This holiday season (or anytime for that matter), when you host a special gathering, please treat guests with a vegan/vegetarian diet with the same seriousness as if they had an allergy to a food you're serving. To you, their lifestyle might not seem like a big deal, but to them it's really important. Respect it.
I want to share that I never in a million years thought I would stop eating meat, seafood, or dairy products. I was raised in a typical family who focused on the American standard diet. We had traditions just like most other families.
The shift for me first began in 2011 after I was hospitalized for the second time, disabled, and home bound. I knew in my heart that something had to change in my lifestyle choices. It started with learning more about ingredients in the foods we consume. Researching and educating myself about healthy living.
After I discovered a serious gluten sensitivity, I began my new journey to wellness. Year by year, I started to regain my health and stamina. In 2015, my son shared his new vegan lifestyle with me. I admit that I was clueless and ignorant. I look back in horror that I was insensitive to his choices and served a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving to him and his vegan girlfriend. (I am so sorry for that!)
Humbly, I now realize that we don't know what we don't know. By January 2016, my oldest daughter became a vegan, too. My youngest daughter had already been a vegetarian for several years. With all three of my children paving new lifestyle paths, it intrigued me to research more about veganism. What was this all about? Are animals really tortured? How is this impacting our environment? What about all of the cancer, heart disease, obesity, and long list of diseases & disorders plaguing our nation?
There is so much to learn. I am still a work in process. It's amazing, heartbreaking, and educational to gain so much insight into the world of veganism that I had never known before. To become more knowledgeable about how animal protein impacts our body, our mind, and wellness.
While many people may misunderstand my dietary choices or not fully grasp why I have chosen this path, I hope that you at least know that I'm passionate about health. Whatever your own diet looks like, I pray it leads you to healing, vibrant health, and being in a better position to follow your purpose in life.
I want to share that I never in a million years thought I would stop eating meat, seafood, or dairy products. I was raised in a typical family who focused on the American standard diet. We had traditions just like most other families.
The shift for me first began in 2011 after I was hospitalized for the second time, disabled, and home bound. I knew in my heart that something had to change in my lifestyle choices. It started with learning more about ingredients in the foods we consume. Researching and educating myself about healthy living.
After I discovered a serious gluten sensitivity, I began my new journey to wellness. Year by year, I started to regain my health and stamina. In 2015, my son shared his new vegan lifestyle with me. I admit that I was clueless and ignorant. I look back in horror that I was insensitive to his choices and served a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving to him and his vegan girlfriend. (I am so sorry for that!)
Humbly, I now realize that we don't know what we don't know. By January 2016, my oldest daughter became a vegan, too. My youngest daughter had already been a vegetarian for several years. With all three of my children paving new lifestyle paths, it intrigued me to research more about veganism. What was this all about? Are animals really tortured? How is this impacting our environment? What about all of the cancer, heart disease, obesity, and long list of diseases & disorders plaguing our nation?
There is so much to learn. I am still a work in process. It's amazing, heartbreaking, and educational to gain so much insight into the world of veganism that I had never known before. To become more knowledgeable about how animal protein impacts our body, our mind, and wellness.
While many people may misunderstand my dietary choices or not fully grasp why I have chosen this path, I hope that you at least know that I'm passionate about health. Whatever your own diet looks like, I pray it leads you to healing, vibrant health, and being in a better position to follow your purpose in life.