There’s readily accessible info on all the benefits of veganism. Including all the positive impacts it has on the planet and your body. So, I want to offer a realistic picture of what happens physically you make the change.

In the spirit of transparency, I would love to share some of the things I’ve experienced with veganism. Fair warning: the last one is definitely an overshare. Buckle up! 

“while fully understanding that not everyone can choose what they eat, can we focus on the fact that most people do? most people can choose the cheap, sustainable animal-free option. most people can choose beans, pasta, etc instead of beef. that’s where most vegans focus is.”

Cravings

Cravings are a huge taboo topic for vegans and I have no explanation as to why. I assure you that when I switch to a vegan diet I desperately missed cheese and bacon and eggs. This lasted for months. 

These cravings popped back up shortly after my one year anniversary. Then again at six-month intervals until after my two and a half year anniversary. I’m approaching the four-year mark and they have yet to return. However, I’d be hesitant to say I’m cravings-free because you never know if they’ll pop back up. 

A study found that cheese and hard drugs both cause the same chemical release in the brain. So it’s not surprising that dairy cravings are hard to overcome. It’s unrealistic for someone to switch to a vegan diet and expect it to be smooth sailing. No, it’s likely these will be struggles to combat.

What helped me resist the urge to eat these products was remembering my motivation. My reason for choosing veganism in the first place. For me, that included reviewing documentaries that spurred me to make the switch. Everyone chooses veganism for different reasons. Find your ‘why’ and refresh it in your memory when you need to.

When you think about it, most of us don’t see our food while it’s alive. This makes it hard to remember exactly what factory farming entails. Unless we consciously remind ourselves in a visual way. 

OP: “So apparently when your wife is a budding pastry chef ..buying a $3 lemon pie at Walmart is “not cool”” REPLY: “one of the few cravings i still get since turning vegan decades ago.”

Things will change

While we’re talking about diet I want to mention something. This did not occur to me but it might save you embarrassment if I share it. A vegan diet is much cleaner and healthier on your system and most vegans lose weight in the beginning. 

When considering how your digestion will change, it makes sense that you’d need to eat more food. A common misconception is that a vegan diet is more expensive, it really isn’t in most parts of the world. Look into this topic if it’s something that you’re interested in pursuing.

My partner and I both eat 4-6 meals a day. This sounds like it would be a massive grocery bill but most vegan foods are pretty cheap in our area. 

We eat a lot of produce (frozen whenever possible because it’s fresher and cheaper!) pasta, bread, beans, lentils. I eat a lot of desserts and soy-based ‘meats’ because I’m more of a ‘junk food vegan’ than a ‘healthy’ vegan.

Because vegan digestion operates much smoother, you almost never get bloated. I also find I’m sick a lot less often. I’ve been sick once in the past four years and it lasts two days. Studies support this as being common for vegans. Google ‘old vegans’ it’s incredible.

“Check out what we made yesterday at my cooking class! “Peanut Protein Balls” The perfect bite-sized snack easy to take on the go for those midday cravings or to compliment a workout!”

The bad news

However, there is a bit of a downside to this improved digestion. 

There’s no polite way to put this so I’ll lay it all out in the open. Your body starts to push all the toxic garbage out of your system that’s been bogging you down. In general, you’ll use the washroom more frequently as a vegan.

This is a side effect of your digestion being much cleaner. Your body eliminates waste much more efficiently. Unfortunately, in the beginning, it will feel like you live in the washroom because your body is … um, flushing out a backlog.

The other downside is… stinky farts. All that clean living leads to some not-so-clean scents. Even though you’re no longer eating death, it sure won’t smell like it. I mean, some vegans can clear a room. So avoid passing gas around people you don’t want to smell your farts.

“Vegan farts are worse than tear gas”

The Next Step

There’s no way I can top that overshare, so I’ll leave it at that for the day. The bottom line, veganism isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing the best you can with the information and resources you have. 

Take the time to research deeply and know what veganism entails. Yes, you’ll make mistakes. We all do. Don’t use that as an excuse to give up. Go into veganism with your eyes wide open so you understand what you’re committing to.

I’d love to know…

What lifestyle changes have you made to reduce your cabron footprint?

What surprised you most about veganism?

What’s holding you back from going vegan?

“BVS (Black vegan social) on fb is great IMO, it’s nice to have a thriving community of black vegans online, plus the food that people make and post on there is so gorgeous”