My new life

I was trying to scare myself straight by watching such offerings on Netflix such as "Forks over Knives", "Food for Thought", and "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". The last video I watched was "Vegucated". This documentary has changed my life. I've had no meat since, very little dairy, and now I truly care about what I put into my body and how my decisions affect the rest of the planet.

Food has been my "drug of choice". I still have demons to conquer from family tragedies past and present. Hopefully as I start feeling better these will quiet down and I can reduce the medications I take for my "Pharmacuetical Lobotomy" !!

My niece turned me onto "Oh She Glows" and others. I have started cooking again and include much more fruit and vegetables in my diet. Last night I made "Apple Pie Muffin Tops". Only drawback - the kitchen is a mess !!

Thank you everyone for all this information and support !!!

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Comment by Penny on January 3, 2013 at 9:41pm: Karin, I do the "scare myself straight" thing too! I've seen nearly all of them. Vegucated pushed me over. I re watch some of them when I feel like I need a kick in the pants. If you have a strong stomach and a box of Kleenex, watch Earthlings. It is life changing, and should be required viewing for every person on the planet.

Food is my drug also. I am an emotional eater. Taking it a day at a time :-)

You're in excellent company!!

Comment by Karin Lowe on January 3, 2013 at 10:14pm: Thanks ! I will look into Earthlings. Vegucated pushed me over the edge too !

Comment by Ashlee Piper on January 4, 2013 at 12:58pm: Hi Karin! So glad you (and your precious little farm critters) are here! I too did the scared straight thing, but more because I was so knowledge-hungry (or, rather, truth-hungry) and I couldn't stop watching these horrible things. Just a piece of advice: While it is oh so important to see these things and learn from them, once you've got the message, stop watching for a bit (Not Vegucated, of course :). Give yourself a break. The transition to veganism is joyful, but can be challenging, and with too much sorrow and gore, you can feel helpless and lose steam. And, I would definitely recommend doing something nice for yourself at the end of each day you stay on track with your goals. I used to make time every night for a wonderful hot bath with natural oils and a book. It wasn't food - it was better, and so restorative.

It's not totally related, but I personally found Victoria Moran's book, "Fat, Broke, and Lonely No More!" (the title is awful, even she admits this) to be a lifesaver when going through any kind of life transition. The chapters are small and easily digestible, and just so darn uplifting. The first part of the book centers on food and emotional triggers. Moran has been a longtime vegan, so the recommendations are not necessarily about what food you should eat, but are very in line with the values of doing right by animals and fueling yourself with healthy food. The second part is about finances, which can be a nice complement to a nutrition change (especially in the new year, when we all have big aspirations to organize all aspects of our lives). The last portion is about relationships, including your relationship with yourself, friends, partners, and prospective partners. Again, little chapters that are easy to read and assimilate. The book always reignites my can-do spark and after a few days of reading, has me waking up feeling like the world is full of possibilities and I am equipped for whatever challenge or opportunity comes my way. Check it out, if you feel so inclined!

Big hugs to both you ladies - keep on trucking!

Comment by Karin Lowe on January 4, 2013 at 5:07pm: Thank you so much for your kind note ! I will definitely look into Victoria Moran's book.

I need to list rewards that aren't food related that is for sure. Food has long been emotional comfort. I need to adopt the "eat to live" attitude and rejoice even in the slightest improvement. It is so easy for me not to remember the strides that I've made.

Thank you so much !!

Comment by Karin Lowe on January 7, 2013 at 12:02pm: Ashlee,

I checked out vegan podcasts and saw Victoria Moran has one. I downloaded what there was but haven't listened to them yet. I requested some of her books from the library too.

Hope you had a good weekend !

Comment by Ashlee Piper on January 7, 2013 at 12:09pm: Ooooh! Fabulous. Let me know how you like 'em! :)

Comment by L Atkins on January 8, 2013 at 6:37pm: Good Evening All,

I have never been vegan or vegetarian. I have also watched all the videos on Netflix regarding the food our country sells to us. But it was not until Vegucated, when I broke down crying that I decided to make a change. I have been meat free since December 26th 2012. And I am so excited about how I feel already

I will eventually work my way to becoming Vegan.

But I wanted to share a few changes already, in order:

1. I do not crave meat at all!

2. My skin is soo much smoother all over.

3. (Not to be graphic) But I have a bowel movement every day without the use of probiotics. Most times twice a day.

4. The pain in the bend of my knee (I've had for years) is 90% gone.

I am looking forward to all the benefits of giving up meat.

Thanks for listening

Comment by Tiffany Mikkelson on January 9, 2013 at 6:04pm: L Atkins that is great to hear.

It is amazing the benefits and feeling you get when you go vegan/vegetarian. For me I feel just so much more at peace. I am not stressing the way I use to this time of year. It's great. I can't wait to hear more awesome things that have happened to you since you gave up meat. :-)

Comment by Crystal Olivarez on January 21, 2013 at 7:30pm: I have been watching all the movies on Hulu and Netflix as well. This one was amazing. I have been adding more veggies to my diet now. I am mostly vegetarian now. I hope to become fully vegan this year.

Comment by Shannon on January 26, 2013 at 1:04pm: Karen, you are going to start to feel so much better as your body starts to heal itself from the inside.

I stumbled upon these documentaries when I was researching the benefits of diet/holistic alternatives after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Each search query lead me to another and another and another. I was still eating egg whites and minimal amounts of chicken UNTIL i saw vegucated. Thank you amazon streaming ;).... My transformation has taken over 1 year and I still have a some things to work on. These films cause a real visceral reaction with me so I can't really watch them anymore. Now what I do is drop into these forums every so often and "Like" Facebook pages of animal rights organizations that post feeds that give me just enough information and keep me connected to like minded people to help me stay committed to this new wonderful lifestyle. Ive even found some community gatherings of vegan potlucks, teaching classes and festivals that are always great to attend. See if you have any in your area. I must say, I feel completely lied too, poisoned, brainwashed and blinded by our own government. I'm glad I decided to break free from the oppression of the american diet and elevate myself to a higher level of existence. I wish I had been kicked in the butt and vegucated a long time ago. Better late than never i suppose. I'm currently educating myself on raw food! Here's to your journey!