June 22, 2014 at 12:34 am , by Nick Shell

3 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

As we pulled up to the red light recently, you proclaimed from the back seat: “Daddy, you’re a veggie-a-saurus.”

I had to ask.

“Jack, what is a veggie-a-saurus?”

Your reply was sincere,  as always:

“I think it’s a dinosaur or something.”

Then a few days later as we were outside playing at your water table. After a few minutes of no real conversation, you sprouted this on me:

“Daddy, people don’t have to eat meat. Someone should tell them. Hey Daddy! Maybe they will drive and see a cow and then the cow will moo at them or something- then they would know.”

When I hear my son say something that clever, I can’t help but be proud.

But I do remind myself: As a plant-based family, we still represent the minority of American families who live this way.

That means as your Daddy, I must be quite sensitive to the mainstream’s view of our family’s alternative lifestyle.

Is it normal to teach a kid that that “soda makes people sick”? Because that’s what you say whenever you see a soda delivery truck.

And you learned it from me.

Is it normal for a 3 and a half year-old to know that the human body does not require the protein or nutrients of animals in order to be healthy, as long as they can get those nutrients from plants (veggies, fruits, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds) instead?

I don’t think so.  But you know that. And you learned it from me.

Of course, I learned it from the documentary Forks Over Knives, and also from the fact that I personally haven’t eaten any meat in 2 and a half years or any animal products (including eggs and dairy) for more than a year now.

Ultimately, am I brainwashing you?

Maybe so.

And I’m okay with that.

Granted, if as you get (much?) older, and you just really wanted to have some meat, I would be… understanding.

However, few American children are like you, having never really eaten meat before.

So it’s difficult for me to imagine why a boy who loves animals so much, and who understands that proper nutrition can came from plants alone, would ever want toeat an animal.

The concept of “eating an animal” to you is probably just as bizarre as someone who eats chicken, beef, pork, and fish to suddenly consider eating monkeys or horses.

Oh well, I have to assume that if I am indeed brainwashing you as a parent, there are plenty of other forms of it out there too.

Asking the question of whether I’m “brainwashing” you is sort of one of those “morality is relative” issues.

Some parents teach their children to fear Democrats… or to fear Republicans.

Some teach their children there is a God, or no God; while others raise their children in an unpopular religion that other mainstream religions say is a cult.

For me personally, to officially cross the line of “brainwashing” would involve negatively categorizing a whole group of people for not believing what we do.

I have taught you that “soda makes people sick,” not that “people who drink soda are wrong.”

I have taught you that “we don’t have to eat animals,” not that “people who do eat animals are wrong.”

What I feel I am doing is teaching you why we live this way, but at the same time not teaching you to stereotype that majority of our nation who doesn’t believe the way we do.

Yes, you will be probably be slightly different among your peers; as you already are at your school, for being a vegetarian.

But here’s a secret, if you are indeed brainwashed by me, you’re not the only one who has been “brainwashed” in some way by a parent. In fact, find me a kid who hasn’t been; because I’ve yet to see it.

 

 

Love,

Daddy

June 21, 2014 at 10:11 pm , by Nick Shell

3 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack,

Over three years ago when I started The Dadabase, we were a kosher family; meaning that we observed “the Jewish food laws of the Old Testament” (the Mosaic Law) regarding not eating pork or shellfish.

I had recognized that nixing the foods that the Bible had deemed as “unclean” helped my eczema (dyshidrosis) from getting worse. I began understanding why pork and shellfish were considered unclean; because like vultures and possums, they are at the bottom of the food chain.

So to consume the dirtiest animals for food, it was only feeding my disease.

One thing led to another, and by December 2011, we became vegetarians. You were so young that you never really ate meat to begin with.

Then by March 2013, I officially became a vegan; after discovering that my 22 years of constant sinus pressure, sinus infections, and allergies to animals were based on my consumption of the least amount of dairy and eggs. (I even had to get a much weaker prescription for my glasses after becoming a vegan!)

So for the record, since becoming a vegan, I no longer have eczema, sinus infections or allergy issues.

In the process of Mommy basically being forced to become a vegan chef for our household, you and she are almost vegans as well now; by default.

Meanwhile, it has been interesting to observe the gradual social acceptance level of our family’s plant-based lifestyle.

I have been told that I was single-handedly depriving my family of the protein and nutrients we need. I should point out that none of us have had to go to the doctor since we adopted the plant-based lifestyle.

So it seems that is a good indication we are actually healthier since the change; considering we used to get sick and now we don’t.

But that was a year ago. The more people have heard my testimonials, the more it makes sense.

My friend Ben Wilder, who was taking a Zyrtec a day, became a vegan after hearing about our family’s switch to plant-based living, and he is no longer on his medication… because he no longer needs it.

It was my goal to make it common knowledge that there is an obvious connection between allergies (as well as my eczema) and going plant-based.

I feel I have reached my goal. I was never trying to convert anyone; just help people understand why we are this way and provide a way for them to join us if they wish, which is why I started my “Ask A Vegan Anything” series.

To my surprise, the questions I have been getting have not so much been from confused or accusatory people, but instead, from people who are sincere in their curiosity; who are willing to consider going plant-based at the chance of reaching similar results.

So in the same way I feel I’ve reached my goal of helping to “rebrand fatherhood” as a daddy blogger, I also feel my mission is accomplished in helping others understand that the plant-based life is not so crazy after all.

That’s why in my writings to come, the focus will be more on reviewing vegan recipes and food products that our family enjoys…

 

Love,

Daddy