Here's Reasons Why I Became a Vegan

I wasn't always this crazed individual with a mad craving for fruits and veggies.

I would scarf down hot Cheetos, popcorn, and Coca Cola day after day.

I would have a half a pack of mini donuts every morning complete with teriyaki flavored beef jerky and an energy drink.

This was my reality for a while. It sounds crazy as I am writing about it today, but sadly this is the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I was on a role, until one day I watched the movie "Food, Inc".

I got the idea from a friend who suggested that I watch it. Not only was it mind blowing, it gave me more insight than I had ever imagined.

It was so intriguing, I couldn't take my eyes off the television for even a second.

Suddenly, I had a huge wake up call. The food that I had been eating did nothing for me nutritionally and was basically killing me.

Every fact the movie mentioned seemed so true and caused me look into further research. Before I knew it, I became a vegan and here's why:

There are so many ways that you save money by becoming a vegan.

On many occasions when I visit the grocery store, I am able to get a week's worth of groceries for under 30 dollars.

That means hundreds of savings for the month, or even for the entire year!

Compared to buying packaged meat and dairy products; vegetables, beans and grains will cost you much less in the grocery store. I tried to stick with whole foods rather than buying processed products.

Even some vegan frozen foods contained way too many additives for my liking. I also saved tremendously when I ate out at restaurants.

Most of the time when you ask for extra meat you are charged anywhere from $.50 and up. Asking for more veggies on my pasta cost me nothing.

I am happy to say that I gained more than I lost by simply changing my lifestyle.

After starting a vegan diet, I began to have more overall energy throughout the day.

Don't get me wrong, it takes a little time and persistence to reach these results. But in the end, you will get to a point where you will feel a whole lot better than your old self.

I would always get tired after my workouts since I would normally workout at the crack of dawn.

When I started to eat more nutrient rich vegetables and fruits, I became more energized throughout my workout sessions.

My face had become much clearer and had a natural glow without me applying a moisturizer every day and night.

I would always have horrible acid reflex after almost all of my meals and that went away as well.

There is no limit to the health benefits I experienced when I stopped eating animal products. It felt as though I had a whole new body and could barely recognize myself.

I was tired of the same old routine day after day.

I would eat like a starved giraffe and hate myself the next day. I would then proceed to eat the same things the next day, and even more after that.

Then, I would hop on the treadmill and walk for 30 minutes thinking I would stay fit. Everyday I would rely on tons of coffee and energy drinks to stay awake.

If you are eating junk food all the time and wondering why you cannot get fit or sustain energy, it is time to change your lifestyle.

When I became a vegan, my lifestyle changed dramatically. I was no longer feeling guilty all the time and I could see improvements in my body and mindset.

I had no desire to drink energy drinks or junk food throughout the day. I also became more focused and tried a lot of vegan recipes I could use just about everyday.

After watching the movie "Food, Inc." and reading various articles and books on veganism, I got educated on how animals are used for food.

After watching animals get slaughtered with no remorse, I started to rethink my decision to use animals for food.

I thought about how the cows must have felt knowing that they would be put to death.

I thought about the baby chickens who were so innocent; little did they know that they would become our food too.

I could not imagine living day after day and waiting for my turn to be put through that process.

It was hard to read about the way animals are used to fulfill the appetite of humans. I imagined it being the other way around where humans could be used for animal food.

The whole idea seemed outrageous, but it was hard to think otherwise after seeing and reading what I experienced.

Becoming a vegan not only saves animals, it gives them a reason to live. Animals are here on earth to live and thrive just as we are. Just like we don't expect them to eat us, they don't expect to become our food either.

Before becoming a vegan, I had a bad experience with meat. One day as I was cutting into a big juicy steak, and a big purple vein popped out.

I was so disgusted that I threw the whole steak in the garbage and didn't eat steak again for a year.

Before that, I can remember eating chicken on several occasions and being disgusted by the taste.

This experience could have been caused by a number of factors, but all I knew is that it didn't taste the same.

I started to limit my intake of chicken and tried to stick to seafood, but even seafood didn't taste the same as it always had.

I began to eat organic meats, which was a little better, but became expensive overtime, so something had to give.

That's when I became interested in being a vegetarian. Little did I know, I would become a vegan instead.

There are so many videos, forums, and groups out there that provide tips and advice about the vegan lifestyle.

After becoming a vegan, I found many support groups online and offline that were committed to the vegan lifestyle.

I had to realize that I wasn't alone on the journey to veganism. People of all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, and nationalities can become vegan.

Never feel as though you must look a certain way to be vegan, you are enough as yourself.

If you are thinking about becoming vegan, ask around your community to see if there are any support groups you can join to meet other vegans and share a support network.

There are also a lot of books, videos, and movies where you can find tons of information. Also, take a trip to your local library to see what they offer, the selections are endless.

Keep in mind that veganism is not for everyone. There are many other ways to live a healthy lifestyle.

Do what is right for your own lifestyle, veganism is just one of the best ways to live a healthier lifestyle.

It is best to start slow if you do plan to adopt a vegan diet.Try to eliminate meat and dairy from your diet one day at a time.

It may take time to adapt, since most people have been meat eaters their whole lives. For me it was a long process, but in the end it was all worth it.