Resolutions

It's crazy to think that it's been only, and already, 2 years that I decided to make a change for the better and eat a more plant based (vegan) diet.  I actually had to go back through my facebook time-line and find a picture to confirm.  At first I though it was only a year ago, but at the same time I'm thinking "what took me so long!".  It's too bad that the word "vegan" has such a negative connotation.  I remember thinking being vegan was not only weird (okay well I am!) but also so far out there.  I mean, how could you live without eating meat or cheese!!

I started seeing things so much differently when I started working at the Oregon Humane Society.  Here I was devoting over 40 hours a week to a cause that I passionately believed in, but did my love for animals stop at dogs and cats?  And chickens just because I had them as pets?  A couple of weeks after I started we rescued a group of cats from a hoarder.  I remember being appalled at the conditions that these furry friends came from, but I also left thinking "how about the animals we eat every day".  How can I be so dedicated to bettering the lives of cats and dogs, only to clock out and eat a dead pig or cow that came from comparable (if not worse) conditions?  It's a very touchy subject for most because nobody wants to face the truth..it hurts, I know :(  I had a few vegan coworkers that I started talking with, and one of them gave me a book to borrow called The China Study.  My husband hadn't read a book from start to finish in years, but he really enjoyed it!  A few documentaries and books later, and we were both sold on the vegan lifestyle.  We balance each other out perfectly because I do it for the animals, and he does it for the health benefits.  As a bonus, the both of us are in the best shape of our lives!  My husband ran his first triathalon in 2015 and I ran two full marathons in addition to 4 other road races!
 
We aren't perfect by any means but we are forgiving when we mess up, and are slip ups are becoming fewer and more far between as we learn how to make healthy choices. Luckily the food industry is catching on, especially in Portland, so there are plenty of delicious and filling options for just about anything you might want.  If you come to our house we have all vegan items, and half the time when we cook a meal you wouldn't even notice the difference.  Cheese is great, bacon is okay, but the animals they come from are amazing, living beings! Live a life full of compassion and love...for all animals!