Becoming Vegan

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

OooOo the cat is out of the bag! (And Eric even makes a special appearance in the video!)

I’m surprised that no one figured it out (or at least commented on it!) but roughly six weeks ago I did make the decision to go vegan and as a result I am feeling really good! I go into a lot more detail in the video, but my reasons were primarily based on doing what is best for my body. Consuming fewer animal products was something that I had discussed from the very beginning with my naturopath and as time went on, I seemed to be eating less and less meat. As I consumed less meat, I was concerned about how the meat I was eating was affecting my body and then made the decision to give veganism a go. Gluten free vegan living is really agreeing with my system and I couldn’t be happier!

If you’re looking for a little vegan love, or you have been wanting to check out some new plant based recipes, Meghan is doing a tutorial called 5 Days Vegan beginning September 15.veganbanner

The tutorial is a great source of information for anyone thinking about a vegan lifestyle or for those looking for ways to incorporate more plant based foods into their lives. It’s full of facts, worksheets, fantastic easy recipes (like lemon lentil soup!) and meal plan ideas for aspiring vegans, vegan-curious or those just looking for yummy food!

As I mentioned in the video, I really enjoyed Brenda Davis’ book

It is an incredibly useful tool for people looking to find out more information on making the transition to veganism. The only part I didn’t love about the book was a seemingly heavy reliance on tofu, soy and fake meat products. While I do eat tofu, I try not to make it my main/only source of protein and I’m not a huge fan of fan meats. I recognize that everyone is different, but I wasn’t a huge fan of that part of the book. Fake meat aside, it’s chock full of great information on everything pertaining to veganism and if you’re heading down that path it’s a great book to pick up. (I found it at our local library)

I really appreciate your continued support as I work to figure out what works for me and my tummy. This whole journey has been about discovering what I need to do to feel good, and right now going vegan felt like the next step for me. I aspire to keep things simple by eating good food from the earth. I look forward to continuing to document my journey as a Weight Watchin’ gluten free vegan gal with Crohn’s and hopefully spreading some love and inspiration along the way!

I found a great quote when I was flipping through my naturopath’s notes in preparation for this post and I really love it.

Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food.

-Hippocrates

In the spirit of back to school, I’ll be doing a post on packable lunches on Friday and be sure to check back this weekend for my recap of the Vegetarian Food Fair. I’m really looking forward to talks by the likes of Brenda Davis, Brendan Brazier plus cooking demos with Meghan, jae steele, and Ricki Heller. I think it’s awesome that I’ll be attending for the first time so soon after my decision to go vegan!

14 comments:

GF Gidget said...

Good for you! I hope you continue on your journey to healing. AND I can't wait to see some fun vegan recipes!

Becki said...

ASH!
I am so so so happy for you for making this choice for your health! Like I said before, you continue to inspire me with the things that you do spite your health.
I am SOOO looking forward to your fair recap...I have to work! Origionally it was only until noon and has now pushed itself back to about 3pm :(

Meghan (Making Love In The Kitchen) said...

A fur baby? I love it. Thanks for the love!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

SO glad that you're feeling better, since I'm 100% vegan for health reasons (to deal with my Crohn's and food allergies) as well. **No activism over here either!**

I went through SO many elimination diets and tests, and I'm finally feeling worlds better - hope it continues for you too.

By the way, "Becoming Vegan" was what helped me make the transition as well!! :-D

Other sources of B12 = hemp and seaweed (I love dulse, in particular).

Haha yes, hooray for kale!! **pumps fists**


Love ya, Ashley!! Hope to hear from ya soon.

And shout-out to your little


If you "SCARE" people away, then it's their loss and stupidity - you're awesome and shouldn't feel bad for doing what's right for YOU.

Easy Losing Weight said...

Love the blog. Love the video! I did my first video the other day.

Emmett

www.loseweightnowegould.blogspot.com

thewwchick said...

Great video, Ash. I loooove your accent! I wondered if you were headed down the path of becoming vegan. :)

Ricki said...

Congrats on choosing something that works for you! Love the fur baby, of course. ;)

Look forward to seeing you at the Fair (though my demo won't be GF--although I will have a few treats stashed away for GF people at the 6:30 demo on Saturday!).

Allie said...

Ash!

I think it's awesome that you've found something that works for you. I'm glad that you're feeling good these days and that Joey is so supportive.

I can't wait to see some new vegan recipes on the blog.

:)

Allie

Ashley Gibson said...

Thanks to everyone for your super sweet comments!! I have the BEST readers in the world :)

Becki - that's too bad that you won't be able to make it to the Fair! I will be taking lots of pictures so you can live vicariously through me :)

Glad that everyone enjoyed my fur baby!! I watched the video back and laughed a lot because Eric could really care less that I was sitting there!! I wanted Iris to be in the video too, but after the first take she wanted nothing to do with me!!

Ricki - so excited to see your demo on Saturday!! And yay for stashes of GF treats :)

I'm looking forward to lots of fun vegan recipes on the blog in the weeks to come!

Nicci said...

Congratualtions,that is exciting. I'm doing a vegan challeng this month but only on Thrusdays! I'm going to check out these sites you mention.

Lauren said...

Awesome news!! So exciting!! I know when I went vegan my life with crohn's changed. Although I am sick now, never as horrible as it was when I was still having dairy and chicken. Lots of luck! :)

39 To Go! said...

How exciting! :)
I can't wait to see your creative vegan creations! :)

LauraA said...

Once you said that you weren't pregnant, going vegan was my second thought, hehe. Good for you for doing what feels right for your body. I know you will set a really great example for others on how to give up meat in a responsible and health-conscious way.

Also, I think Eric needs to make more appearances on your blog. What a cutie!

Emily said...

Hopped on over from CCV's blog because I noticed you also love musical theatre and singing! Your blog is adorable!

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