Socially Responsible & Committed to Feeling Great!

Hello Folks!

Welcome to my blog, and please enjoy your front row seat to witnessing one women's transitional journey from a semi-typical American diet to a Vegan lifestyle.

Back in January I commited to a 6 day juicing fast challenege in an attempt to rejuvinate my mind, body, and soul. After I finished my juicing fast challenge which consisted of consuming nothing but 74 ounces of juiced plants and vegetables for 6 days, I returned to eating grains, a fair amount of sugar, some fast food, some meat (about once or twice a week), and a LOT of dairy (all day, every day).

What I learned was the juicing fast was a temporary fix for my not-so-temporary problems which include the following:

• Oversleeping
• Periods of exhaustion that come and go all day long
• Mental Fog (difficulty concentrating/focusing, having difficulty articulating my thoughts at times, forgetting things frequently, etc)
• Lack of sustained energy when working out & running
• Debilitating menstrual cramps
• Periods of irritability

I am convinced these problems are associated with my diet because during the 6 day juice fast and for about 14 days after I felt amazing and completely "symptom free". I enjoyed:

• Normal sleep hours
• Sustained energy levels all day long
• A diminished need for caffiene
• Long runs
• Mood Stability
• Mental clarity
• A Menstrual cycle completely absent of pain!

So why VEGAN?

I have been reading a lot of research on the benefits of a Vegan diet which include experiencing everything I have listed above. Additionally, I have learned more about the devastating impact that meat and dairy consumption has on the environment, and animal cruelty in agriculture. I have also read a number of research articles that not only identify known carcinogens in meat and dairy, but also connect their consumption with an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, dementia, and autoimmune disorders. I have even read that countries with litte-no meat (and dairy) consumption happen to experience little-practically no rates of cancer or obesity, and significantly reduced rates of heat disease.

One easy to read book that explains everything I have mentioned cohesively and with supporting evidence is Alicia Silverstone's book titled: The Kind Diet. I was a little skeptical at first, after all she is a celebrity and I was almost expecting some crazy antidote for how to become skinny by following a restrictive diet that claims to help the environment. That is not at all what this book is about. It is a genuine case for becoming a Vegan supported by case studies, empirical research, and exploitation of the ways in which media manipulate American Society into consuming meat (and dairy) after being funded by meat and dairy big wig providers. It does not suggest that meat and dairy consumption is destroying our precious Earth, it proves it to you.

In no way do I believe I could jump right into becoming a full-time Vegan overnight. Being the cheese, egg, and ice-cream junkie that I am, I know it is going to take some time. I plan to blog about my transition, and hopefully cultivate support. I also plan to share articles, quotes, other blogs, and books that I come across that are relevant to this journey.

I thank you in advance for coming on this journey with me! As a little disclaimer I'd also like to add that in no way do I intend to push a Vegan diet on anyone else.