Becoming Vegan

Today is Earth Day and it is also my first day of being vegan. I decided about a month ago that I was finally going pull the trigger and stop eating dairy and eggs on this day. I have been an ovo-lacto vegetarian for almost 10 years and becoming vegan has always been in the back of my mind. I know that I'm ready for this change and I am welcoming it with open arms.

My reasons for becoming vegetarian were ethical at the time, and have also transitioned into being for my health too. My reasons for becoming vegan are the same: living a healthy, ethical lifestyle. I am still going to consume honey and bee pollen at this time, and use products that contain beeswax (so don't be alarmed if you read anything about these ingredients).

I have intentions of using this blog to keep track of my dietary habits (I certainly don't want to become a junk-food vegan) and also to show you how easy it can be to eat a vegan diet and live a vegan lifestyle. And I want it to be known that it doesn't have to cost a lot of money either.

Friday, April 22nd:

Breakfast:

glass of tropicana orange juice (food pantry)

bowl of betteroats raw pure & simple multigrain hot cereal: chai spiced (food pantry)

Lunch:

1/2 can of Amy's organic pasta and 3 bean soup (food pantry)

BST: bacos, spinach, tomato and vegenaise (vegan mayo) on 100% whole wheat bread (bread and spinach from food pantry)

1/2 cucumber (food pantry)

Supper:

veggie stir-fry: mushrooms, snow peas, teriyaki sauce, wok oil, seasonings (mushrooms and snow peas from food pantry)

Bragg's Liquid Aminos

chow mein noodles

ramen noodles

Snacks:
Tofurkey deli slice
cool fruits freezer, grape flavor
handful of guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips

Supplements:

Liver Rescue 4+ from Healthforce Nutritionals (2 vcaps)

Vitamin B12 from Pure Vegan (1 spray)

Vitamin D2 from Pure Vegan (1 spray)

Vitamineral Green from Healthforce Nutritionals (1 heaping tablespoon, mixed into orange juice at breakfast)

B12 is an important vitamin for most people to be taking (especially vegans). Also, methylcobalamin is a far better form than cyanocobalamin. D2 (or D3) is important for everyone to take, especially if you don't get 15 minutes of being out in the sunshine without sunscreen on every day. Vitamineral Green is my multi-vitamin/greens powder. Liver Rescue is what I take to support my liver. All of the supplements that I take were ordered from www.iherb.com, which has the best prices that I could find and free S&H if you spend over $40.

I use Eco-Dent products for all of my dental hygiene (floss, toothpowder and mouth rinse). Derma E products are what I use for all of my skincare needs (both my face and body), although sometimes I use grapeseed oil with lavender (or coconut oil) on my skin after I'm done bathing/showering. I use Giovanni products on my hair (for washing and styling). The Diva Cup is what I use for feminine hygiene (and I use Diva Wash to clean it). All of the things that I use in my hygienic routine were purchased from www.luckyvitamin.com, which has very reasonable prices and free S&H if you spend over $100.