES)
*Sip tea & read time: 25 min approx
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Embarking upon the
journey of becoming a Vegan is akin to an alcoholic’s journey of sobriety wherein
he or she will typically “fall off the wagon” several, if not multiple times,
before they finally find a formula that works for them to remain on that wagon.
At least that was my experience.
I remember when I first
got the “epiphany” that going Vegan would be the solution to my ongoing battle
with fluctuating weight issues. It was also right around the time that I began
to fully embrace my spirituality as an empath, healer and a witch. There was a “click.”
And it all made sense. However, contrary to the advice of the many seasoned Vegans
that I had began watching on YouTube before I decided to dive in head first, I “went Vegan” cold turkey! *Yikes!* 😐
Needless to say, this was a big mistake! I was not prepared for the initial shock that my body would undergo by suddenly removing dairy and animal protein from my then lifelong standard American diet. I was also not prepared for the initial shock and reality of the isolation that I would experience along with the criticism and constant sabotage from those around me--primarily casual acquaintances and workmates--who had become incredibly threatened by my personal decision to go Vegan. I certainly underestimated the importance of finding a strong support system of newbie and veteran Vegans alike to help me to transition smoothly into, and to maintain my new dietary lifestyle of being Vegan.
I also underestimated the
importance of adding a variety of plant-based protein and recipes to my new
dietary lifestyle, and most importantly adding and consuming vital supplements
and vitamins to my diet to ensure that I would be receiving the proper nutrients
that I needed for my body and my mind to function properly.
As a result, I struggled
to stay on the bandwagon of Veganism. And this struggle lasted for several years
until I had to temporarily "hop off the wagon" to regroup and to figure out for
myself just what I was doing wrong. And although I have heard many zealous and “over
the top” Vegans rant and criticize individuals who gave up the dietary lifestyle
of being Vegan by proclaiming that "they did it wrong," there are three ways that
I have learned from my experience on how one can be “doing Vegan wrong!”
1 One way you can “be
doing Vegan wrong” is by trying to mimic how other Vegans practice this
lifestyle:
Admittedly, I was very
inspired by quite a few popular Vegans on YouTube. Especially those who had
lost an exorbitant amount of weight after adopting this dietary lifestyle. And
although I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with being inspired by some
of your favorite Vegan influencers, there is a difference between trying to
learn from them and trying to mimic or copy them, especially without
considering what works for your own particular body composition, genetics and
overall palate that you have become accustomed to.
In fact, only later did I, like many other Vegan newbies learn that we were not alone in our silent suffering after some of these Vegan influencers admitted on their platforms that they were also suffering quietly from some gastrointestinal and other issues on the Vegan diet. And this was simply by not addressing what kinds of plant-based foods were complimentary to their digestive systems and what foods were not.
Like
me, they stubbornly persisted through the pain, the discomfort, the bloating, the
hair loss, the brain fog, the flatulence, the muscle aches, the abnormal moon
cycles, the mood swings, the excruciating hunger pains every three hours, the
development of orthorexia, the abnormal “toilet bowl time,” the boredom with
the bland food choices, and the severe nutrient deficiencies from consuming way
more fiber and/or fructose from fruits than their body could handle and digest
normally, simply because they were listening to some of their favorite Vegan
Youtubers who promoted “fruitarianism” and/or “high carb/low protein/no fat”
diets! 😕
So, based on this very eye-opening and quite unpleasurable experience I have learned that you absolutely can "do vegan wrong" if you are placing the opinions and non-medically backed advice of others who are simply Vegan influencers over your own body’s physiological responses and warnings that something is awry and needs to be resolved quickly.
I’ve also learned that
when it comes to one’s palette, it is very important to stick to what you have
become accustomed to based on your culture and your familiar style of eating
and to simply “veganize” those familiar comfort foods that you have grown accustomed
to eating in order to maintain the Vegan lifestyle. For example, it is going to
be very challenging if not impossible to eat “overnight oats” and avocado and
toast for breakfast everyday if you come from an ethnic or cultural background where
you are used to having shrimp and grits for breakfast or waffles and sausage! Um, let the Coven say Ase'! 😋
This is where you need to
get creative and begin making “veganized” versions of those favorite meals that
you have grown accustomed to eating before you went Vegan. Fortunately, there
are now more Vegan influencers on YouTube who are introducing more ethnic/cultural
cuisines to their Vegan audiences to show them that the Vegan dietary lifestyle
can be just as rich and filled with variety as one’s imagination, and that
everyone who decides go Vegan does not have to eat like a prepubescent, high
school white girl who can thrive on green smoothies, overnight oats and bland
salads with chia seeds and no dressing to meet her daily dietary needs as a Vegan! And um, this is no shade to "the Becky's" in the room. Just stating a silent truth for the naturally-curvy and Amazonian-built "Shaniquas" in the room!*chuckles* 😊
2 The second way that you can “do Vegan wrong” is by putting animal rights over your own human rights to be healthy:
Now, this would seem like
a no-brainer and common sense, to say the least. But unfortunately, as we know
folks, common sense is not common! Adopting the Vegan lifestyle can be akin to
treading on very dangerous waters when people actually advocate for animal
rights over human rights. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I love animals. Again, let me say it for the coven members in the back: I LOVE ANIMALS! In fact, I am a proud
animal mommy of two fur babies (doggos), two angel fishy babies, and hopefully,
if hubby allows, a cute little bunny rabbit as a new edition to our eclectic nuclear family!
In fact, there is a running joke between hubby and I that he is lucky that he “made the cut,” seeing as though I like animals way more than I like people, being quite the extreme introvert and secret misanthrope that I am! He also teases me often by saying that if he gave me my way, I would certainly turn our primary home into Noah’s ark! 😀
But, as much as I love animals, I do recognize that there is a natural hierarchy in life as created by The Most High’s design. I also understand the cycle of life as it pertains to life and death, not only in the human kingdom but in the animal kingdom as well. And I have no problems admitting that if it came down to it being an extreme case or a matter of life or death between me and a non-familiar animal or a beloved pet, “Old Yellar” would have to go to “Doggy Heaven!” I say this because I would certainly choose my own life first!
Likewise, if my body was craving fish or eggs as a warning that I was depleted of certain proteins and Omega 3, 6 or 9 oils in order for my body to function properly, then scrambled eggs and salmon it would be! I would certainly not be seriously contemplating how a “fish would feel” by me eating some salmon, or how a chicken would “mourn over the loss” of her eggs to the point that I would be willing to attribute human reasoning to a chicken or a fish and place its survival over my own!
This even sounds nonsensical
as I write this blog! However, unfortunately a lot of Vegans hold this very
extremist and very problematic view of actually reversing divine order and the already established hierarchy of man over animals, when it was designed by natural order for man to have dominion
over animals, not for animals to have dominion over man! *SMDH* 😦
In addition, coming from
a Shamanic, Indigenous background of Native American and African Ancestry I
understand how my Ancestors survived by going into a sacred covenant and agreement
with animals, and that as a part of the cycle of life there was a very profound respect involved with taking the life of a beloved animal. For example, not only was the animal's flesh used
for food, but their fur was used for coats, clothing and shelter, their blood was used
for sacred rituals and ceremonies, and their bones were used for divination,
for weapons and for utensils and shelter as well!
There was a reverence for
life for my Shamanic Ancestors who lived close to the land and who understood and
respected Divine Order and the cycles of life for nature and man. So, for
modern-day Vegans and Animal Rights Organizations to go to the extreme of
actually placing animal life over human life is just insane to me. But admittedly,
during my “first go round” of becoming Vegan, I adopted this very troubling and
“cult-like” mentality like so many others.
And this "cult-like" group think that I had adopted about being Vegan caused me some serious health issues because I continued to ignore the warning signs that my body was giving me about my nutrient deficiencies—which if it becomes too depleted can only be immediately rectified by consuming animal protein. Afterwards you can then see a nutritionist to learn about what nutrients need to be replenished quickly before any irreversible damage is done—because I was placing an “animal’s rights to life” over my own! Ridiculous! So, when it comes to placing the importance of an animal’s life over your own, then in my humble yet unwavering opinion, you can definitely “do Vegan wrong!”
3 You can “do Vegan wrong”
by being a “Vegan-Nazi Asshole:
Lastly, you can certainly
“do Vegan wrong” by being a Vegan-Nazi asshole! And what is a Vegan-Nazi
asshole you might ask? A Vegan-Nazi asshole is a fanatical zealot who goes on a
crusade in all of his assholery splendor and glory to condemn and villainize anyone who has
not adapted to the Vegan lifestyle! 😠 They attribute their extreme views and
practices of Veganism (animals first, environment second, immoral, stupid humans last) to being “God-like” and as evidence of being more spiritually-evolved than those mere mortals
who continue to consume animal flesh! *Cue horror flick laughter & lightning
sound effects!* 😨
These Vegan-Nazi assholes create workshops, retreats, books & merchandise, Vegan products and supplements, Animal Rights Organizations, and their greatest invention of all: troll accounts, to bash, humiliate and harass individuals who have decided to “no longer be Vegan” due to health issues and other personal convictions that helped them to decide for themselves that this particular lifestyle was no longer working for them.
Moreover, these Vegan-Nazi assholes come "trigger ready" with guns a blazing ready to fire off statistics about those who have and are living longer on a
Vegan diet, versus those who didn’t and are not living longer on a non-Vegan diet. And they spew their statistics at these former Vegans and their audiences like mad men frothing at the mouth, even though there are no credible studies that are
extensive or inclusive enough to support their claims considering that Veganism
is a relatively new dietary lifestyle that has been adopted. It is also a dietary lifestyle that has not been studied throughout
human history and across various populations and regions compared to the omnivorous and carnivorous lifestyles.
These Vegan-Nazi assholes are also quick to
tell any former Vegan that, "the Vegan diet didn’t fail them, but that they failed the
Vegan diet," because “they did it wrong!” In other words, they were getting
sick, not from real nutritional deficiencies, but because they lacked
self-discipline and refused to purge themselves of the sins of desiring a
god-damn cheeseburger over flaxseed and oatmeal! *lol* Yes, the wages of sin of
desiring animal-based protein over plant-based protein was certainly death for
these human degenerates who dared to think of their own health needs and their
own overall life and well-being over that of a precious cow, chicken or
fish who longs to live, love and experience life (and plan for their future
retirements) with their cow, chicken and plant children just like us! Um, can we say that the cheese has definitely slid off the cracker for these folks! 😜
Unfortunately, it was
this kind of public humiliation and flogging of the former Vegans by these
Vegan-Nazi assholes that caused a lot of individuals (including me at one
point) to suffer in silence and to put off listening to my body screaming at me to address my nutrient deficiencies that I had continued to suffer from while being on
the Vegan diet. And while I can not speak for others, for me my nutritional deficiencies were due to a lack of adequate preparation and smooth transitioning into the Vegan lifestyle. I simply was not armed with
the proper information about certain foods and supplements that were needed in
order to maintain my overall physical and mental health as a Vegan (back then) unlike now.
Soooo, needless to say folks, by trying to mimic your favorite Vegan influencers, by putting the welfare and health of animals over your own, and by being a Vegan-Nazi asshole, you can certainly “do Vegan wrong!” But hopefully, if you are on the fence about becoming a Vegan, you won’t make the same mistakes that I and others made on our journeys of “going Vegan” so you won’t “do Vegan wrong” either!
So, how about you? Are you currently a Vegan who has gone through the experience of "doing Vegan wrong"? Are you on the fence about becoming Vegan? If so, I would love to know about it. So please do the following: 1. Join the One Wise Sage blog. 2. Share my blog posts on your social media, and 3. Post a comment! Again, let me repeat this for those in the back: JOIN, SHARE, AND POST! Got it? Good!
Until we vibe again,
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