This past Thanksgiving break I decided to go vegan. I waited until after Thanksgiving to make the switch though. Come on, I couldn't go vegan cold turkey during a holiday with large meat consumption. I'm not that crazy. Well, not in this instance. (Wow I also just made a pun that was actually unintentional for once. My subconscious knows me too well.)

Anyway. Back to veganism. What happened was exactly what you would expect. I went vegan and the world ended. Hell froze over. The apocalypse began and the zombies were only coming after plant eaters to teach us the terrible error of our ways.

Just kidding. Sorry, I had to give the omnivores and meat lovers the answer they were looking for. Unfortunately for the meat eaters, I actually really enjoyed it and would do it again. Here is what really happened.

My goal was to be vegan from Thanksgiving until Christmas and then at the New Year I would evaluate how that went and make a plan of action from there. During that period of time I got asked quite often, "Wow, vegan! What encouraged that choice?" I am sure those of you reading this right now are secretly wondering the same thing. Well, wonder not! I was initially intrigued by the health benefits of a vegan diet. What made me go vegan was really two things though. First of all, I am not a huge meat fan to begin with. I had considered going vegetarian many times since I was practically already one, but I was worried how I would get protein so I opted to stick with my meat diet. Secondly, I have heard so many mixed reactions and opinions on veganism, most of it being negative and I wanted to know for myself. So, I figured I might as well give it a shot. If it went horribly and was awful, I would have a leg to stand on when bashing on vegans because I knew personally what I was talking about. If it went really well, then I got great health benefits and would know personally how great veganism was. It was a win-win either way.

Initially the switch was hard for the first week or two. The no meat aspect was actually not hard for me at all, the no animal products was the killer, namely dairy and eggs. Once I got into a little groove though, eating vegan was pretty easy. About halfway through December I hit a point where I actually craved kale and almond milk. This was also the point my roommate nearly staged an intervention because who willingly eats kale and almond milk, let alone craves it? It was weird, actually, to see how conditioned our bodies can get to eating certain things. Some foods that I would have thought were impossible to live without before Thanksgiving were the exact foods I wanted nothing to do with come December. Now, I know what you are thinking. "But vegan food is so gross!" Wrong. False. Not even remotely true. Okay, maybe a little true. Some vegan food is downright nasty. However, it is really easy to get creative and make good food that actually tastes delicious. Some of my favorite meals are vegan ones that are loaded with fresh, raw veggies, fruits and grains.

For me, the real benefit of going vegan was the change I was noticing in my body and well-being. I noticed I had more energy and just fell all around better. I noticed my skin cleared up tremendously as well. If you struggle with acne in the T- zone area, dairy could be your culprit. A lot of people with dairy issues will break out in that area. Even today I can tell when I have had dairy because I will break out in that area the next morning. Some additional benefits that I discovered through research are cardiovascular health and prevention of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

Currently, I'm technically vegetarian now. I love eggs from my backyard, so I have added those back into my diet as well as the occasional aged cheese. I still stay away from meat and dairy (mainly cow milk) though. It's not about the label for me though. Frankly, I couldn't care less about whether I am vegan, vegetarian, or somewhere in between. I eat what makes me feel good. Going vegan was a great experience because it caused me to experiment with what made me feel good. When I eat mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts, I feel so much better. When I avoid meat and dairy, I feel so much better. For me, it's not about a list of what I can and cannot eat, it's about what makes my body function properly. I've found adopting a mostly plant based diet helps my body function properly.