Introduction
As a kid I was a stereotypical nerd: socially awkward, smart, and quiet kid with glasses, acne, allergies, and asthma. I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of my awkwardness, and I’ve come to embrace that. However, after years of trying everything with no relief, suddenly my allergies and asthma are miraculously disappearing without me even trying. My acne is also slowly starting to clear up without any crazy skin care routines.
While I suffered with the allergy and asthma symptoms my entire life, my path to healing only started in my late 20s, when I was diagnosed with another chronic problem: ulcerative colitis. I’ll write another post detailing my health story later, but basically I was told I needed medication that would likely have to continue for the rest of my life. So I took it for the first month I was prescribed. While it did temporarily alleviate my symptoms, it came with side effects. I believed there had to be an alternative and was determined to figure it out.
I started reading books about chronic conditions and came across a pattern of people with chronic conditions healing through lifestyle changes. They including things like diet changes, meditation, and exercise. These were mostly anecdotal stories, but often had long lists of references. My librarian background told me I should check these references, but I was desperate to try anything. Since there were so many success stories, I thought there must be some merit to this idea. Even if it did no good, what was the harm in cleaning up my diet and adopting some mindfulness habits?
Incorporating Elimination Diets
So I cut out processed foods and ate only whole foods for nearly a year. Specifically I decided to try an elimination diet to identify possible sensitivities. It worked…at least for awhile. I liked this lifestyle because it emphasized whole, unprocessed foods and only temporarily eliminating certain food groups. Then you reintroduce them in a very methodical way to attempt to determine the foods that caused symptoms.
While this helped at first, it eventually created more problems. I became obsessed with what I was eating and had fear and anxiety around eating certain foods that were proclaimed by some “experts” to be harmful: gluten and other lectins, nightshades, etc. But at this point, even when I was avoiding these foods that were supposedly inflammatory, my symptoms started coming back. For about three years, I tweaked and modified my diet, experimenting to see if I could heal my symptoms. I focused only on myself.
Learning About A Whole Food Plant-Based Vegan Diet
Finally, I decided to stop thinking about myself after stumbling across several videos, documentaries, and books touting a whole food plant-based vegan diet. It was truly magic and completely life-changing. Of course you hear stories about animal treatment in conventional meat processing. But I learned of just how blinded we are from the true reality of what happens to these innocent, living beings. On top of that, I learned of the environmental impact of my food choices.
Suddenly I didn’t care about how my food choices impacted me, but how it impacted the planet and all the living creatures on it. I realized my individual health, preferences, and traditions did not justify the torture and killing of innocent animals. After this, I almost immediately transitioned to a 100% vegan diet, no longer for myself, but for the greater good. This compassion for others ended up being the key to my own healing.
In literally just one week of eating only vegan whole food, my ulcerative colitis symptoms disappeared. After dealing with this for three years, I couldn’t believe the solution was so simple and yet I couldn’t argue with the result. In addition to that, I unexpectedly started having other positive side effects. My allergy and asthma symptoms started to subside without medicine, and my skin started to have a bit more glow. I still have the acne, but blemishes have started retreating and overall my skin feels calmer and less inflamed and painful.
Why I’m Sharing My Story
Not only have I seen what can happen with a whole food vegan diet from my own experience, but I’ve shared it with my family. Though they were rightly hesitant at first, I was lucky that my family quickly embraced the lifestyle as well. And once they did, miraculous things happened. Medicines they were taking for decades started being reduced. Energy levels skyrocketed. Moods improved.
There is quite a bit of stigma related to eating plant-based or vegan. Accusations of being righteous or trying to force it on others. I also encounter disbelief that it is even possible because when we’ve eaten a certain way our entire lives, it may seem restrictive. What I’ve found is a vegan diet is the polar opposite of a restrictive diet. I am eating a greater variety of foods than ever before. The culinary possibilities are endless. And rather than force, I simply want to inform.
That’s why I’m starting this blog and sharing my story. My intention is not to persuade you or make you to change, but simply to share what I’ve learned so far on my journey. It makes sense to be hesitant about something that seems so different than what we’ve known our whole lives. And I’m still learning, too. I believe in always striving to do better, and I do that by learning and adjusting my actions based on my findings. Maybe I can inspire you to try it. I hope to show that not only is it possible, but it can be fun, easy, delicious, and it just might make you and the planet a little happier and healthier.
For More Information
Of course I will share more information in future posts including recipes that I try, but if you’re ready to dive in and learn some more, check out my Resources page. This includes some of my favorite resources that have helped my family and I transition to a vegan lifestyle.
