January 2017
TOO STRESSED TO CHANGE HABITS & ALIGN WITH NATURE
In many of us there is a niggling sensation telling us to make some changes in our diet, but due to busy lifestyles and the need for comfort in such an intense timeline we eat over that message as we are not ready to make the BIG changes. I want to share a little of our family’s personal journey with this theme and how we are transitioning from meat eating to a full plant-based diet Six large souls going vegan in one home, where do you begin?
IT’S TOO HARD TO GO VEGAN – THEY’RE INTENSE!
Well, we were eating Paleo for some time, buying meat and chicken from organic ethical farmers and also naturally simplifying our meals. We had been mostly dairy and gluten free for years. Over time our bodies actually craved the simplicity and we really noticed less digestive heaviness. My husband and I had been doing regular juice cleansing which allowed for clear communication from our body on what our higher vibrational needs were. We feel the current energies leading us forward to a lighter, less dense body, so we may continue to expand our consciousness; this being our next phase. Our eldest daughter 17 had wanted to be vegetarian again (we had been in the past for a couple of years). and when I caught up to her, we started together, first cutting out red meat and very quickly, our bodies communicated not to eat chicken either. She then realised she was basically vegan, as eggs, cheese and honey did not suit her digestion or values. Our family had 14 chickens and 5 ducks to supply us with delicious free range well loved eggs, so my husband and I continued to enjoy these for breakfast.
SHARING PROTEIN IN A BIG FAMILY!
Our 3 younger children and my husband saw our yummy tofu while they were eating chicken and they would crave what we had, however most of the time us 2 vegan-vegos would not share our precious protein. And so it began that we would have vegetarian dinners so they could also enjoy the delicious tofu, quite quickly and unexpectedly the rest of the family stopped eating chicken and meat also. The boys in the family at this stage are still exploring fishing and so they very occasionally eat seafood, however usually they throw the fish back in usually after a quick cuddle. Our eldest and I are breathing through this time of fishing and I understand it is their journey to continually feel into what is right for them. I do see that soon the next phase will come where this too will be surrendered and we can enjoy all of the beings on the earth in their natural environment living in freedom. We can force them to stop fishing, however I have witnessed so many times that it is important for them to make the conscious decision themselves. This has been the case for my own journey in gracefully shifting to new ways. This may seem hypocritical or harsh to some, allowing behavior and the treatment of sea life in this way, yet I know and have seen many times if people are forced or force themselves to change before their consciousness is ready, it often unravels, resulting in guilt, shame and negative beliefs about themselves or falling back into the same old pattern.
COWSPIRACY & EARTHLINGS & FORKS OVER KNIVES
As we take “following our excitement” very seriously, the next bubble that has emerged is discovering more about veganism and how the meat industry has affected the Earth and the animals bred to feed us, basically slave for us. We knew about the treatment of animals in general agriculture and the horror for caged chickens and milking cows, but as we looked further the realisation of how bad it is has affected us deeply. We have watched Cowspiracy, which I thoroughly recommend, and many other documentaries (FOR EXAMPLE THE SHOCKING MOVIE ‘EARTHLINGS’ AND THE POWERFUL ‘FORKS OVER KNIVES’), including many vegan YouTube videos sharing why a plant based diet is best not only to save the Earth and stop “using” animals, but also for our health. Another inspiration has been Bridget Nielsen’s very thorough article, “How to raise your consciousness & vibration through diet”, sharing ways to transition and make new choices.
Some Cowspiracy facts:
Livestock covers 45% of the earth’s total land.
82% of starving children live in countries where food is fed to animals, and the animals are eaten by western countries.
15x more protein on any given area of land with plants, rather than animals.
Land required to feed 1 person for 1 year:Vegan: 1/6th acre Vegetarian: 3x as much as a vegan Meat Eater: 18x as much as a vegan.
1.5 acres can produce 37,000 pounds of plant-based food. 1.5 acres can produce 375 pounds of meat.
Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and ONE ANIMALS LIFE.
1 burger = 2 months showering: based on taking a 4-minute daily shower with a 2.5 gpm shower head.
“When you know better, you do better” – Maya Angelo
MORE CHANGE! WHAT TO DO WITH OUR CHOOKS & DUCKS…
When my husband and I make a change, we really change and that has happened here once again. Now that we know better, we have decided as a family we are all embracing Veganism or a full plant-based diet. Hmmm, so what about our beloved chickens and ducks…. What’s wrong with eggs ? The truth about the egg industry is a YouTube video by Erin Janus informing us of the many areas that are hidden from us. We thought we were doing the right thing raising our own chickens lovingly, however for us now after finding out that it is not natural for them to lay 300 eggs a year, more like 13 eggs a year and that we are supporting an industry that continues to kill most of the roosters etc etc we decided to give them to another loving family that wanted chickens and ducks. Mic the Vegan has a very informative, research based & fun YouTube channel. One of his videos Why I’m not a vegetarian, shares facts about the dairy and poultry industry, including that eggs are very effective at clogging arteries, not healthy for human consumption etc. So strange for us, as it always seemed so wholesome collecting eggs from our beloved chooks… So, it was a difficult decision to let go of our chooks and ducks; however we feel rather than that family getting new chickens elsewhere maybe we have saved a few roosters along the way. We do not want to support this industry in anyway any longer.
BUT WE NEED MEAT PROTEIN!
Within a few weeks of looking into Vegetarianism and Veganism our whole family transitioned fairly smoothly from meat eaters to vegans. This way wouldn’t work for everyone, maybe replacing meals slowly, trying new recipes and taking the time needed to process what all the changes mean to you and create a gentle transition. We have worked through many beliefs that came up, especially nutritionally wanting to be nourished in the most optimal way. It is quite amazing how many programs about protein and health in relation to meat, poultry and dairy in society that have been created by for example the agriculture industry to continue their big business. We have looked heavily into the nutritional needs for our family and it is so much simpler than you would think with what we are already eating and exploring some new recipes etc. We already regularly use powdered greens, water Kefir and powdered Vitamin C in our family. Based on all our other regular food, the only extra we felt we need at this point is Vitamin B12. Sources like cronometer.com and Mic the Vegan (eg: Preventing Deficiencies on a Vegan Diet) helped us out here. It will be very different for everyone depending on your diet. For me after years of being heavily programmed even in the alternative health industry to eat enough (animal) protein, I have happily discovered it is quite easy to get all of our needs met in very simple plant-based ways. Repeat, it really doesn’t need to be hard and complicated. As long as you get enough calories you will get enough protein, Plants have protein and plenty of it! Best of all we save 1 animal everyday for each family member with our choice.
MORE CONCERNS AND BELIEFS WHEN EATING A PLANT BASED DIET
Egg replacement for baking – Vegan Nutritionista has some great EASY options, more than you would expect!
Losing muscle mass and body weight – No Meat Athlete has some advice as do many others online for gaining or losing, all easy in my opinion.
Not enough variation, taste and cooking stress – If you take a little time to find a recipe there is a replacement for all your favorite dishes.
Social dinner situations – Plan ahead, take some snacks and be the freaky quirky one until they catch up or find new like-minded friends in the same vibration. Best to let go and trust than hold onto the old and stagnate in your previous self.
Convenience – It is up to us to start to make these changes, the inconvenience is nothing compared to what is being done to the Earth, her animals and our bodies.
Being judged in this minority – There will be judgement, however it is worth facing this as untruths and knowing that by choosing this eventually we will be the majority, it is the only way forward for the Earth to cope with us. It is difficult for people to understand until they are ready and willing to look at their role in all of this. This conscious choice to eat a Plant-Based Diet is already affecting the dairy industry, who are seeing major losses as Vegan products are getting more popular they have to literally pour their cow’s milk down the drain.
Judging others – Will we become one of those vegans? Well, I get it now… I understand why the intensity is so strong with a need to educate others after knowing and truly looking at what happens for our “food”. (Speciesism -a belief of humans that all other species of animals are inferior and may therefore be used for human benefit without regard to the suffering inflicted – Dictionary.com) So, it is easy to judge, however it is best to live by example and be as patient and understanding as possible to give love and truth where we can, after all we were just there. It may also not be an easy road for those stuck in the rat race to make such a huge leap. So any steps towards the end goal will help, like starting with letting go of red meat or dairy, and especially showing it is a beautiful, happy, fulfilling way to live.
ARE WE MISSING OUT?
NO! We feel amazing and light! And it all just feels so right, like we have been doing this for years. We feel fully in alignment with the energies of the Earth moving forward ascending together making our small difference towards freedom for all beings. The kids love it, it suits their sensitive bodies and they feel a real purpose in not hurting the animals. It took a few weeks to release the guilt and shame we felt from the pain that has been and is still being caused to our beautiful Mother Gaia and the innocent free spirited animals. Being a human hurt for a while… When you look into the eyes of the dairy cow that is having its 2 day old baby calf taken away you see and feel the pain, the choice for us is quite simple.
All my Blessings to all beings on Earth.
