The Vegan Diet

I would describe myself as someone who is open to the idea of trying new things, open to the idea that my way may not be the most efficient, and open to the never-ending opportunity to improve.

I have tried many different diet/eating strategies, some out of curiosity, some out of advice from people I respect, some of out dares, and some to better understand the people I set out to help guide on their journeys of self-improvement and self-fulfillment.

The shortest eating strategy I have tried is the vegan diet, lasting about a day. Some aspects I was fearful of going into it were losing muscle, becoming weak, not fitting into my social circle, and feeling constantly hungry (never, “full”). With these reservations, it was quite obvious that at that time I was not going to succeed.

Fast-forward to today

Last night I watched a documentary titled ‘Cowspiracy' on Netflix. It has successfully allowed me to question a very sacred and engrained concept I have held dear: eating primarily meat is the only way to build muscle, live healthy, be strong, masculine, and most importantly, it is the way we were designed to live.

The last part is ultimately the only part I had not properly considered, in the way that the film was able to highlight, the way we were designed to live.

The film discussed in detail, that while thousands of years ago we ate primarily meat, our population was substantially lower, and had a much smaller footprint on our world. We ate inside of our own ecosystems, and we were not ruining our environment. Flash forward to today, and now (as per the film) our society is eating an enormous amount of meat/dairy/fish. This film states that as a result, eating these foods has now become marginally the number one contributing factor to oceans being ruined, rainforests being destroyed, and pollution, in the world. The meat/dairy/fish industry will be the downfall of our world, not cars and oil. That, for me, was a very thought provoking idea I had never considered in the past. However accurate this portrayal is, I am definitely interested in learning more.

With an increasing population, it is clear that the land, water, food, and demand required to raise livestock will increase as well. The film estimates that this equation is already unsustainable.

So, while it is the way of our ancestors, using this film's calculations, we have two choices (if we want to stop destroying our planet):

1. Remove most of the meat eating/overall population.
2. Reduce meat/dairy/fish consumption on a massive scale.

While I reflect, and look up some information sources that my friends have graciously sent my way, I have suspended my meat, dairy, and fish eating habits. While this is my second attempt at adopting a vegan lifestyle, I feel I have a more meaningful purpose this time around, which ultimately puts me in a better position to change.

I use the word suspend, because ultimately there are a few things I will need to address, assess, and overcome if I am to be successful. Those things are:

1.     How to still feel ‘full’ in my meals if they are primarily greens.

2.     How my muscle mass changes, for better or worse, without animal products.

3.     How my sleep changes, for better or worse.

4.     How my strength changes, for better or worse.

5.     How my mood changes, if at all.

All in all, I am excited to test out the vegan diet once again. I would highly recommend watching the documentary. I am not saying I am done eating meat, as it widely depends on how I conquer those 5 question marks.  I am not saying that we should change our beliefs based on one documentary. I am suggesting that it is okay to question our beliefs, as it can either change a previous thought, or strengthen our original beliefs.

My main justification for my meat-centered diets was simply that we have always eaten this way.

The number one trait for survival, based on Darwinism, is the ability to adapt.

Maybe this is the way we adapt, not only for our own species' survival, but for the entire planet's.