I stayed up late watching the documentary Vegucated about 3 people who go vegan for 6 weeks. At one point I had to take off the headphones and lower the screen to avoid the horrific images of animal cruelty being shown in order to educate the 3 volunteers about how meat is "processed" for consumption. I have seen some of these types of scenes in other food documentaries, but the thorough nature of going from one animal to another, from one process to another was too much all at once. I wept understanding all the pain involved for the pleasure of 99 cent hamburger. The documentary goes on to show the passion of swearing one will never eat meat after understanding just how terrible the industry is to the wavering after the scenes and pain is forgotten and the practicality of life sets in. Believe me, I was ready to swear off all animal products after watching the movie last night, but then when I realized that tossing out the half used pint of half&half would not help anyone, I went ahead and poured some into my coffee this morning.
The practicality of going vegan is in some ways very easy. I have support from a husband who said he would go vegan with me for a while. He did it a while back and lost 20 pounds in time for an important Army physical test. I've been a vegan for short periods of time and understand it isn't bad at all, but I do miss dairy. I already have a very strict vegetarian living at home--Monika. Erika has gone gluten-free this year but naturally doesn't eat a lot of meat. Jessi on the other hand is another story... she's the queen of white meet, white bread, white rice and white potatoes. She starts her morning with bran cereal and white milk, eats lots of fruit and an occassional vegetable, so she's not totally unhealthy but I could never see her surviving a full vegan diet, BUT that doesn't mean I can't. The girls are old enough to fend for themselves when I make healthy foods they refuse to eat. My temptation comes when we go out to eat.
The irony is that Oreos are vegan... so I know that just going vegan doesn't make for a healty living. I researched vegan meals at a few restaurants I frequent. There's nothing at Jimmy Johns, but between Qdoba and Panera, I could survive happily. After watch Hungry for Change, I am off diet coke! But I'm keeping coffee in for weekends and holidays. For this week I am continuing with many of the Ayurvedic cleansing meals but lightening things up with more juice and vegetables, less grains. I made enough lentil soup to last all week. I'm still staying off sugar, so even with a mostly vegan diet, I won't be eating oreos.
Grocery Store Items that are Vegan:
Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Tortilla Chips
Fritos (Original)
Frozen Edy's Whole Fruit Bars
Fruit By the Foot
Healthy Choice Garden Vegetable Soup
Hormel Vegetarian Chili
Keebler Club Crackers
Lay's Potato Chips (Plain)
Life Cereal (use almond milk or just snack)
Nabisco Oreo Cookies
Nabisco Saltine Crackers
Nabisco Teddy Grahams (Chocolate and Cinnamon)
Nature Valley Granola Bars
Progresso Soups (Lentil, Hearty Tomato, and Tomato Basil)
Ritz Regular Crackers & Whole Wheat Crackers
Ruffles Potato Chips
Simply Asia Sesame Teriyake Noodle Bowl
Sun Chips Original flavor
Thomas New York Style Bagels
Thai Kitchen Noodle Bowls (Thai Peanut and Roasted Garlic)
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