So this girl puts out this book called Breaking Vegan and I am just appalled by it.
I hate how society is conditioned to have availability heuristics that automatically associate veganism with skinny, muscle-less, hippies when in fact, it can be quite the opposite.
If she is at a better, happier place, then great for her BUT I dislike how she blames veganism on all her problems. She was eating with such a grand calorie deficit, over-exercising, and not eating a diverse range of vegan foods.
It amazes me how people always ask me “What is vegan food?” as if they have never encountered it. Most people have had a vegan meal and just didn’t think much of it. There are tons of options at chain restaurants like Noodles & Company. There is vegan cheese. There is every fruit and vegetable. There is pasta, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, etc. Being vegan doesn’t mean you are restricted to eating 2 bananas and some lettuce. Being vegan is much more than that.
I am vegan and I get 50-60 grams of protein when I just eat natural foods. That’s right. Just fruits and vegetables and I get 50-60 grams of protein when the recommended amount for my size, gender and age is 48 grams of protein a day. Another hypothesis is to have 1.0 grams of protein per kg of weight for athletes. That means that I need to get 54-55 grams of protein a day and I get that on days where I eat natural; however, being a college student on the go, sometimes I do grab something quick like protein bars or am craving some tofu with vegetables and those days I get 70-80 grams of protein, well more than enough! And even on days where I just eat fruits and vegetables, if I *try* I can get that much but most days I just get 50-60 grams without thinking about it.
I don’t mean to sound snotty but I am just putting this as simple as possible. I am vegan and my blood test made doctors outright DUMBFOUNDED by how perfect it is. I am nowhere near anemic, healthy amount of WBCs, rarely sick or get a headache, I don’t need coffee in the morning, I have enough energy to run and workout, I don’t need to nap (unless if I did have to compensate for my usual sleep hours), and I am actually at the mid-range for a healthy BMI. I have not always been like this! When I ate meat, I had constant headaches, my weight fluctuated to below the normal BMI and above the normal BMI, I didn’t want to leave my bed, and I was deficient in many different nutrients.
Anyways, I am getting sidetrack.
What’s important to take from this is to not only read and digest information but make sure you understand where the information is coming from. Don’t just take facts and accept them. BE SKEPTICAL.
Most people that say they had to quit veganism generally were 1. not eating enough calories 2. were eating vegan junk food 3. were eating too “pure” and not a diverse set of vegan foods 4. were over-exercising and not eating enough with that 5. were only vegan for a short time 6. said they were vegan but weren’t actually 7. other lifestyle choices like bad sleep patterns, coping with stress in negative ways, etc.
Being vegan isn’t to be trendy. Being vegan is also not restrictive. It’s a lifestyle choice that should be celebrated for positive reasons why you chose this lifestyle. Remember to educate yourself because you can be an unhealthy vegan.