In continuing the Q&A session…the next question on the agenda is why and how did I come to be vegan?
I figure if you know me in real life or read on a semi-reg basis, you know how I eat. Vegan shmegan. I’m not big on labels, and my food preferences are more motivated by how my GI system reacts, not so much my personal feelings on consuming animal products. That said, this answer requires far more extensive background info, so I’ll start from the beginning.
My mom is (was) a vegetarian and raised the family (me and my two younger sisters) on a diet with minimal meat involvement. My dad wasn’t overly carnivorous, and since she did the cooking, she made what she ate. No complaints here. I was a tofu loving baby, the proud product of hippie parents, and I preferred carrots and broccoli to almost everything else – so much so that I have an orange nose in most photos from my infant years. True story.
Eventually chicken and fish found their way into the hippie household, but my poor non-veg dad never got red meat unless he BBQ-ed it himself. To be honest, I was completely unaware that I wasn’t eating real bacon, and to this day I’ve never had an actual beef hot dog. I never felt deprived or anything, though, because you should have seen the meals my mom made! Not just dinners either, I had packed lunches and snacks that all my friends envied. (This is one of the perks of being the first born…as processed crap was virtually absent from my school eats)
Another key aspect of my background was my abnormal GI system and how that played a role in my life. Seeing as how poop wasn’t a common discussion point throughout my childhood years (shocking, I know), I had no idea what was and wasn’t “normal.” However, I do remember one visit to the pediatrician’s office when I was ~13 years old in which I was complaining about frequent cramps and stomach upset and the doctor told me to not eat a few hours before or after I was going to exercise. Excuse me? What kind of advise is that!?! Especially for someone who was playing multiple hours of soccer a day. On weekends when I had several soccer games, what time slots does that leave me exactly? 3 AM and 10 PM? Ph, ok. Perfect. Thanks Doc.
Sarcasm aside, I was really finding it difficult to keep my stomach calm when eating before/after soccer games. And yet not eating wasn’t a realistic option given the energy that weekend long tournaments required. Let’s just say, when eaten days on end, bananas and Gatorade can get real old.
Anyways, after I left home for college, I quit soccer and discovered a whole new world of dorm food. For a while Lucky Charms replaced Raisin Bran and French Fries and Tater Tots were staples when late night munchies hit, but almost immediately after, I recognized how crappy and lethargic I felt. These new and exciting eats were suddenly not as thrilling, and combined with my retirement from competitive soccer, this alteration in my diet started to take a toll on my health. Not surprisingly, it was around this time that I began to notice changes in how my body responded to various foods. I felt bloated and in pain a majority of the time and it got to the point where I was more than uncomfortable. My GI system was actually inhibiting how I was living my life!
Since denial is my coping mechanism of choice, I pretty much ignored it as best I could (a fact I’m not so proud of). “Grin and bear it” …with a bottle of Pepto-Bismol.
My Aha! moment (as Oprah would say) was when my mom was visiting me near the end of my freshman year of college and she noticed several bottles of my pink chalky side kick in the trash can and proceeded to ask several Qs…cut to a few months of GI appts (endoscopy, colonoscopy, etc.). Long story short I discovered I was not only lactose intolerant, but I had IBS (with extreme colonic inertia). Well. Great.
I can’t even describe the way this affected me at first. As a former poster child for milk consumption, I hardly knew where to begin. Cheese wasn’t as hard to say goodbye to, but milk! Geez. Milk was something I wrestled with for a while before coming to terms with it. Eventually, Lactaid came to my rescue and I slowly but surely worked out how to survive dairy-free.
After a while of living sans lait, it really wasn’t a big deal. Turns out there are tons of lactose free items if you know how/where to shop. Plus, my stomach was far less rebellious once I started to take care of what I put in it. Uh, duh!?
After years of experimented with my body to see what it could and couldn’t handle, I have worked out a nice little system. As you may have noticed, I occasionally have Greek yogurt (although less so lately), and sometimes I use whey protein powder (again, very sparingly). Since I have now been living without dairy in my life for over a decade (wow, I’m old) I’ve pretty much worked out the kinks and I know when and where I can cut the corners and get away with it, and when I shouldn’t push it.
And then there’s the IBS.
Yes, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a tricky beast that deserves it’s own post entirely, but I will condense it for you. There is no specific definition because the symptoms range with each individual, but for the most part IBS involves a combination of abdominal pain with alternating constipation and diarrhea (for me, it’s mostly just the former). Often times it feels like my gastrointestinal tract is rebelling against food in general. Without rhyme or reason. Seriously.
After learning more about IBS from my GI MD, I began a quest to find the recipe for a less painful existence. As I said before, the presence of GI issues was (unfortunately) fairly constant throughout my childhood, and something I was eager to reduce. To combat these annoying and disruptive symptoms I tried (try) to eat things that are less irritating, which tends to be minimally-processed, wholesome, plant based foods. Since I was never a big meat eater (I only ate chicken and fish), eliminating these components from my diet was surprisingly simple. I’m not trying to dismiss or depreciate this step in my path toward veganism, but in all honesty, it wasn’t difficult for me.
I guess it all started with the discovery of Whole Foods towards the end of my time at UCLA. The prepared foods section exposed me to a smorgasbord of meat/dairy free items. Initially this consisted of soy alternatives, but gradually I learned how to prepare a few things (like tofu) on my own and reduced the amount of processed non-meats I was consuming. When I moved to Philly for nursing school, I found that my life was more of a time crunch than I ever expected, but I still managed to use my full kitchen to my advantage. I cooked 90% of my meals, packed all my lunches, and still fit in the time to get a nursing degree on the side. It wasn’t until I moved to NYC that I got more adventurous with my kitchen trials. Having tofu mastered, I began to attempt tempeh and seitan dishes, as well as various new grains. Through it all fruit and vegetables remained a constant. I can’t recall the last day I went without an apple.
Then I found the food blog community.
At this point I was eating both meat free and dairy free (with the occasional aforementioned exceptions) but still hadn’t made the full transition to veganism. How often did I eat eggs? Rarely. But my stomach had no issues digesting eggs or egg products, so why eliminate them from my diet?
I don’t really care about labels, so identifying myself as “vegan” was never my intention in changing my diet. My goal was (is) to eat in a healthy way that satisfies my taste buds while not angering the rest of my gastrointestinal tract. I’d like to think that I have gotten pretty good at that. Thanks to the food blog world, I am MUCH more mindful about what I put in my mouth, I am more open to try new things, and I am inspired by others who share similar goals in the way they eat.
Admittedly, I’m closer to being vegan now than I was when I first started this blog (and first wrote that “about me”), so if you read on a regular basis, you may think I am 100% vegan. It’s rare that I eat eggs now, and even Greek yogurt has slipped off the radar, but it’s too confusing to go into all the specifics of my diet without writing an essay (see above). If my stomach is ok with what goes in, I’m ok with it. And that’s all it comes down to. Sure, I still have flair ups (IBS is far from black & white), and I still eat crap when I crave it (are Balance bars vegan?), but for the most part, I try to keep my eats clean and my stomach is all the happier because of that.
As far as my vegan-ness outside the blog world, well, I’d rather tell a coworker straight up that I’m 100% vegan, than launch into all the loop holes. Can you imagine trying to explain to a complete stranger exactly why I’m ok with a chocolate chip Clif bar, but don’t want a chocolate chip cookie?
Now, I will say, there is one other factor aside from IBS that has me sticking to my semi-vegan lifestyle and that is the “green” aspect of eating a plant based diet. I grew up in the Bay Area, surrounded by people who were (are) proactive in spreading earth friendly practices. On top of that, my wonderful hippie parents have always taught me about how my personal actions affect the environment. All of this has helped instill in me a sense of responsibility for how my own behavior affects the future of the planet. And if all it takes for me to decrease my carbon footprint is a few small changes (and if one of them – veganism – happens to be better for my health at the same time, so be it), it seems like a pretty obvious choice, right?
Anyways, I hope this was insightful. I love learning about how others arrived at veganism, so there you have it. My so called (vegan) life.
And since this IS a food blog, here are a few of yesterday’s snacks.
Keep in mind the fridge is running on empty (haven’t restocked since returning from Thanksgiving on the West Coast), so I was definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel to put together some eats.
I have work this weekend, but I’ll be back to answer more questions (and regular food blogging) tomorrow.
i loved hearing about your story. i’m so sorry you’ve had to deal w/ so many complications, i can’t even imagine! but it seems like you are truly making the best of it through your eats/attitude/lifestyle 🙂
xoxo
shelley
http://findinghappinessandhealth.wordpress.com
I’m really enjoying getting to know you a bit better. Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions 🙂
Thanks for sharing your story! It must have been so frustrating to have those GI issues growing up. Of course, how would you know any different? I am happy you figured out what works for you now.
I just added a Vegetarian/Vegan blogroll to my blog and felt weird about it. That should not be all that describes people! But I wanted to share the resources to other bloggers. I may think about it some more.
I have been vegetarian for almost 9 years and became vegan in June, due to gradual reading up on issues. (I am an ethical vegan… again, the labels!).
I understand! People definitely want explanations for the way you eat. I have been vegetarian since 12. Nobody else in my family was and they wanted explanations, the doctors, my parents, everybody. It just felt right for my body and still does! I actually feel lucky to be able to read my own body so well, don’t you?
Spectacular post, Elise! I had no idea you had IBS and GI issues and that’s why you ended up vegan.
I ended up high raw and all vegan b/c of food intolerances/allergies. Which, sometimes mean something as “mild” as tummy upset to as major as airway closure. I blogged about it here that high raw AND all vegan chose me, I didn’t choose them.
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/11/raw-food-yoga-faqs.html
I love it too that as a hippy Bay area chica, you are eco conscious and do it for the planet/animal/green reasons…and although that’s lovely and I’d love to say I was that green…I do the vegan path for my health first and foremost and the great side bennies are the secondary. I would love to say I was eco-chic enough to put those things first and foremost even if i wouldnt have health issues…but the health issues trump all so I stick with it.
ANyway lady great post!!!!
YAY! I love reading the stories of how others transitioned to veganism. It is always great to get a new perspective – thank you!
You know I can relate with the stomach issues, so thank you for your honesty – hang in there!
That was a really interesting post, it’s always great to hear why people choose certain food consumption paths:)
Really good post – thanks for taking the time to share!
I went semi vegan for the same reason! My stomach is messed up and on runs I was just miserable. It was making me not want to run distances that I LOVE. I take joint supplement (shellfish) and samples mysteriously have no dairy etc. but for the most part I try to practice veganism. I’m not always as healthy as you though. Pretzels have been my main food the last 2 days lol
Thanks for sharing your story! My bestie is also vegan for similar reasons – except she finds greek yog doesn’t upset her stomach too much!
Awesome post – I mean, sorry you had to go through pain and suffering to get where you are, but I’m glad you got there.
Love the eco shout out! I spent my first 9 years in Marin. Not sure if we’ve already discussed that.
Love the anti-label sentiment. Just be.
🙂
i love stories. i just wish i had popped a bowl of pcorn and some hot chocolate to go along with this. your life is too interesting and i like this chapter dude! espesh the part where you lived half your childhood with a carrot for a nose. totally awesome.
i just really wish i could remember what question i asked you hahaha
I loved reading this! Reading about your vegan journey is so encouraging…
I am currently going through some of the same things – for a few months, my stomach has been a MESS and I’ve tried to ignore it, but recently discovered that when I don’t have dairy – I feel better. It kind of sucks, but it is fabulous to not have to cry and lay on the couch after each meal. Labels aside, I’m pretty happy being dairy free and just eating eggs and the occasional chicken breast. 🙂
Fantastic post ~ I have suffered from IBS (with possible Coeliac disease in addition but I’m not about to eat wheat for weeks in a row just to get an accurate test done) for my entire life and although I have a definite list of food triggers for it sometimes it just ‘rebels against food’ for no reason too, which is both embarassing and immensely frustrating. I just wanted to thank you hugely for addressing this, as I think sometimes IBS slips off the radar and people just assume we’re being awkward or making excuses not to eat something…I often want to tell such people to take a vacation in my intestines and then see if they still think I’m ‘faking’ allergies/intolerances.
I am vegan too, though for ethical reasons…ironically dairy is about the only thing which really settles down my IBS so unfortunately there’s a major mind/body conflict going on there. Soy, wheat, excess fibre (no raw broccoli for me!), onion, garlic (no hummus either!) and gluten are my main triggers. I am an idiot though…I can’t stop eating oats or find an adequate substitute for oatmeal even though I know the effect it has on me.
Anyway, enough of me rambling. The point is I think this was a brilliantly written, eloquent post.
<3
xoxo
Loved reading this. Particularly the part about your orange nose… 😉
BTW, I totally blame you for my newfound addiction to Steaz.
<3 <3
Thank you for sharing your story! I am always interestead in what made others choose to become veg*n. 🙂 I hope you have a nice week!
Your semi-veganness sounds a lot like mine, though for different health reasons. I’ve been a vegetarian for about four years, but just a few months ago I discovered that cutting dairy helps to control my migraines (I guess it has to do with the sugar?) and GERD. I do still eat honey. I try to eat dairy-free every day but Saturdays, when I let myself cheat. The result has been more energy, a little weight loss and far fewer migraines and acid flare-ups, so I love it.
E! You always amaze me! And that’s an understatement. Again, truly inspiring and while I stand firm on being the meat eater that I am, (TWSS), your blog has helped a great deal in helping keep me eating healthy. Pretty much all of your eats, thrown in with some chix or even some carne, is completely doable and down right delicioso! I’m still awaiting a substitute soy taco meat brand from you, so that I can erase the horrid memory of the last consumption of the fake meat.
Oh and side note, did I ever tell you about 6 months ago, we had this pot luck for our gene annotation club on campus and I had quorn! It was in a persian dish that was supposed to be chicken, but it was oh so good! Mixed with basmatti rice, it was pretty bomb diggity and while I knew it wasn’t real chicken, I thouroughly enjoyed it. =)
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AMAZING post, Elise! I love hearing about your path to wellness. I can relate to so much — the years of pain, the clueless GIs, the lactose intolerance being the aha moment (along with raw foods, too). I’m so happy you’re well and thriving now!!
youre so sweet ate!
that quorn stuff is pretty good huh? at first i was iffy, but now i def like it.
as for soy taco meat, theres lightlife’s smartgrounds
http://www.lightlife.com/product_detail.jsp?p=smartgroundtaco
which are pretty tasty, just dont feeze them for 4 months and then try to reheat them and expect them to be good still…it wont turn out pretty 😉
congrats on finding the way to let your body thrive! and thanks for sharing.
isnt that stuff awesome!! especially for the girl who doesnt like carbonation?!
thanks for sharing. i, too, love hearing about others’ stories. its not exactly table conversation, so i am enjoying learning about how others handle their GI issues now…im so sad that you cant enjoy hummus! ill have an extra tub for you today, ok?
i couldnt agree more. the most important thing i think we can do is listen to our bodies, they will tell us what they do and dont want. it just sucks when they dont want something that i happen to love!
thanks for sharing!
haha, glad you were entertained! your questions are still on their way…i got SO effing many!!
marin huh!? i dont think we did. ever going to get back to the bay? also, are you going to the Vancouver Olympics? we are going to see us v. canada ice hockey. so excited!!
anyways, thanks for the label-less support 🙂
glad she found what works for her. im glad that she too can tolerate greek yog, its a shame when the things we love don’t love us back…
haha. why are we so addicted to pretzels all of a sudden? i have been pounding them lately!
anyways, thanks for sharing your story too. im glad you were able to find a way to keep doing what you love!
thanks tracy
thanks ada! when are we gonna hit up peacefood!
thanks VG 🙂
thanks for the sweet comment 🙂
thanks averie! i am glad my story was so well recieved. its always risky putting yourself out there. your sweet comments always remind me its worth it with the supportive blog world.
definitely. listening to our bodies is the best advice i could ever give anyone else going through GI issues. thanks for sharing your story and the supportive comment!
thank you thank you thank you for the sweet comment. i understand what you mean…its weird how we define people by something so arbitrary as how they eat, but youre right, it is good to know where to find resources.
its nice to know there are others with common feelings regarding the labels 🙂
of course! thanks for the sweet comments and receiving my answers with such open-mindedness!
thanks shelley!
thanks gena. there are so many of us with similar stories, i was nervous about sharing, but people have been so sweet and thoughtful with their responses.
Thanks for sharing! I hear you with the Pepto… I had a shameful two weeks where I went through TWO BOTTLES of Tums! Bad.
So happy your tum is all better and you’re a happy hippie 🙂
Thanks for this post, love it. I am vegan partly for GI reasons. I’m also a student nurse and so am wondering how doing shift work and long hours effects your IBS (i too have constipation pre-dominant IBS and find that shift work plays havoc with my system). Thanks, Sarah xxx
I loved reading this post because your background sounds so similar to mine. I went through a childhood of stomach issues and was finally diagnosed with IBS in college. After struggling to find what foods were triggers, I decided to become vegetarian (my mom & sister already were) and now am pretty much vegan (with the occassional egg) and pain-free! I love your blog & such honest posts 🙂
hi nissa! so glad you found me. thanks for leaving a comment. we do have such similar paths! glad you’re finding relief in plant based foods 🙂
Loved reading your story – totally relate and work with so many people who do – this will be great info for my nutrition presentations thanks elise
thanks molly