MY VEGAN STORY

I woke up on a Sunday morning and for once I didn't feel the urge to have my beloved cheese and eggs.  Even though it was a Sunday! 

This had been a result of my GP's recommendation to change my diet in February 2016 due to the effects of struggling with IBS, high cholesterol, Vitamin D deficiency, anxiety and depression .

 Which had led me to research and to learn about plantbased foods and the negative effects animal products well in my case cheese,butter, bacon and chocolate had on my body.  So I reduced my cheese or egg intake to once a day, whilst cutting out red meat completely. This  was incredibly easy to stick to, as I was determined to reduce my ldl cholesterol .

After a week I altered my diet to porridge with banana and berries for breakfast.  A wrap or large salad with chickpeas,falafel or lentils for lunch.  Lastly chicken or fish for dinner with rice or pasta with vegetables. 

 After two weeks of my new diet, not only did I feel better but I rediscovered my love of food. So I enjoyed preparing Adas (Sudanese lentil soup) and bread just like my mum used to on the weekends instead of poached or scrambled eggs on toast with cheese. 

Around this period I began to search for more vegetarian recipes as I continued to eat a mostly plantbased diet.  One day I put 'Vegetarian recipes' into the YouTube search bar and somehow I ended up on a animal cruelty video.  

I started to watch vegan YouTube and I was amazed with how easy it seemed to be.  Watching Freelee, Vegan Hustle ,Cheap Lazy Vegan and That Vegan Couple helped me to adapt my meals and adapt my thinking. 

Then yes you guessed it I woke up that Sunday and after
learning about what I was really eating , I went 'vegan for the animals ' .  A cooked breakfast was no longer appealing to me. Instead I just had a delicious bowl of  Plantain Berry Nut Porridge made with water and sultanas, overripe grilled plantain, blueberries and peanut butter instead. 

Plantain Berry Nut Porridge

Since then I continue to post food on my social media accounts mostly Instagram and Twitter.  I have continued to 
eat vegan since that day.  

The only difference now is that my ldl cholesterol is back to a normal rate, my vitamin D levels have increased and after 17 years my IBS is no longer a problem.  As long as I stick to eating healthy fats, eat the rainbow (red, green, orange vegetables daily) and not eight toasts full of butter . 

Yes I don't think many people were surprised that I had high cholesterol even though my BMI was normal as I had always loved butter.  Luckily I found dairy free spread and self control.