My Journey into Veganism
By: Karishma Nair
Tags: Lifestyle, Resolutions, Journey, Vegan, Food

My Journey into Veganism

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

While I only turned vegan in 2019, I think the seed was planted back in 2017. I had seen a few documentaries on Netflix showing the ill treatment of animals in dairy farms as well as their impact on our environment. I was shocked by some of the statistics shared on how the consumption of meat and dairy products has a direct impact on global warming. I think it was these two aspects that stuck with me and got me thinking on what I could personally do to make change.

Being a vegetarian, I was always proud that I was doing my bit for the environment as well as the welfare of animals. Little did I know that my daily consumption of milk, cheese and yogurt was in fact harmful in its own way. Watching those documentaries opened my eyes and so I started thinking about turning vegan. I honestly thought making the transition from a vegetarian to a vegan would be smooth. But it was harder than I expected. So, I have put together a few things that helped me start my journey.

Bringing my family onboard: Being an Indian, a good tasty wholesome meal is something we live for. My husband and I are big foodies and we love going out to explore new places. Our favourite food is either a good wood-fired pizza or a finger licking good Indian meal. Now, both of these options are strictly non-vegan. So, my first concern was how are we ever going to eat a decent meal outside again? I slowly started floating the idea with my husband and after some serious discussions and contemplations, we made a compromise. He wanted 6 months to adjust to the idea of me becoming a vegan before he was comfortable with it. Initially, I did think he was being unreasonable. After all, it is just a change in my diet! But on pondering further I came to realise that this change in my lifestyle would have a direct and significant impact on him even though he wasn’t planning on becoming a vegan. I am so grateful that I was able to talk it out with him and get his support before I took the plunge.

Information overload: There is a LOT of information out there on how you can become a vegan and what you need to do to transition to this lifestyle. However, because there is so much information out there, I was overwhelmed. Simple decisions led to hours of reading online, and watching YouTube videos. I couldn’t decide on what type of non-dairy milk I would switch to without having my head spin. Should it be oat? Should it be almond? Oh what about macadamia? Like I said, so many options! It took a while but I began to realise that this is a journey. I needed to slow down and take things one at a time instead of re-doing my entire pantry. Over months I started figuring out what kind of milk I liked. I went through a few different types and brands of milk before I finally found the one I love. Thank you Oatly! You are a game changer. While the information out there is useful, you need to do what’s best for you. Use the information as a starting point but don’t be afraid to experiment and find what feels good.

Taking it slow: When I started off, I decided to transition into my vegan lifestyle. So, I began with 3 days a week where I would try to be vegan for all my meals. I started with 3 days because I wasn’t ready to give up my morning cup of coffee. I wanted to cherish it a little while longer and coffee with non-dairy milk was just not cutting it for me then. I think just accepting the fact that you are making this change and that change takes time helped me stick to my guns. Don’t get me wrong, there were days when I questioned my decision, but I would always go back to my WHY and my rationale for making this change to get inspiration and try harder the next day. There will be days when you will mess up. And that is ok! Don’t be afraid to take it slow. Do what seems right to you and in time you will find your balance.

After the crazy 2020 that we all have had, I am sure everyone is looking for a change. If you are considering a change to a vegan lifestyle, I do hope me sharing about my journey has helped you in some way. For those of you who are scared or apprehensive, don’t be afraid to take the plunge! You are not alone.

It is absolutely and completely worth it! x