Integritus Prime

After reading an article from Live Kindly on LinkedIn about how people ask lots of questions about veganism and the misconceptions associated with plant-based meals, I felt compelled to share my journey into this world of plant-based bliss.

There are a number of misconceptions regarding eating plant-based meals. Mine was the brain-washing I had received as a scholar of medicine: ‘Protein comes from animal products’. This was the misconception that was so steadfastly stuck in my brain that when my daughter went vegetarian at sixteen, I nearly had a heart attack. Another attack was imminent when she went vegan. The questions in my mind were – Where is she going to get protein from? How will she live without animal products? Initially, what will I feed her? Then, what will she feed herself when she goes away for studies?

I grew up with mostly plant-based meals, as our parents could not afford animal products on a daily basis. Now, I realize how blessed we were. I was a happy and healthy child. I do not remember being sick or being admitted to hospital ever in my childhood. Neither were my two brothers that I grew up with. They did have injuries or broken bones, however, none of us had any major sickness.

When we grew up and went our separate ways, we had more animal products in our meals. I guess we were compensating for the ‘scarcity’ we felt when we were younger. Guess what, we all invited one lifestyle disease or the other, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Every one of my 9 siblings had or has a lifestyle sickness. Five have succumbed to their respective disease and the others are living with them.

It took me a long time to start actually researching the benefits of plant-based meals and the process only started after my daughter went vegan.  I read the book by Dr. Colin Campbell ‘The China Study’, she gifted me, went online to read many articles, research studies, followed plant-based websites and physicians (such as, the members of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), even cardiologists who promote plant-based diets for reversal of heart diseases.

Now, some top doctors are reading the research, which shows the benefits of plant-based diets for prevention and treatment of lifestyle diseases, and actually recommending it to their patients and colleagues.

For me, after 60 years of eating animal products, inviting risk factors for lifestyle diseases and being diagnosed with a few, I made the change to go plant-based. Thanks to the encouragement, support and awesome new recipes plus home-cooked meals from my daughter, Marilyn, I succeeded. Now I’ve been plant-based for more than 5 years and reaping all the benefits.

Previously, I was on 5 medications for various lifestyle risk factors (such as high blood cholesterol), however, I am on NO DRUGS now!  I have no risk factors or lifestyle diseases, I choose to take healthy supplements (Vitamin B12 is the main one), and eat healthy meals and snacks. I feel so free and happy, my weight is stable and in the normal range and I feel years younger now than 10 years ago. People compliment me all the time on how I look and my high energy and productivity levels.

Even though I became vegan for my own health, maybe a little selfishly, I then realized that there are many other benefits to the environment, animals, climate change mitigation and saving mother earth. This is the biggest unselfish act anyone can perform for every living being, by not eating animals and animal products, while living a healthy and productive life for oneself.

Sometimes, you need a shock to jolt you into action, like it was for me. However, it’s always better if we act before it becomes an emergency. The next time someone you know is criticizing veganism, ask them to consider these questions and become more aware of the facts and relationships between our food choices and our personal and planetary health:

• Do I suffer from lifestyle diseases?
• What about my family members or loved ones?
• Who suffers the most and how much meat and dairy do they consume?
• Would I rather watch an animal be slaughtered or go strawberry picking?
• Am I aware of the amount of water, land, and food required to sustain animal agriculture – resources that could go to helping feed and house humans or reforest the planet to fight climate change?
• Do I realize how much my diet worsens climate change?
• Do I love some animals and eat others? Why?
• Do I want the world to be free of pandemics and lifestyle diseases?

Do your own research and make a stand for yourself. You, as an individual, can contribute positively avoiding a lot of harm to yourself, animals, and the planet, just by being plant-based! Think about it and share with me how you plan to do this at Margaret@alchemusprime.com