Today marks the start of National Vegetarian Week and in a bid to get involved, and to encourage more people to leave meat off their plates, I'll be sharing some of my own favourite home made vegan meal recipes on the blog all throughout this week.
It's been five years since I decided to go vegetarian and I always say that it was the best decision I ever made because it really did change my life for the better. I had been a meat eater for the first thirty years of my life and I was of course an animal lover which often left me feeling like one big hypocrite. I knew that I could never cause any harm or suffering to an animal myself, so why was I ok with eating meat from an animal that I knew had suffered to wind up on my dinner plate? I didn't even really like the texture or taste of meat and, to be honest, I have no idea why it took me so long to just ditch it for good. It may have taken me quite a few years to make the change but I'm glad I got there in the end and listened more to my inner conscience.
A really unexpected side effect of giving up meat was that the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) I had been suffering with for years completely went away. I felt so much happier in my mind and body for making this choice and I've never looked back. I can say today with absolute certainty that I have never missed meat since giving it up.
If I'd never made the decision to go vegetarian I know I wouldn't have given Veganism a go either. It was quite a natural progression for me and in my own learning. I predominantly went vegetarian for the animals and so when I learned that the dairy and egg industry was just as cruel it really left me feeling that I had to try and do more.
Everyone is different though and I always try to promote living as compassionate and cruelty free life as is possible for you. If someone makes the decision to go vegetarian or vegan then amazing! But I also offer support and encouragement to the people who perhaps want to eat less meat, or who are in the early stages of making small changes, because every little really does help. None of this is about perfection, it's about reducing harm and doing whatever you are personally capable of.
The really good news is that there's never been a better time to give going vegetarian or vegan a go and it has been absolutely amazing to see just how much choice there is now compared to just a few years ago when I first went vegetarian. If anything this is also a huge testament to just how powerful supply and demand can be. You may wonder what difference you can make as only one person giving up meat but collectively, and the more and more people who do, can result in some really big changes. I know when I first tried going vegan there were perhaps one or two decent plant milks in the supermarket, compared to now where they seem to outnumber the dairy milks available!
It's quite simple - be the change you want to see in the world. I know of so many people who have made a change to live and eat more compassionately since I made that change myself. The domino effect that it has on others can be really fascinating and you may not even realise how many people will change just from seeing you doing it and living happily for it.
If you're not already vegetarian or vegan then I really hope this week and the meals that I share will inspire you to enjoy a more plant based diet. Do let me know if you try any of my recipes and I'd also love to hear how you feel by the end of the week.
I'm also on hand to help so if you need any advice or support my DMs are always open or please feel free to drop me a line at sarahkirbyblog@outlook.com
I'm also on hand to help so if you need any advice or support my DMs are always open or please feel free to drop me a line at sarahkirbyblog@outlook.com
Happy National Vegetarian Week!
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