So its roughly 5 years ago when I first started coming across health problems. I was doing what everyone else did just buying what was in the supermarkets, meat, dairy, and that's without even mentioning my crisp addiction, sweets, and alcohol! Its just how life was, a stressful life living in London I wasn't any different from everyone else in what I was consuming on a daily basis, I didn't even really think twice. I went to the gym now and then I was good to go, or so I thought!
That was until I reached my early 30s, all of a sudden and over what seemed a very short period of time I started to develop really weird symptoms. Really bad stomach and digestive issues, my blood pressure spiked and I struggled to get it back down again, I just knew that something was not right at all. It was at this time I was starting to do a lot of research and was finding out that basically a trip to the doctors far from guarantees good health, and in fact the pharmaceutical industry was not to be trusted, so I ruled out the traditional methods.
It was at that point that, almost divinely timed, I stumbled across a You Tube video which was explaining how people, many people were healing themselves by switching to a plant based diet. Initially the thought of giving up meat was horrifying, I mean a meat pie was my idea of heaven at the time. But I opened up to it more because I felt intuitively that mine wasnt just a temporary detox I needed but if I wanted good health for the rest of my life then I needed to commit to changes long term. These people I was seeing were inspiring me to not only try it, but to perhaps maybe just maybe make it a lifestyle change.
So I confess as a vegan now, my initial intention I am sad to say was not for any ethical reasons, however that has massively changed now, because the off shoot of giving up rotting dead flesh is that it brings you closer spiritually to animals in a way that is hard to explain unless you have gone through this process. It wasnt long before the ethical side came in, it may have even been a few weeks into me considering this lifestyle when someone sent to me by chance the You Tube video from Gary Yourofsky 'Best speech you will ever hear'. It was in that instant a one hour video that I was distraught, there was no way I could go back to meat, it was the final straw. From that moment on I haven't touched meat since. His video is below.
I didnt go fully vegan straight away, there was a transitional period before I cut dairy out, but I was on the path. An amazing thing happened literally days into quitting meat. My digestion improved, my acid reflux disappeared overnight, and I could feel my blood pressure dropping! I was actually quite flabbergasted at how quickly I felt the benefits, and then I remember feeling quite angry at mainstream medicine for hiding this jewel from people. Yet its so simple, if you eat death and suffering, eventually you are going to feel like those very things inside your body.
For anyone reading this who is suffering from ill health try it! Its a lot easier than you think because your taste buds actually change and adapt so you start craving fruit and veg. Five years ago I would have laughed so hard in your face if you had suggested I would be plant based, now I wouldnt have it any other way. I have listed some other benefits below that I have noticed over time.
-clarity of thought
-faster thought processing
-higher states of consciousness (more insights)
-More energy
-Rarely ill
-Clear skin
-Very good digestion
-Blood pressure good
-Nobody suffers
-The Planet is not being destroyed by my choices. (Animal agriculture is the number one environmental issue causing chaos to whole eco systems)
-Increased interest in food and cooking than ever before
-More in tune with my life purpose
The list could go on!
Have a wonderful week
Tony Sayers
Love, care, courage
www.transcendingtimes.org
Your journey sounds so familiar ;) Looking forward to hearing more and see some of your vegan creations!
I have to confess my writing is more creative than my cooking so you may just have to look forward t that instead! ;)
Hehe... steemit is taking people beyond their comfort zone ;) Who knows you'll up your cooking skills too. So many wonderful vegan cooks here to get some inspiration ;)
cool!....Health is wealth
Indeed it is my friend!
Sounds good I am going vegan just struggling with the free food at work! But also think recently have developed a wheat intolerance, I get very ichy with not explanation doc's say it stress. It does come and go but I'm sure it's food related. Anyways down the vegan road for my. Already a organic veggie so should not be too hard eek cheese! 💯🐒
Honestly a few months without cheese, just the smell of it will make you want to vomit! You can do it ;)
Yer stopped buying it just at work when its in stuff! Thats the next step :) 💯🐒
The video you include is the one that inspired me to take veganism more seriously. While I am still not fully vegan, I eat vegan about 90% of the time. If we could all simply reduce the amount of animal products in our diet, it would have massive benefits for our health and our environment.
I grew up eating meat/potato/boiled vegetable meals. Veganism has opened up my cooking world and now I can cook Indian, Chinese, Mexican, etc. with relative ease and the meals are so much more delicious!
We are so far away from having to decide whether or not it is 'wrong' to eat animal products. Factory farming is unquestionably cruel and I think we can all start there.
Yes its a powerful video for sure, glad you took the leap! And you're right about cooking, Im much more creative with food than I ever was!
Awesome post. So beautifully penned and powerful. If people read this that should be enough for them to join us.
Thanks Danny yes here's hoping, I think veganism was up something like 200% in the UK alone last year!
Well done Tony!
I still have cheese and fish to go, but my general well being has improved much the same as yours.
Cheers!
Keep going, cheese was my bug bare but eventually it just falls by the wayside and you dont miss it at all!
Living on a plant based diet has totally changed my life too. I still eat fish once in a while, but tend to live plant based around 95% of my time and have done for the past 2 years. I agree with the benefits you have felt! I'm rarely ill now and also my digestion has improved. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Yasmine, yes I just wish I had realised earlier, still better late than never! Well done for your changes :)
Hey Tony, good post. I looked into veganism after following you on facebook a few years back. Just like to say thank you I've been vegan for over 2 years now.
Wow thats awesome, glad you made the switch!
Great post, Tony, upvoted and resteemed...lets get this vegan message out there! ⭐️
Thanks Lily yes its growing, one day I see humanity looking back in disbelief at what we have been doing to our animal friends.
Couldn't agree more...and its not just about food either, dreadful though that industry undoubtably is!
There's fur and leather in clothes, and also for furniture and shoes and bags etc, cosmetic products containing seriously dodgey animal ingredients, along with all the testing of anything from lipsticks to washing powders...right through to dangerous drugs.
Its heartbreaking and unconscionable...and I do often wonder if this is really the 21st Century!
One person at a time is all it takes to create the paradigm shift we need, so lets all just keep steeming away until eventually the critical mass numbers are reached and the change thats so badly needed begins to happen. And on a hopeful note I think the winds of change are indeed beginning to blow fresh and clear⭐️