The Steps to Becoming a Veganist
I’ve been humbled in recent months by the very kind attention given to my new book, “Veganist.” As a result of the attention, I’ve been getting a lot of emails and inquiries, and perhaps the most popular question is some variant of “How did you do it?”
Obviously I didn’t pop out of the womb a veganist.
In fact, I was born in the South and grew up on chicken-fried steak and cheesy grits. I loved nothing more than milk shakes and barbecue ribs. I had an appetite for meat like anyone else, and I didn’t think twice about it. I wasn’t a thoughtless person; I was just enjoying my life and eating what tasted good and what I was told was good for me. It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I started considering where my food came from.
When I made the shift to being vegetarian, it was gradual. I gave up eating one animal at a time. I’d come home and tell my husband, “I’m not cooking any more steak.” He’d roll his eyes and say, “Whatever.” And some months later, I’d be standing in the kitchen saying, “I can’t put chicken on the table anymore” – he was a little more perturbed about that. Later still, when I said I couldn’t bring myself to buy cheese anymore, he thought I’d lost my mind.
Luckily, by then, I began hitting my stride with this lean toward a plant-based diet. I found so, so many delicious foods that were actually the same as our favorite meals, but without the meat. Sometimes I brought home meat alternatives (vegetarian versions of chicken or ribs, etc.) and sometimes I focused more on beans, legumes, and whole grains (like black bean burritos with guacamole or lentil soup with wild rice salad).
I began to love vegan food, and so did my husband, who said one day, “If I thought I could have eaten this well as a vegetarian, I would have gone that way a long time ago.” There was no loss. No stringent diet or “bird food.” We simply lightened up on the animal-based foods and replaced them with plant-based fare. It took a few years, but eventually, we had a vegan home and were entertaining friends and family with unbelievably delicious (and nutritious) food.
Hence, I became a veganist!
A veganist is someone who looks closely at all of the implications of their food choices — to his or her own body, to the animals, and to the environment — and then chooses to lean in to a plant-based diet. The suffix “ist” means “one who does” or “one who studies,” so a veganist takes what he or she learns and puts it into action by eating things that grow on trees or in the ground. All of this said, the word is intended as a soft word, a forgiving word. It’s all about progress, not perfection.
My husband coined the word veganist one day when I was going on with one of my usual schpiels about the virtues of a plant-based diet and he said, “Honey, you are a veganist!” (I told you it’s a gentle word). Vegan used to seem odd, but today things are different (so much so that top chefs rated veganism as the hip new trend of 2010); being a veganist is about being passionate, aware, and solution-oriented.
Think of it this way: just like a violinist is devoted to learning more and practicing the violin, so does a veganist take an intense interest in all things vegan.
As I coach people on their way to giving up meat, dairy, fish, and eggs, I always recommend “leaning into it” (as I did here) so they don’t get too overwhelmed by the changes. If you shift your eating patterns gradually, just by giving up eating one animal at a time (start by giving up chickens) or subbing out a favorite meal by veganizing the protein (opting for a black bean burrito instead of a beef burrito for instance), you have more breathing room to discover new food choices and menus. When I decided that vegan made sense, I was suddenly overwhelmed with what I didn’t know, what I could and couldn’t eat. So I just set my intention to be vegan, and then made the incremental changes little by little until I was entirely comfortable with the new fare.
And then you start reaping the benefits: weight loss, prevention and reversal of disease, increased longevity, the pride of knowing that you are radically reducing your carbon footprint, money saved, and the sense that you are evolving as a conscious and compassionate human being.
Eating vegan is a substantial pillar to our health and well-being; it’s good for us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Food is so foundational, so much a part of our daily routine. It reflects who we are and what we value. So eating a vegan diet is the perfect opportunity to put into action – regularly – what’s important to us.
Originally published on HuffingtonPost.com
For more information on how to optimize your health, see http://kathyfreston.com/.
Photo credit: Vanessa Maurer
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17 Comments
Amen to you Kathy Freston!! I know some people aren’t particularly happy with the tem veganist but frankly these are the people who give vegans such a bad reputation. Because of you people are making small changes to begin with and honestly once you start making these important changes and educating yourself there is no choice but to go full force. Not everyone can do this all at once as it’s too overwhelming but thanks to you it’s not an all or nothing transition. Thanks to you and Kris Carr my husband and I are now living the plant based veganist life and educating ourselves everyday. Bless you and all you do.
Amen to you Kathy Freston!! I know some people aren’t particularly happy with the term veganist but frankly these are the people who give vegans such a bad reputation. Because of you people are making small changes to begin with and honestly once you start making these important changes and educating yourself there is no choice but to go full force. Not everyone can do this all at once as it’s too overwhelming but thanks to you it’s not an all or nothing transition. Thanks to you and Kris Carr my husband and I are now living the plant based veganist life and educating ourselves everyday. Bless you and all you do.
Love it!
I read Kathy’s book Veganist and I thought it was excellent.
For some people I think an overnight switch to a vegan diet may be more effective than just leaning in, it certainly was to me. I find that being vegan eliminates a large number of unhealthy options from your diet forcing your to reevaluate your food choices and making it easier to resist temptation.
I have tried leaning into a healthy diet before (although not vegan) and it was always a stuggle – it wasn’t until I made a commitment to a 100% vegan diet that I became successful (lost 50lbs) and happier too.
I think it’s fine if people want to follow a veganist lifestyle, but it isn’t really a matter of compassion. Plants have feelings and are aware. They feel pain, which has been proven it scientifically valid tests. Just because you can’t hear something scream when you kill it doesn’t mean it’s not feeling anything. Life eats life; that’s just the way it is. A plant-based diet is best for most people, but many cultures exist primarily on the meat of animals (think Eskimos). Just sayin’
Just sayin’ Josesph. Then is it okay to eat children??
I think being Vegan is trying to lessen the suffering as much as possible.
And even if you do eat meat, that 99% of the poop filled stuff is factory farmed is not okay for the future. If you have kids or think you will get reincarnated, you should be concerned.
Or, you could just eat fruit & nuts, which fall from the tree………
IN the midst of reading the book now. Love it and it all makes sense. I’ve been a vegetarian for a couple of years now. I will pass this book on to others b/c I think the more people who understand the health benefits the better. Also, this way I’m not preaching, I’m passing on a book and they can decide after reading. Great job!
As a molecular biologist, I have to wholeheartedly refute Joseph up there. Plants do not have consciousness; they have no cell types devoted to extraneous functions such as awareness. Plants cannot feel pain. Their cells only perform basic functions (light absorption, photosynthesis, vaporization) Feel free to eat meat if you like, but please don’t make up bogus science to make yourself feel better.
On another note, thanks for this article. I enjoyed Kathy’s book and her TV appearances that I have caught. I like her seemingly effortless and upbeat take on the plant-based diet, and enjoyed this article.
Great, easy and inspiring words!
I really do feel like the world is opening it´s eyes to all the possibilities that comes with small lifestyle changes. Because even if the improvement of becoming a veganist is huge in many ways, the work is not that hard. Just change your favorite food into a vegan version and start from there. Like this Raw burger (www.Earthsprout.org) instead of a grilled one loaded with cancirogenic substances.
I used to think it was hard when really it´s such a blissed and fun path!
Thanks for yet another great post here at Crazy sexy life<3
Loved this article Kathy, and really want to get the book!!
I have a couple of questions though, if that’s ok!!
I’ve been struggling a little on my path to becoming vegetarian, then vegan… I’m also gluten free, and I find it really tough when I’m eating out to find options that satisfy both criteria. Often the only veggie options are gluten based – pasta, pizza, veggie patties (usually contain flour!). I’m at the point where I want to give up meat, I feel really guilty when I do eat it, but there are situations where I have to eat it if I want to eat!
I have also struggled with an eating disorder in the past, and I’m worried about imposing ‘restrictions’ on what I can and can’t eat. It tends to trigger the old bad behaviours.
I guess my question is, do you think it’s ok if the ‘leaning’ into veganism is a permanent thing? What if I can’t ever completely give up meat and dairy? I know they sounds like silly questions, but it’s hard because the choice seems so black or white – I either eat meat or I don’t!!
Emily, take your time. Do the best you can in each and every moment. Perhaps you’ll never be able to completely give up meat. But perhaps you will and perhaps it will be easier than you ever imagined. I was vegetarian for many years and thought it’d be impossible to give up dairy and eggs. I took a 21-day vegan challenge (PCRM) and haven’t eaten dairy and eggs since. That was a year and a half ago and I never want to go back.
Be kind and gentle with yourself as you continue on this path. Guilt and shame will get you nowhere. Something that helps me a lot is meal planning. I stock up on fresh veggies! I create large salads and soups that I can eat over a couple of days. I also eat before I go to party or I bring a vegan dish so that I am taken care of.
Do the best you can and I bet you will surprise yourself! Good luck!
Hi Emily, Just to throw in my two cents… I’m not vegan, I’m not even vegetarian. Recently I have given up beef and pork. Everyone around me eats meat and I don’t want to make it a big thing, so kind of like “leaning into it” I’m focusing on what I’m doing “for now”. I’m not making any grand proclamations about what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life. If I decline a serving of beef or pork, or someone asks me why I’m not having pepperoni on my pizza, I just say, I’m not eating beef or pork for now. This is the right decision for me – right now. Maybe (hopefully?) this will lead me down a path towards eliminating other animals and animal products from my diet. But “for now” this is what I feel comfortable and capable of doing. I may be leaning into it forever, but I think that’s better than not trying at all. Maybe this will help you too. Good luck! : )
Wow. Interesting responses. As far as the eating children thing goes, I have no idea where that came from. Molecular Biology. Well, glad you could memorize something you read in a book, but that doesn’t make it the absolute reality. Lots of indigenous people would wholeheartedly disagree with your assessment about plants and awareness..and I mean all of them. Here’s a link to one study about plant pain http://www.department13designs.com/vegan.html. By the way, it’s precisely this way of thinking that Kris seems to be trying to get away from. I don’t know of too many studies that show drinking green juices will cure cancer, but I certainly dig where she is going with it. I realize some people have a hard time accepting the whole “life eats life” thing, but that’s the way it is. I try and stay away from factory processed food in general, but I also know that everything lives and everything dies. One day we will be food as well. Just sayin’ ;)
@Joseph People tend to lead with their strongest argument. Starting off with an ‘eating babies’ level opener indicates that they don’t have anything better to say.
In this case I think it’s probably ignorance on the part of the poster, as there are some fairly coherent arguments for the vegan lifestyle – not that it’ll make much difference to me personally.
I personally have a really high metabolism and my lifestyle (walking/running vs driving) means that I am far better served by eating calorie dense foods. This generally means meat.
One aspect of the vegan lifestyle that I whole heatedly agree with is the concept of being responsible for your consumption. If you can’t stomach the process that gets your food to the table, you really have no business eating it. Factory farms are reprehensible, and do not show respect to the animals that feed us.
Growing up we grew about 90% of our own meat, and I will again as soon as it is remotely feasible (I’m in college now, and our town-house isn’t exactly appropriate for raising livestock).
I’m comfortable with raising my own animals but I know it’s not feasible for everyone. If you can’t grow your own then locally grown food and factory farmed unfortunates are a world apart. But regardless of where you get your food, I agree 100% that you should be familiar with the path it took to get there, and that if this information makes you uncomfortable you should look to getting your food someplace else.
@ Joseph Sorry for the double post, but I got around to reading the linked article on plant pain, and think you might have gotten your links mixed up as that was a humor article.
Thanks for your kind responses :)
I think you’re right, I need to be kind to myself – something I’ve struggled with in the past!
One step at a time :)
I stubled over your book a few month back and it has been such an inspiration. I have been eating a healthy diet for a long time but after ‘leaning into’ a plant-based diet my body feels so much better and i have lost a few pounds without even trying.
I’m still tryning out a lot of new recipes and find that I now have so many new food options.
I’m looking forward to seeing my body and health improve over the next months and years.
I’m a professional vocal coach and I have also noticed that the sound of my voice has improved since changing my diet. Probably due to my body being more alkaline.
The word Veganist works so well in Danish! Whereas the Danish word for vegan (veganer) sounds more loke a desease……
Best wishes from Copenhagen, Denmark
July 22, 2011