I was a strict vegan for eight and a half years. I didn’t grow up this way, but my culture made me do it... I grew up thinking potatoes and ketchup were sufficient vegetable content to make an almost carnivorous diet balanced and that drinking a half gallon of coke slushy wasn’t ridiculous. At 19 after landing in Bangkok 2 days prior I had a dream that literally turned me vegetarian overnight. I almost didn’t believe myself when I said I’m going to stop eating meat, but just like that I did. Once I was introduced to concepts of karma, the spiritual effects of diet and the numerous atrocities of the BIG AG animal industry I was hooked.
Somewhere along my yearlong sojourn though South East Asia, I dropped fish, eggs and dairy. I returned home on a very different trajectory than the one I left on.
I dove into all things vegan and health related. I literally devoured books and articles, tried out recipes, started sprouting (which led me write a published a book on the topic), developed an interest in local foods that guided me to apprentice on an organic farm. I even went raw for a year (about 80% of my diet, and up to 100% for a few months). I was totally stoked on the vegan way of life and believed that the high vibrancy of a plant based lifestyle was going to shift the consciousness of the planet. It was also very important to share the things I had learned about the ill effects of the SAD (Standard American Diet) and the awesome experience I was having. Also to elucidate how horrible our animal agricultural system was for the animals, people and the planet. Something had to change, and it was meat. Although I did my best to avoid the sometimes preachy nature of vegans I often encountered I’m not sure I always did so well at that…
My first real taste of meat was moose. The folks around me joked that vegetarians are know as bad hunters. I checked in through muscle testing when offered, and my body said YES. I could feel the wildness, and I needed it. I knew immediately that this was something powerful, worthwhile and nourishing. The wild meat sated something deep and primal that could not be quantified in the Nutritional Facts on the side of a package. What I felt was real food, and it connected me to my body, my life and the environment around me; something bigger than human created food systems.
After my first wild game experience, I still maintained an exclusively plant based diet for several years. Like a good vegan, I was careful to include ample protein (I relied heavily on sprouted seeds and nuts), ate plenty of omega 3s (lots of flax and hemp seeds), avoided unfermented soy products (I ate lots of miso), and even supplemented bioactive B12. I still felt something was lacking. My energy and stamina weren’t what I wanted them to be, and wondered what was missing. I felt a void.
It was pastured butter that first filled that void. I knew that something that tasted and felt this fantastic couldn’t be wrong, but still wondered about the animals that produce the food we eat. There was something special I felt in this butter produced by supposedly happy cows fed on healthy pastures. In reading research popularized by Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions (originally conducted by Weston A. Price) I realized that that something was the X factor missing in my diet, Vitamin K. It is fat soluble vitamin found only in the fat of animals raised on the natural varied diet of pastures. Since that first taste of butter, I haven’t looked back.
I now am a happy omnivore, although I am still guided strongly by ethics and values for fair treatment of people and animals and care of the Earth. I still don’t eat meat that wasn’t hunted or consciously raised by someone I know and trust. I raise chickens and goats. A new layer of eating has emerged for me as I endeavor to be more autonomous in food production and am establishing a permaculture homestead. I may be 10 years away from harvesting the chestnuts from the trees I planted this fall, but I can easily catch a 10 ½ pound armadillos and sup on the delicious fatty meat. Growing and hulling sunflowers isn’t as practical as raising and eating chicken who eats grubs and greens from our land.
In summation I’m deeply grateful for my food journey and where it’s taken me. I’ve learned there are so many difficult choices in a complex world, and there’s never one right answer, there are sometimes many. I’m excited to see what this next phase of land based living brings as the co-evolution of human and land continues.
Follow Mountain Jewel as I post more about forays into apiculture, food foresting, wildcrafting, raising animals, fruit production, natural building and more.
Thanks for sharing your story. One aspect that draws me back to omnivory is the social aspect of food. Do you find that? I just really enjoy, asnd I guess find rather sacred and special, the role that food serves in uniting people, so for me it feels really wrong to reject food sharing. Kate
Great story! I also became a vegetarian for similar reasons when I was young and lasted almost 10 years. It's been another almost 10 years since then and along the way I got into organic, permaculture, wildcrafting and now want to start hunting to incorporate more wild "invasive" food into my diet as well as growing my own. It's exciting to discover what we felt was missing in our lives!
Glad you appreciate the journey. Seems you too have had quite the experience. Love what you say about invasives as there's a lot of potential in plants and animals are in abundance.
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STOPThanks for sharing your experience with veganism. One of my pet peeves with some people in the vegan movement is that they automatically shoot down the use of animals in agriculture even if they are treated humanely and not even killed but just used for milk or eggs. I feel that these types hurt movements like permaculture that ultimately are striving towards many of the same objectives.
It is refreshing to hear someone who tried it and came back to eating some animal products. It takes courage to share learning experiences publicly.
I totally agree with you. I did hold tightly to my views of not using animals in agricultural system until I got involved and realized no system is healthy without diversity. It's important for me share as I have learned so much through my journey and experience. I do feel animals play a vital role in healthy ecosystems.
It sounds like you were a pretty dedicated vegan. There are a lot that know nothing of plant based proteins and fats and just consume loads of bread, tofu and processed fake meat. I’m a vegetarian and enjoy my fair share of eggs, yogurt and cheese, but have no interest in non fermented milk products. I respect how you consume meat, if you feel better from it good for you. I don’t think diet is a one size fits all, each person is going to have certain foods they thrive on, and others that drain them.
So true, being vegan taught me A LOT about plants, I'm much better for it. Each body lives and thrives in different environments. I hope all folks feel healthy and empowered in their food choices.
Thank you so much for sharing this... I have been a vegetarian for 15 years but after having Sequoia and Odin I made the choice to eat meat again while breast feeding Sequoia. Odin refuses to eat meat and I respect his choices but at six months there iron levels begin to decrease and so I wanted to make sure I could supply her with the most iron rich milk as possible. It is very hard on the heart and I like you had made that choice on my travels (in Morocco). I have now been eating meat again on occasion for a year now. And Sequoia-Rose his now making her own choices on what she enjoys eating and well shes open to everything this beautiful little baby. So I am starting to eat for myself again and my body choices. I have been feeding and developing little ones bodies for five years now with my body that I am very excited to have it back to well myself. ha ha....
Feeding them babes changes things doesn't it? Happy you have healthy and happy children, and that they have such a great Mom! Keep eating for your body girl!
Thanks hunny ❤️
Its great to go back to meat, isnt it?
Yes it is! Especially when I have deep connection and a relationdhip to the animal.
Wow, well that is quite the adventure. I have been vegan for most of this past year, and meat free for 6 1/2 years. For years we have raised rabbits for meat for others. Actually, up until this past september. My story is a little different. While raising these rabbits we also offered them processed and ready to freeze. Toward the end of our time raising I started to notice something different. Because I was so close I started to really notice the breath leaving the rabbit. That sort of experience was something that shaped me. I don't really talk with others about what I eat, it often comes with someone vomiting opinion and speaking like a lifelong super nutritionist haha. Humanely chemical free by products dont bother me as much and may be revisited down the road, but i dont think the meat though. Adventure on! Cheers!
I can totally relate about feeling the breath leave. We raised goats this year (a friend's weathers) and it was deeply impactful to get a know creatures before taking their lives. I am as intentional as possible but death never looses potently.
I resonate and am following you now.
thanks for sharing.
being vagan it's related to healthy life style.
i hope one day i could find the right way to start to be vaganism.
Incredible and interesting story!!! I'm so glad to hear your story! I became vegan only less than a year ago and I love it <3
Thank you for sharing. We chose to start a new path for our family and moved so that we could homestead and homeschool and have found such peace in that decision. Looking forward to seeing more of your posts.
I was vegetarian for 5 years decades ago, but realized it was not what my body needed. I do best with animal protein and make my own raw milk butter, 75# last year. We raise most of our own food.
Glad you’re tuned in to what your body needs. Raw butter sounds pretty fantastic. Congrats on producing so much. Isn’t it empowering to raise food and eat it !?