Transcendence, A Short History of Nearly Everything

My Experience in a Vegan Household (and How That Has Shaped My Eating Philosophy) – Erin Sullenberger

Last October, I was roaming around my kitchen, searching for an afternoon snack when my father walked in. He opened the refrigerator, removed an apple, and casually remarked, “I’m going vegan.”

My eyes shot open ㅡ I couldn’t believe it. My dad was a meat/cheese-lover, who would fight my mom over ordering a sausage pizza instead of a vegetable one. With disbelief, I replied, “No, you aren’t. But okay.” And he replied, “Seriously. With my new job in the food industry, I’ve learned a lot about how veganism affects both your individual health and the environment. Also, I watched a Netflix documentary ㅡ ” I scoffed, “A Netflix documentary? Alright then.” I returned to the refrigerator and removed a yogurt, replying, “I bet it won’t last two weeks.” It’s now August, almost September, of 2020, and my parents are coming upon a year of being vegan. Back in February, I decided to become 5/7ths vegan; essentially, I would eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet between Sunday and Thursday, leaving Friday and Saturday as my “cheat” days. I wanted to experiment with a “better” nutrition plan simply because one of my New Year’s resolutions (as everyone’s is) was to eat better. At first, I found that eating a vegan diet was fairly easy. Because we hardly had any non-vegan foods in the house, I felt like I was (mostly) eating my normal diet. We had stopped making chicken for dinner last fall, and so I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. But, because I thought I was eating very well throughout the week, I began to abuse my “cheat” day privileges. I would ensure we had ingredients to make loaded nachos, grilled cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, etc. Ultimately, I started feeling crappy. I was drowsy, and I wasn’t seeing any physical gains that should have complemented my vigorous workout schedule. I stopped having “cheat” days and started becoming really cognizant about what I was eating. I ordered a plant-based nutrition reference book, and over the course of the summer, I read a couple of pages every day. I took diligent notes, and once I finished, I decided to conduct an experiment. For thirty days, I would calculate every aspect of my diet (that was plausible for me to keep track of). Every day, I printed out a chart to track my calorie, fat, saturated fat, sodium, protein, carbohydrate, oil, sugar, calcium, potassium, iron, etc. intakes. In the last column of the chart, I had my “target” numbers based on my height, weight, and level of activity (I figured this data out from the nutrition book). By the end of my experiment, I felt like a math genius, for I was constantly adding and taking percentages of numbers in my head. :) But, I learned to become very particular when selecting my meals. Now, I’m great at assessing how healthy a product is based on its nutrition label, and I've even started to cook my own foods that are nutrient-dense. I still maintained my 5/7ths-vegan pattern of eating, but overall, I was a healthier eater.

And from all of my readings and experiments, I’ve come up with my own philosophy on how to eat well:

Vegan diets are excellent for your health. They require you to consume the proper amounts of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. Many critics of plant-based diets harp on about the lack of protein intake, but they are mostly mistaken. All proteins we consume (in the world) originated from plants. The animal protein we humans eat is recycled from what those animals once ate, and so between nuts, beans, tofu, seeds, etc. there are plenty of sources of protein for vegans. Also, vegan diets ensure that you consume plenty of vital vitamins and minerals. With such a varied plant-based diet, it’s hard to avoid eating enough fruits, vegetables, etc. The concern of a low vitamin B12 intake exists, but that can concern easily be overcome by consuming fortified products or supplements. Furthermore, vegan diets are extremely helpful for maintaining a healthy, natural environment. Dairy farming, in particular, requires an incredibly high amount of natural land to be destroyed and converted to pastures. Producing plant-based foods requires less energy from fossil fuels as well as a smaller use of land and water. And, if I’m being the stereotypical “plant-based-eater”, then not killing animals to make food also helps maintain a natural environment. I’m a big believer in putting only things that were meant to be in my body in my body. By examining human dental structures, it becomes clear that unlike other carnivores, we humans don’t have teeth meant for meat-eating (according to the Netflix documentary Game Changers). Perhaps God, or some higher power, didn’t intend for us to eat meat. Also, I try to stay clear from supplements, including supplemental vitamins. I don’t like taking medicine for when I have a cold (even though my mom makes me), and so, in general, I don’t like putting unnatural things in my body. Furthermore, I avoid processed foods as best I can. Besides the high sodium, sugar, and fat, I’m not sure how many processed foods are made, and so I try to steer clear of them. However… and I put a BIG emphasis on however. I do like to treat myself. I still eat two slices of pizza for our family “Friday night pizza but now pizza/tomato pie” evenings. Over the course of a week, I probably have about 2-3 unhealthy/semi-unhealthy meals. And, of course, every week I make mistakes. Sometimes I’ll snack too much on my parent’s tortilla chips, but I’ve accepted that this just happens.

I still do my best to avoid non-vegan items. My weekly unhealthy meals often consist of meat and/or cheese, but I know it’s best to be smart about what I eat. Last week, I ordered a chicken parm sandwich from a restaurant and ate the whole thing for dinner. The next day, I felt drowsy and fatigued ㅡ a feeling I hadn’t often experienced since I changed to a healthier, mostly plant-based diet. I made sure to eat extra well the next day, but I’ve come to learn what my limits are. To demonstrate what I normally eat, I listed out what I ate/am eating today below: Breakfast: a bowl of whole-grain muesli “cereal” with almond milk Lunch: a bowl of vegetable soup with a slice of whole-wheat bread Dinner: I plan to steam broccoli, grill tofu, and maybe add some vegan mashed potatoes Dessert: a bowl of frozen berries

Throughout the day, I’ll eat a piece of fruit or have a handful of pretzels with peanut butter as a snack, but this is generally my meal plan. I hoped this article was helpful to some of you ㅡ I’m not trying to convert anyone to veganism, but this is a subject I’ve recently been passionate about, and so I figured I’d write