I haven’t written a post for a couple of weeks because I’ve found it difficult to feel 100% inspired especially in the current challenging circumstances that the world is collectively facing. It’s strange, I have so much that I want to say (just ask my husband!) but sometimes I can’t muster the energy to transfer my thoughts into words on a page.
This past week, however, has made it abundantly clear to me that action is far more powerful than words. We all have the power to make positive changes in our own lives and often these changes influence others to do the same. When I first started this blog a couple of months ago, I had a really supportive response from friends and family and I felt that I was able to start an open discussion about the food we eat and why we eat it. I was incredibly driven to share my plant-based thoughts, recipes and stories but then as time trickled away, so did my focus. It’s not that I’m any less passionate than I was, I just have so much that I want to say that sometimes I don’t know where to begin. At times this can feel overwhelming.
I have now been on the ‘V train’ for six months and I am constantly astounded by the delicious food I eat, the way my body feels and the lack of cravings I’ve had for ‘the old meals.’ Nick and I switched to veganism suddenly but it was very much a ‘week by week’ approach and in all honesty, I didn’t expect to completely stick to it! I felt sure that Nick would become fed up and reach for the bacon sarnie, or that I would desperately miss my smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel I loved so much. But in fact, I have learnt more than ever that it is possible to completely re-wire a lifetime of eating habits. I don’t even think about chorizo or cheese or eggs any more because my body no longer craves these things. I guess it’s no different to weaning yourself off sugar; in time you just lose the taste for it. And is it difficult? Not really. Sure, at the beginning you do have to make an effort to learn new recipes and practice will-power when it comes to meeting friends for brunch (that chocolate croissant is just so tempting!) but surely everything worth achieving in this life takes some level of effort?
And trust me, the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience of making these changes. If you decide to jump into veganism and commit yourself 100% straight away, you will most likely feel lighter, healthier and maybe even shed a few pounds within a couple of weeks! That was certainly our experience and it’s what inspired us to keep going. But I also realise that this isn’t ideal for everyone and sometimes people need a more gradual approach.
And this brings me back to last week. A few things happened simultaneously to make me realise that by just being myself and living the vegan life I could inspire change, rather than always feeling the need to write or talk about it. Firstly, I had a friend who’s been struggling with her iron levels and wanted to know what she could eat to help with this. Of course, I mentioned crispy kale, (which is such a hit in our house) and I was shocked to realise that this wasn’t even on her radar! After giving her the instructions (cut up kale, put on a baking tray with a little olive oil, salt and paprika and roast at 200 degrees on the top shelf for 10 minutes or forego the oil and put on baking paper instead), her husband made it this week and I was lucky enough to receive a full report including pictures! Being a veg lover, this filled me with such joy and it felt like a small victory had been won, even though I had not intentionally instigated it.
Another friend contacted me as she wanted help improving her gut microbiome. Now, I’m far from an expert on these things but I have been listening to medical podcasts recently and been doing quite a bit of reading and research on nutrition so I shared with her what I had learnt. The result? She will now be including a lot more vegetables in her diet as increasing fibre and eating the rainbow can seriously help the gut microbiome.
Finally, my pescatarian friend who has always claimed that her husband ‘would never eat vegan food’ made two vegan dishes for dinner and they were a hit! The knowledge that I had possibly inspired this (and introduced her to the life-changing ingredient: jackfruit) was music to my ears! In this challenging time of COVID 19, lockdowns and social-distancing, people are feeling compelled to change their eating habits to embrace a cleaner and more sustainable way of living. And why wouldn’t you want this? There have been countless deadly viruses emerging over the years (SARS, bird flu, swine flu and now COVID 19) all of which have been the result of factory farming and the over-domestication of animals. If the human race continues on this path, pandemics are going to be the ‘norm.’ Surely this year has been the wake-up call we have all needed for so long?
But putting politics aside, the last week has been a refreshing reminder that sometimes you don’t have to sing from the rooftops to be listened to; you just have to commit to the change that you want to see in the world. People often think that they are just one person and can’t possibly make a difference in the grand scheme of things but human beings are social creatures. We are constantly influenced by what we see in others and when people see their friends happy, healthy and living their best life, they feel inspired to do the same. Be the change. 🌱
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