But after learning so much about the optimum diet for a horse (a very powerful herbivore, I must note), I began to reconsider my own nutrition. Was I eating a healthy diet? I quickly realized that I was not. So I began paying more attention to what I put in my own mouth--I started looking at labels and buying more fresh ingredients.
After my second child was born four and a half years ago, I found myself trying to lose baby weight once again. Like many women I'm sure, I found it a little more difficult the second time around. I ate what I thought at the time was a healthy diet. It included fish, chicken, turkey, whole wheat bread and pasta, along with fruits and vegetables.
Then one day, I happened upon a Netflix documentary called 'Forks Over Knives'. I don't remember what compelled me to watch it (other than the fact that it was a health documentary), but I watched it that evening.
I was stunned by the information presented in this documentary, but at the same time, it made perfect sense to me. They talked about the inherent health risks associated with eating meat and dairy and how eating a 'plant-based' diet could completely turn around many health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. I wasn't affected by either of these health issues, but something just seemed to click when I heard this information. I decided right then and there to go plant-based.
I immediately stopped buying and cooking meat. I switched to almond and soy milk. I researched for recipes, joined blogs, and sought out as much information as I could find on the plant-based diet.
During the first part of my plant-based journey, I also watched several other documentaries on this lifestyle. One of them was called 'Vegucated'. This documentary focused on the animal side of things. Of course, I had always been an animal lover, but I, like many people probably, had always neatly placed animals in two separate categories: those you eat and those you don't. And I tried my best not to think about the animals that I ate.
Being a true Okie, my husband and I had even raised cattle at one time. We sold the babies at the auction every spring. I always refused to butcher any of our cows for meat and instead, insisted on buying a nice, cleanly wrapped package of ground beef at the store. I now saw how ridiculous this all was. I had been in denial about what really happened to the cattle sent to slaughter. But in 'Vegucated' I learned all about the evils of factory farming. I was indeed, glad that I had stopped eating meat.
I also began learning about the environmental impact of eating meat--especially beef. Many people probably don't know that beef production results in the largest carbon emissions of all--even bigger than those produced by fossil fuels. If I needed even more proof that a plant-based diet was the way to go, than this was it. I was in all the way.
I chose the plant-based lifestyle a little more than two years ago and I can't say it's been a total piece of cake. Learning to cook plant-based has been a challenge, at times. But there are so many great resources out there.
I know there are a zillion other plant-based blogs out there, but I decided I needed to have one too. I live in the middle of cattle country where people think being vegetarian means you eat nothing but lettuce and tofu. I wanted to share that there are many more options out there. In fact, I never really enjoyed cooking until I became plant-based. But I now have a passion for creating healthy plant-based meals that actually taste good. I want to show people that being plant-based isn't some weird, impossible thing. You just have to think outside the box!
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