10 years of being vegan
Hello dear reader,
I wanted to reflect on the fact that this month, June, marks the 10-years anniversary of a choice that has changed a lot in my life.
10 years ago, after hosting a vegetarian guy (through Couchsurfing) for a few days in May, I decided to dive a little bit into the ethics and behind-the-scene of animal products production.
One hour-long video was enough for me to say goodbye immediately to this way of life. After crying inconsolably for about an hour (it was really traumatic to see), I made a promise to myself right there and then, in my studio's kitchen: I would stop eating animal products and would do my best to avoid animal cruelty and exploitation going forward.
Honestly, at the time, I had no idea if I would stick to it despite having very strong feelings about this topic. Part of me thought that my habits and culture would take over at any moment and I would fail, inevitably. But I still wanted to give it a go. I had to try.
Unfortunately, this very personal change was met with resistance among my friends and family. Who would have thought that the way you eat (mostly, although veganism isn't just a diet, of course) would feel so important to others?
To my surprise, I discovered that just saying that I was no longer eating animal products now meant that I had to justify myself. I no longer fitted in. The choice was discredited, mocked, attacked so many times. It even led to arguments with some family members! As if I was rejecting a part of us, a part of our family. I was shocked by the reactions I would get when announcing it (mostly for logistical reasons!).
The first few months, I was filled with sadness and rage. I was way more militant than I am now. It only got reinforced when I started being attacked, ridiculized, mocked - over and over again. No one around me was vegan, not even vegetarian. Suddenly, I felt very isolated. I turned to Youtube and found some content creators that inspired me and made me feel less alone. Thankfully, I was educated enough on nutrition that I never fell into the raw-vegan movement (even though I did watch Freelee's videos lol).
For a bit of context, I made that change right when I was deep into my fitness/bodybuilding era. At the time, my life revolved around protein and macros. I was a heavy animal products consumer. And since working out was still important to me, I searched for vegan bodybuilders. Quickly I found the Youtube channels of Brian Turner, Nimai Delgado, Derek Simnett, Jon Venus. Their advice helped me immensely in crafting a diet that was not only vegan but healthy and nourishing.
Slowly, I learned to read labels thoroughly. I learned a lot about worldwide cuisines and typical vegan-by-default dishes, even if most of the time they're not labeled as such. Interestingly enough, the diet part was not the most difficult aspect. What was really tough at first, especially 10 years ago, was finding vegan options when eating out. Back then, in France, the options were super limited unless you lived in Paris, and even then...
We don't often realize just how closely connected socializing and eating are. If you don't eat "like everyone else" (for ethical, dietetic, medical, allergical or religious reasons), you'll bump into issues whenever you're invited somewhere, whenever you travel, whenever there's a celebration, whenever you're in a rush / emergency. Suddenly, eating is not a guarantee. You might be hungry, unless you've planned ahead. But planning can only go so far. The amount of times I had to get by just eating bananas, a simple plain baguette, plain potato chips or fries and green salad when traveling... lol
Thankfully, since then, options have grown tenfold worldwide. Rarely do I have to rely on such emergency meals. I was very lucky when I first moved to Lisbon in 2017: there were plenty of vegetarian and even fully vegan restaurants and cafes. I had access to cakes and pastries, pancakes, ice-cream, all sorts of savory meals very easily. Supermarkets often had tofu, seitan and plant-based milks. There, I realised how easy it could be. Of course, you still have to cook more than the average person who could get by eating nothing but ready-made meals. But honestly, it's not that difficult once you get used to replacing one ingredient with another.
I have not talked about the other main aspects of being vegan: fashion, cosmetics, medicine. And of course, avoiding animal exploitation through entertainment. That's the easiest part of the change (to me at least). While it requires some adjustments, it's not impossible and not necessarily difficult either.
This post is getting way longer than I originally imagined. I just wanted to share that after 10 years of being vegan, I would like to share the original definition of veganism: "Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose".
What I would like to emphasize is the "as far as is possible and practicable" part of the sentence. Any action towards veganism helps, despite what some more extreme vegans might say. Change does not have to be radical to be powerful. Questioning your consumption habits is a great exercise; one I think more people would benefit from.
May I also remind everybody that humans are animals too...
However, no one is perfect or above anyone else. Consumption, especially food-wise, is not only related to our morals and values, but is also heavily tied to our physical environment, our financial situation, our class and status, our faith and education. To deny this reality is counterproductive and in my opinion, pushes people further away from the main goal of veganism, which is to respect, protect and value animals' lives.
I could have never predicted that I would stick with this lifestyle change for 10 years, but I'm so glad I did. Animals continue to be, for me, a guiding light in navigating life on this planet. They inspire me, they bring me peace and the type of love that is not tied to who I am in the eyes of society, but exactly as I am in the moment. No expectation, no personas, no fakeness. Just two souls seeing each other for what they really are.
With love, Camille