Welcome to the Vegan Theory Club Weekly Megathread!
Question of the week:
How has becoming vegan improved your life?
Feel free to talk about anything, whether itās vegan-related or not. This is a chill space for connecting, sharing ideas, and supporting each other.
Looking forward to hearing what everyoneās up to!
Considering I no longer get out of breath when I walk, deal with indigestion, or have rough skin Iād say life has improved significantly since I went vegan.
Though, as Iāve mentioned previously, I sometimes feel a lot more lonely and isolated from the rest of the world. I live in a pretty big and diverse city so itās genuinely nonsensical to me how few vegans Iāve actually come across in real life (Iāve met, like, four other vegans, one of whom āisnāt veganā anymore.)
As for what Iām up to, Iām moving to a different house so I can finally start my garden up again. Itās been way too long lol.
Yeah, it is isolating when you realize that youāre the vanguard of something. Even though online Iām mean to carnists and get out my aggression in vegan spaces in real life Iāve learned to be a little more patient, not much, but a little more.
It has helped me to realize though that if I tell someone Iām vegan and they get defensive and start being mean about it that Iām glad because I just saved myself time from having to figure out if the person is worthwhile to be friends with or not. Most people are not mean about it once they get passed the first layer of defense.
For me this is an easy one to answer because there are so many ways. Standing up for what I actually believed in and sticking to something that is important to me helped me stay more confident in other aspects of my life. I realize that no one is going to live my life the way I want for me and making this change and standing up for myself and my beliefs has had ripple effects throughout my life including my relationships and job. On top of this my health improved tremendously, granted veganism is not a diet and you can be an unhealthy vegan but I decided I wanted to not only stand up for animal rights but learn how to do it in a way that will be long lasting so I learned about whole food plant based eating. My health did a 180, in my 30s I was obese and in my 40s I look and feel better than I did at any point in my life.
How has becoming vegan improved your life?
Oh god so many ways. Iām healthier, I feel less guilty, I feel a deeper connection and joy to the food I make. Itās a confidence booster that while Iām a disaster of a human being in a lot of ways I am at least genuinely able to try and fight injustice and critically examine my own behaviour.
As to whatās been going on, Iāve been digging for treasure! Finding sapphire at a low grade field near me. Itās nice to vibe in the forest and get some exercise. Pics related
This is so cool! Iām really inspired seeing something like this, just going out in to the woods and finding something special, a literal jewel. I understand they arenāt highly monetarily valued but who cares what other people value, it must have tremendous personal value when you pulled it out with your own hands.
Iām pretty much the coolest person I know (āā _ā )
Nah but Iām always after more reasons to spend time in the bush and countryside. Something about solitude in scenic places + working up a sweat rejuvenates me. After a week or two without a day in the bush I feel myself getting misanthropic and depressed, but even a casual stroll and I remember that there is actually a staggering amount of beauty in the world.
Iām having the most difficult and stressful year of my life and yet my blood pressure is down, my physical fitness is the best it has been in a decade and my junk food consumption is almost non-existent.
No longer feeling any dissonance when interacting with animals and sharing my love for them is a huge relief as well.
How has becoming vegan improved your life?
I can look animals in the eyes without guilt.
With respect to the social isolation veganism can cause, I moved to a way less vegan friendly place about 4 years ago. I donāt really have any IRL friends here and itās wild how much more peaceful I feel than I donāt need to navigate eating with carnists. I had a family member visit a while back and she got a burger when we were out for lunch (it was a food court, otherwise we took her to vegan places or cooked at home) and I thought to myself āI havenāt felt this feeling in a long time!ā. Once and a while I find myself forgetting carnist options exist lol.
Iām not saying this is healthy or good for everyone and I really feel for people who have people they love and live with who are not vegan. Being someone who is truly happy when alone helps a lot.
