To Vegan or Not to Vegan? - Let's Dispell Some Veg Myths

After being vegetarian for over 7 years, vegan for a year, then raw vegan for a year, before getting extremely sick and nearly destroying my own immune system, I get such a huge amount of questions about that lifestyle, that I thought I'd post a short few set of myths that I end up repeating on a weekly basis :

1. VEGAN DIETS MAKE YOU LOSE WEIGHT - Its usually not the fact that a diet is meat-free that makes you lose weight; its the fact that usually when you go vegan, you focus on eating more natural foods that come from the ground, instead of a box filled with chemicals and crap.

The honest truth is that in my lifetime, I've met more than a fair share of overweight and extremely unhealthy vegans and vegetarians, because they still continued to eat foods that were from a box, highly processed, that just didn't have meat. Not a great way to support body health.

2. EVERYONE CAN GO VEGAN HEALTHILY - Trust me folks, as much as I'd love to believe this one were true (as a big advocate for cruelty-free products), this one totally depends on each individual's body type, blood type and what works for them.

My nine year almost meat-free diet actually tore my immune system down so much, that I contracted viral meningitis. Unless I re-incorporated meat into my diet, I may not have recovered my health to such a strong level where I haven't even gotten so much as a full-blown cold since (over 2 years later).

Also, my body was trying to tell me over those nine years that I needed meat because I was consistently jittery, was battling multiple candida issues the whole time, and really had some severe hormonal imbalances. Folks, I learned the hard way what my body needs; please do not do the same.

3. NON VEGANS DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE PLANET - One of my biggest pet peeves honestly about becoming an omnivore again after being vegan for so long, is having some vegan eaters tell me I'm a part of destroying the planet. OH REALLY?

Considering
a) I might most seriously still be debilitated if I didn't start eating meat again, and may not healthily be here to tell my tale,

b) I buy mostly organic where I can, use the 3 R's (reduce, reuse, recycle, with emphasis on the first two) every day,

c) Use awareness in nearly all of my buying choices, where I choose local, lightly used, and upcycled wherever I can, and last but not least

d) Have finally started to make a true impact in my love for all things green by relating it to people with their health,

my comment back is, I'd rather eat my meat (thank you very much), continue to have my positive impact on this planet as a whole, and teach thousands of others (which I do every day) how their small choices cumulatively as individuals have a bigger impact than one person going hog-wild.

I thought it would be useful to not only vent, but also help countless others in this vegan/omnivore debate... Now that I've been on both sides of this fence, I really get how futile the argument sometimes is. It's more important that people know what real food looks like period, as right now most people believe that fast food is really food. We've got a much bigger issue to tackle than we initially may have thought.

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How to Bring Value to your Work

I get asked the question all the time (being  a buzz-creator and social media community builder) how to draw people to you. The answer is always bring value. However, many people do not ever tell you what value means. So here are some ways you can provide it to others:

• Make postings to your various social  media sites that improves the lives of those who read/see/hear it. 


•  Focus on quality over quantity - don't rush to do a "daily post" if it's not coming from the heart; you might as well not do it at all. 


• Be consistent with your branding - for instance, my overall messaging aim is always to make people smile OR think. Before I post anything, I ask myself if will do either (or sometimes when I'm luck, BOTH!). :)


•  Provide only possibilities - I do my best to make sure I write/speak of options and perspectives. I would be insane to think that I alone have the answers all the solutions of the world. Instead, I ask that people to look inside themselves for their answers; I provide them with alternatives at which to view whatever is happening, and THEY choose which action fits their circumstances.

I find it funny that so many "experts" are selling the "how to make a million dollars", "how to become a guru in 30 days", when really all people need is guidance, a mirror, and someone to help them develop new habits.

I look forward to the day when me and my fellow heart-based leaders start showing others new possibilities for living a life full of freedom, wealth, peace and happiness!

Here's the the New World that's a-comin'!  :)