Veganish

"Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?" ~Author Unknown

I am in day four of the one-week vegan challenge I decided to undertake after my trip to see Oprah. I convinced Cathy to take the challenge with me but she was ready to go long before I started so she started the challenge about a month ago. I decided I would wait until my return from Mexico. Even then it took me a couple of days to warm up to it but by Wednesday I was ready. Other than the couple of times I've put a splash of milk in my coffee, I have been vegan since Wednesday. No meat. No fish. No milk. No eggs. No animal products. So far it has been doable though admittedly the milk in my coffee makes me more veganish than vegan. I'm leaning into it.

For me, taking the challenge wasn't a moral decision. I have read and heard that a vegan diet can be cleansing and can make a person feel great. I'm up for that. It is also a tool for becoming more mindful of what I'm putting in my body. I have to think carefully now about everything I eat. I read every label on every product. I now know which breads contain dairy and which brands of pasta contain eggs. I opt for a pear or an apple in place of a cookie because I've yet to find a cookie without eggs or dairy in it. I'm eating more vegetables and more legumes. All of that has to be good for me. But frankly, I'm not feeling better. I'm gassy and bloated. And we're going out for dinner tonight for the third night in a row. Eating out is hard. So far, though, I've been able to do it. Except for the coffee. I have almond milk at home but doing a nondairy creamer is harder in a restaurant and I really hate drinking black coffee.

Tuesday will be the seventh and final day of my vegan challenge. I probably won't jump back into a diet of abundant meat. I'm not missing it at all. But my breakfast on Wednesday morning could well include a bit of yogurt or an egg. Veganish. Close enough.