My Road to Becoming Vegan...
I grew up eating meat every single day, with every meal (and I do mean EV-ER-Y). I'm talking hog maws, turkey necks, neck bones, ham hocks, liver pudding, fried chicken, pig feet...the list goes on. If you're grossed out, that's too bad...I grew up in South Carolina and we got down like that, ya dig! HA! Honestly, I can still smell the aroma flowing through the whole house when we came home from school or on Sundays after church. My mama threw down in the kitchen!
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| Ham Hock and collard greens |
When I was in my early 20's, I ate a hamburger at least 5 days a week! A cold Meatlover's pizza from Pizza Hut in the mornings with a Mountain Dew for breakfast! Looking back though, my stomach would hurt ALL THE DAMN TIME! I'm not kidding....and I used to wake up in the middle of the night, and my stomach would be vibrating...."da'hell is that??" And I wasn't hungry y'all....used to freak me out, but I'd dismiss it and go back to sleep. My doctor tried to diagnose me with "Irritable Bowel Syndrome"...yeah, ok! HA! Now I know that it was parasites loungin' in my stomach! From eating red meat. Fast forward to 2012, I decided to give up red meat and pork for good. At first I thought I was gonna die...but after a month or so, my stomach stopped hurting completely....I thought "Hmmm, I might be on to something here..."
Ditch the "Bird"
January 2015...I was in Jamaica, Queens New York visiting my cousin that I used to live with and I wanted some Popeye's chicken. So I went to my favorite spot on Guy R Brewer and got me a two-piece leg and breast, fries, and that blazin' ass biscuit!! It was soooo good...at first...but I noticed the chicken leg was super big...bigger than normal...and there was this black stuff coming out of the chicken that grossed me out. Something in my head said, "Treena...you need to stop eating chicken, too..." so I did. From that moment on, I stopped eating the bird.
My "Fall back" game is not that strong...
Maaaan.....March 2015 (HA!).....I'm driving to Augusta, GA and on the way, I stopped in "the Rock" (Rock Hill, SC) to get gas. I hopped out of my car and what do I smell? Popeye's.....it was smelling so good, I HAD to get me some. So I did....dammit I relapsed! The bird and I had officially rekindled our relationship for another year and a half!
Truth or Dare
August 2016...I was preparing for my birthday party in November. It was a crazy time! I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I knew I wanted to look fabulous for my party, but my diet and exercise routine were horrible at the time. A friend of mine suggested I go vegan for 30 days...whaaaaa? No meat? For 30 days??? "I bet you can't go a week without meat!" is what they said...shittin' me! "You can do this, Treena." So I started following Dr. Sebi's nutritional guide and the alkaline diet. (You can go to Dr. Sebi's nutritional guide here). I started drinking a gallon of water per day. By the third day, I thought I was going to DIE!! (HA). BUT--I started feeling better. My skin was so clear and smooth...I started losing weight...my stuffy nose cleared up. My migraine headaches suddenly went away. So I kept going, and never looked back.
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| Trader Joe's veggie burger |
"I realize that I just don't love you...not like I used to" -John Legend
Some say, "You never miss a good thing until it's gone." Well, this is my exception to the rule. I can actually sit around my friends and family and watch them devour barbecue smothered ribs, fried chicken, shrimp, lamb...and not flinch. Although I do still enjoy the smell of meat, and sometimes smile when I think of my past love affair with Popeye's, it's not enough for me to pull-up at the drive-thru to order a two-piece. I'm good. Baby listen--you want to give up meat?? You can do it. I went from eating meat at least three times a day, to none at all. Last I checked, my blood pressure was 118/78. A normal range for cholesterol is 100-200...mine was 123. That's my motivation! But going vegan was not a fly-by-night thing or a cold turkey situation. And it's not for everyone....but it was just enough for me. Stay tuned for tips, alternative foods, and suggestions on helping you transition over to becoming vegan (IF that's what you want to do, of course)!
Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Y'all be easy! Hasta la vista, baby!
- The Vegan World Traveler
You've inspired me. Im not ready to give up the bird yet but the red meat definitely needs to go! So proud of you for sticking with it. Ken M.
ReplyDeleteThanks friend!!
DeleteAwesome! Your story is amazing! Very motivating and encouraging! I'm not yet ready to go vegan however I have become vegetarian. I haven't had meat since December 10, 2017. It is not easy and I do still enjoy the smell of grilled food. It has me drooling at times but my self- discipline kicks in and I remind myself of how far I've come and where I'm headed. Thank you! I look forward to hearing more about your journey! Also travel..I look forward to your travel stories which are always so inspiring in seeming how I want to become a globetrotter one day myself. Thank you for sharing your light! Best wishes on your journey!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Shameka!
DeleteI love the article and love that you are sharing your story. It’s amazing how much better your body feels and the amount of energy you have when you eliminate meat from your diet. Getting rid of inflammatory producing foods is the key to healthy living.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tippy Toes! You know you and I have been on this journey for a while! Love you and I owe you a phone call.
DeleteGreat story Treena! I had a colectomy in January that prompted a lot of things! Even after the surgery I was still having issues. They thought it was my gall bladder which can be an issue after the surgery I had. I was told not to eat red meat, fried foods, fatty foods, etc. so since January I haven’t eaten much red meat. Saturday was the first fried food I had and that was a half eaten chicken wing and 2 pieces of fatback! Now that fatback was delicious!!!! I say all that to say I don’t know where this journey will lead me but I do know my body feels different since I’m not imtaking a lot of junk and it will release quickly what isn’t supposed to be there. Again I enjoyed reading your story. For me it’s a mind thing. Once I get that down, I’ll be better on my way. Not sure I’ll go the vegan route right now but it’s worth looking into! Oh and I lost 20 pounds! God IS good!
ReplyDeleteSo proud of you, Monc! Keep going! Yes, going vegan is not for everyone, but glad that you're making lifestyle changes. Now, if I can get you off that Clorox (HA!!!) (**insider**). thanks for reading!
DeleteGreat information
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Margo!
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