Veggie Chic

Hello, New World

by Rhys on November 27th, 2005

At 3:03 pm on November 22, I did what my deep-fried, lard lovin’ Southern family would find insane, if not unforgivable: I became a vegetarian. (A strict vegetarian, also referred to as a ‘vegan.’)

This is what Veggie Chic will be about: a carnivore’s conversion, scientific studies, products, reviews, news and trends…everything relating to the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. It’s called Veggie Chic, because: you can pronounce it ‘chick,’ which I am, and also, ‘sheek,’ because it’s chic to be a VegHead. Less than three days as a veggie chic and I’m already feeling clever!

It’s sort of fitting that I’m writing this entry on Thanksgiving, the holiday whose sole tradition is gorging on flesh and lard. Not that I’m knocking it: flesh and lard taste good. But, it’s not very good for you.

While working towards my M.A. in Nutrition and Kinesiology, I studied every diet and way of eating in just about every culture you could think of. I was always most impressed by the volumes of research on the vegetarian and vegan diet lifestyles. Never before have I seen such healthy stats. Did you know it’s unheard of for a vegan to have a cholesterol level over 150, and most are under 135?

That’s just a start. There’s also the emotional side of it, the willingness to help ease the suffering of animals, of living, sentient creatures who know what is happening to them. That’s a loaded statement, I know, and this is not going to be a ‘political’ blog. I have no urge to alienate anyone, but my feelings will, of course, color my writings. I have spent so much time helping and rescuing animals, and I love them so much, that I always felt a bit uncomfortable attempting to reconcile those beliefs with eating them. If that makes me a tree-hugging puppy lover, so be it.

Don’t think I’m all pure and above unhealthy eating, though: when I decided to go vegan, I had a total food orgy of the old favorites I wouldn’t be tasting again for a long time, if ever. Fried chicken, ice cream, cheese, cake, chocolate, mashed potatoes with lots of butter, cookies…the list goes on. And on. It’s like when you’re moving across the country so you visit all your relatives to tell them goodbye, but instead of saying goodbye, you eat them.

I don’t think it’s the giving up junk food or feeling uncomfortable being seen as a nut that discourages many people from trying this way of eating. I really think that we have a huge problem being good to ourselves. I see it all the time; we’ll take care of others while neglecting or endangering ourselves. I don’t know why we’re so reluctant to think highly enough of ourselves to treat ourselves well. Maybe it’s one of the things I’ll find out on this journey.

I’ll try to share everything, in the hopes that it may help you, or at least amuse you, on your own journey. If I’m frustrated and discouraged, you’ll know it. If I change physically or mentally, you’ll know it. If I develop copious amounts of eardrum-splitting gas because of the sudden inclusion of fiber, you’ll know it. You may find out more than you ever wanted to know.

I want Veggie Chic to be about you as much as it is about me. So, please hop along for the ride.

Tree-hugging puppy lover.

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