Today I introduce the first 5 episodes of my newest video series, Manly Vegan…
The stereotypical assumption from most people when they learn that I’ve been a vegan for nearly 3 and a half years is, “Well are you sure you’re getting enough protein?” However, no one has yet to address this issue: “Well are you getting enough cholesterol?”
The fact is, I’ve consumed less than 1% of my daily cholesterol allowance since April 2013; when I became a vegan. Sure, it’s true that even vegan food contains cholesterol…
Avocados, cashews, and even vegetable oil contain a high amount of fat and therefore, some cholesterol.
But even then, it’s never enough to register as 1% or higher on the food labels.
Prove me right by going right now to your pantry or refrigerator. Look on the back of a jar of peanut butter. Check out the high fat content yet the 0% amount of cholesterol.
Now look at the carton of eggs in your refrigerator. Check out how much of your daily cholesterol is in just one egg. The least amount I’ve ever seen is 56%, but most are closer to at least 65%.
Imagine that. My vegan lifestyle prohibits me from ever being able to consume even just 1% of my daily cholesterol; yet just one egg equates to over half of a person’s daily cholesterol.
However, I’m still eating plenty of fat from plants.
Therefore, it is undeniable that vegans have an advantage in that while we still do consume a minuscule amount of cholesterol most days, it never amounts to even 1% of our daily allowance.
So what’s the difference between good fat and bad fat? That’s easy:
If it came from a plant, meaning it contains less than 1% of your daily cholesterol allowance, it’s good fat.
If it came from an animal, meaning that it likely contains more than 1% of your daily cholesterol allowance, it’s bad fat.
Thirty years ago when my mom was a manager at Shoney’s, I was introduced to kale. It was that nearly plastic-looking leafy thing on the side of my plate, next to my Philly Steak sandwich.
My sister and I would dare each other to eat it. Apparently it was just a garnish to “cleanse the palette” at the end of the meal. Eventually I took a tiny bite of it, only to learn it really didn’t taste like anything.
It was… just there.
Fast forward to April 2013, when I became a vegan. As I found myself converting to the plant-based lifestyle, I looked around me and realized that apparently, I was supposed to love kale.
I would see fellow vegans at Whole Foods wearing t-shirts that read “KALE” in the front, in the likeness of Yale.
For half a second I thought to myself, “Well, I guess I’m supposed to get one of those shirts and join the club.”
But I never did. Because I really, really don’t like kale.
However, I force myself to eat it; ideally once a week.
A couple of days ago, I had lunch at Whole Foods, taking advantage of their “5 for $5” special; where I can get a pound of vegan food, in divisions of 4 ounces.
They had all my favorites: the mushroom salad, the sweet potato and olive salad, and the grilled pineapple salad. For my 4th item, I chose the kale.
It was seasoned nicely and I didn’t mind it, especially because it was paired with cabbage.
Yet still, I only ate it because it’s so full of protein and the roughage is good for digestion.
Perhaps it’s heresy to admit it, but I am a vegan who is not a fan of kale. If you can relate to me on lack of passion for kale, just know you’re not alone.
I always assumed that in order to take it to the next level, up from already being a caffeine-free vegan, I would need to add “gluten-free” to my list of self-imposed rigid restrictions over my life…
Furthermore, I assumed that by completely nixing gluten (wheat) from my diet, I would discover even more health benefits; like how when I became a vegan: my eczema, constant sinus pressure, reoccurring sinusitis, and pet allergies all went away in just a matter of days.
Plus, I had hoped (also like when I became a vegan), I would accidentally lose some weight (since I recently admitted to gaining 7 pounds over the course of the past year when I ate vegan chocolate bars and tater tots with my pregnant wife).
Well, after a month of being gluten-free, I can officially confirm that none of those things came true for me.
I have a feeling you were expecting me to say that going gluten-free totally changed my life, because that definitely seems to be the trendy thing to say these days.
And for the people who say that, I’m confident it’s true for them. I am happy for them that they found what works for them. I give them all my moral support.
But personally speaking, based on my experiment, the gluten-free experience didn’t impress me.
Time after time, I turned down all kinds of magnificent vegan gluten-containing foods. At the Ponce De Leon Whole Foods where we ate several times, they had a tempting vegan pizza bar as well as plenty of other fun vegan yet gluten-filled delights. And I said no, for the sake of my gluten-free experiment. I sacrificed during an inconvenient time!
But in the end, I saw no benefits.
Granted, I lost 2 of the 7 pounds I had gained for the “vegan chocolate bar and tater tot” incident. However, that easily could have been for the fact I don’t eat vegan chocolate bars or tater tots any more.
I am willing to acknowledge though, that gluten-free is a way of life for many people. However, I am not one of those people.
My body processes gluten just fine; no issues at all. But the trade-off is, I can’t process eggs or dairy without major instant health issues.
As for my future with gluten, the experience has taught me this: I prefer corn tortillas over wheat.
So as my wife makes Mexican meals, I will continue to only eat corn tortillas; not wheat. And I truly enjoy spelt and quinoa in her Italian meals, which we have been eating more of here lately.
In the end, I won’t eat as much wheat as before. Going gluten-free opened my eyes to other options. Yet still, gluten is my friend.
Being a vegan keeps my addiction of overeating in check. I can’t trust myself with eating animal products. And I shouldn’t.
I’ve overeaten my entire life. Before and since becoming a vegan.
As a kid, I got away with it because I had a high metabolism. As a 4th grader, I remember how I would get the Double Whopper combo meal and finish it all. I would eat at buffets, consuming more food that most adults; and I know this because adults would tell me.
In my mind, if I wasn’t overeating, I wasn’t really eating.
As a teen and young adult, I would be the guy who would eat the most pizza or the most fried chicken at gatherings.
My metabolism finally caught up with me full swing by the time I got married, at age 27. That’s when my health problems came in full swing, as well. Even though my metabolism slowed down, my desire to overeat never did.
As you know by now, committing to the vegan lifestyle over 3 years ago has eliminated and kept my former health issues in remission; including eczema (dyshidrosis), constant sinusitis, pet allergies, and sinus pressure.
I’ve realized that one of the many benefits of being a vegan is that, for the most part, I can pretty much each as much as I want of the food I am able to eat.
Now granted, eating oily tater tots and sugary vegan chocolate bars did cause me to gain 7 pounds in the past year while I was “sympathy eating” with my pregnant wife.
But when I stick with my normal regimen of veggies, fruit, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, I’ve learned that I can get away with “overeating”. Ultimately, I just don’t have to worry about counting calories or portion control.
The reason for this is because by sticking with those 6 food groups, I am eating food solely for nutrition, including my daily allowance of protein and good fats; yet with 0% of my daily allowance of cholesterol.
I overeat simply because it’s fun. I openly admit this.
I’m not overeating because of some traumatic event in my life, nor because I feel incomplete in some way. I just simply like eating more food that I need to.
It’s fun.
If I ever went back to eating meat, eggs, and dairy, I would go so far the other way with it. I know it. I would be visiting the Wendy’s drive-thru on a daily basis.
Eating food is something I can’t be trusted with. I have no control when it comes to food.
Therefore, I keep myself safe behind the electric fence of veganism.
I am not addicted to alcohol. I have never used drugs.
But when it comes to food, I rely on the strict limitations of veganism in order to keep myself from getting out of control… because I am an addict of overeating.
I guess there’s more than one way to be a bad vegan. The first that comes to mind is one that “cheats”, by promoting the plant-based life to others, while sneaking in bites of chicken nuggets and dollar menu burgers.
However, I can confidently confirm that I have never intentionally “slipped up”. To my knowledge, I have not consumed any animal products since April 2013, nor any meat since December 2011. I have remained ever faithful to my alternative lifestyle choice.
The second idea that comes to mind when I think of a “bad vegan” is someone who is overzealous and appears to be judgmental of those who do not share their same strict values; eager to convert the rest of the world, especially through offensive images and stories of guilt and animal cruelty.
I admit, that was me for about a month after my conversion. I am still embarrassed by some of the memes I created for my Facebook page back in the summer of 2013.
But I got over my zealot stage, realizing that even if I could legitimately convince the world that eating animal products is unnecessary, it still would never matter.
Because for most people, the information I know and live by is not enough to change their minds or hearts.
I have accepted the reality that people continue to eat animals products because A) they think they need to in order to get enough protein or proper nutrition, B) they fear escaping the social norm, B) it’s more convenient, C) it’s an emotional tradition, and/or D) they simply like it.
After all, I’m a proud Libertarian (who’s not voting for Trump or Clinton). Since embarrassing myself on Facebook 3 summers ago, I have embraced my fundamental Liberation beliefs:
Sit back and watch other people make their own decisions. If they decide what they are doing is not working for them, they will get curious enough to ask someone else who seems to have things figured out.
I was so proud this weekend when a high school friend approached me about how to transition to a vegan lifestyle, as he is tired of digestion issues and being overweight.
He has an open mind about the plant-based life. He doesn’t let his preconceived ideas get in the way of making a positive change in his life. But he doesn’t represent the majority, as I’ve learned and accepted.
With that being said, here’s how I’m like the worst vegan ever:
I openly encourage the free world to eat whatever they want, since I can’t.
When someone brings donuts to work, I make sure everyone knows about it, proclaiming, “Hey, go get a donut or two, because you can. I’m a vegan, so that means someone needs to take my share; otherwise, that donut will just go stale.”
It usually makes the person laugh, followed by them going to get two donuts.
I also try to help people decide what to eat on their lunch break. When I go by other guys’ desks, I’ll suggest, “You know, you could totally go by Wendy’s for lunch and get a big cheesy burger. I can’t since I’m a vegan, but you should!”
And they know I’m not being sarcastic. They know me well enough to realize that if I wasn’t keeping my eczema, acne, headaches, sinus infections, sinus pressure, and pet allergies in complete remission by remaining committed to the vegan lifestyle, I never would have converted.
I would still be the world’s most passionate carnivore!
Perhaps it’s my way of living vicariously through them. I remind them they have the freedom and ability to eat whatever they want, whereas I no longer do.
But by doing so, in sort of a backwards unspoken way, I am reminding them that I am there to help them if they ever get curious about getting healthy.
Gone are the days of trying to convince other people to live the plant-based life with me (except for my own family, that’s a whole different story) .
Instead, I point mainstream society in the other direction; the direction they are already going. They know where to find me if they need me.
I think that sort of makes me the worst vegan ever.
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