Here is a post I shared on my website, khadijahrbz.com, that shares a bit of our vegan journey. The original post is from 2016, so I have updated some of the information to be more current.
I get asked some of the same questions by different people and thought it would be nice to share my answers with my readers – because maybe some of you are asking the sammmme thing.
#1 Why did you chose to go vegan?
Well, what started out as a one month fast, turned into a life-style change. I will forever be thankful to Matt at Whole Foods in Durham, NC, for sharing sound information with the hubs and I about living plant-based. We attended his class, researched heavily on our own, and decided we wanted to live a long, healthy life together. We wanted our kids to have a quality of life they would not find eating chicken sandwiches, scrambled menses, and cookies with dipped in bloody pus (milk).
On a personal level I wanted to minimize the likelihood of disease and eliminate chronic pain and inflammation. I also wanted to lower the hubs risk of cancer. Both his parents dealt with cancer, as well as several of his family members. And while I have my thoughts about cancer and heredity, I wanted to ensure we were doing all we could.
So with that, we decided – NO MORE MEAT. NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS as food. During the first six months we ate some fish; however, we decided to eliminate that as well. At this time we do not eat anything that poops, has eyes, can give birth, have sex, lol…
#2 Are your children vegan?
Uh, would they be anything else?? One thing that the hubs and I established early is – WE ARE A TEAM and we make moves together. Making the decision to go vegetarian, then vegan was a vegan cake walk and we focused on the fact that the benefits outweighed any negative aspect we tried to come up with. Not to mention when we decided to go vegan our kids were older (11, 14, and 17 at the time) and able to go with the flow. Admittedly, they shared their thoughts and at first were not thrilled with the idea of no more Little Ceasars Pizza or Cajun Filet Biscuits from Bojangles; however, we found other options. Also, they have always been curious and willing to try new things, so I think what started as an experiment is now truly a lifestyle for them.
Another thing that has been helpful is we educate our children. We explain to them the ‘why’ so they have an understanding. Open dialogue is important because it is how we grow and comprehend. Are there times they get frustrated because they want something? YEAH! We all do. But our why is greater than the temporary satisfaction of a buffalo strip – at least for me it is. SN: I used to love the buffalo strips at Fat Daddy’s. I could only get those strips from the Fat Daddy’s in Fayetteville, NC so when they closed, I did not need meat anymore anyway (LOL)!
#3 How do you get your protein?
This is the most irritating question I get asked. REPEATEDLY. I just wanna say WHY DOES THAT MATTER??!? Were you concerned with our protein intake prior? Further, I have NEVER heard of anyone dying from a lack of protein and I will leave it at that.
(If you are really concerned with protein sources do some research and compare and contrast. My body and my muscles are loving the protein they get from plants because I eliminated the middle man [flesh] and went straight to the protein source [plants].
Are there any questions you would like me to answer? Leave them in the comments or e-mail me and I will answer them. I look forward to hearing from you!
*Disclaimer for all Vegan Police – this post is to discuss that we EAT vegan.
My preference is to be called an herbivore or plant-eater but for some reason people understand vegan, so for comprehension sake that is what I use.*
The information shared in this article is for educational purposes. It is not to diagnose or treat any illness. As the reader please do your own research (reference the links included), in order to make informed decisions about YOUR health and wellness.
