From the Face of my Family Rib Shack to Veganism

                                                              

Writing this I realize I have never really discussed Veganism and how I became one on any public platform. Over the two years or so, I am pretty bad with time frames, I have become so used to people asking me about Veganism that it became a little annoying to talk about. With being a vegan there is a series of frequently asked questions and statements people make such as:" How do you get your protein?" "Don't you miss meat?"'How long have you been vegan for?" and the classic "I would go vegan but doggone it I really love cheese!" These questions may or may not be answered in this post.



Why did I go Vegan?

I'm African American and Puerto Rican and grew up eating foods that reflected that beautiful blend of cultures. My roots are Memphis, Tennessee, and Carolina, Puerto Rico, in fact as a child I was the face of my Granddad's rib shack here on the south side. Growing up I loved fried chicken, Arroz con gandules con Lechon,morcilla, empanadas, jibarito sandwiches, and of course ribs. I loved meat so much that for every special occasion my family would take me to an all you can eat meat restaurant in order to put a smile on my face. I even attended the bacon fest and cried because I was so excited I got tickets. But, one day that all changed. My junior year of high school one of my friends told all of us that she wanted to raise her kids vegan, which to 16-year-old self just seemed bizarre, since I had never actually met a vegan before I was interested to know why someone would willingly say goodbye to bacon and a Harold's 6 piece with mild sauce. A week later I saw a short video on youtube saying "10 Things That Would Make You Go Vegetarian" and at this point, I thought the Universe was mocking me. So I watched this 5-minute video and in those 5 minutes made the decision I would never eat meat again. Though I had never had whole milk before, in a nutshell, if I drink it I stop breathing, I still could eat dairy products. Fearing that I could no longer eat a ketogenic diet, I thought carbs would make me fat, I began to replace all of my meat with dairy products, which prior to being vegetarian I never really ate. My new found love for cheese and yogurt lead to, irritated and inflamed skin on my eyes, chest, and underarms. Because of this reaction, my Lacto-ovo vegetarianism did not last very long. So  at16 I became a paleo vegetarian eating no meat, no fish, and no dairy, but still consuming eggs. After watching the documentary Earthlings, I instantly became vegan. It was a three-month journey that leads me to veganism. I knew nothing about the "health" benefits of veganism until I had been vegan for over a year.



Has there a shift in my health?

To be completely honest I was a pretty healthy person before going vegan and I made a lot of unhealthy mistakes when I made my transition. I had the assumption that everything vegan was healthy which ultimately lead to some unwanted weight gain. French fries, , and chips are all vegan but none of those things are considered health foods. So yes I did see a change in my health when I made the switch but it wasn't a good one. I now know that no matter what lifestyle you live by you need a balanced and well-rounded diet filled with whole foods.



Protein??

I am not a nutritionist or a dietitian so I can't provide advice on how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat you need but I can tell you what foods I eat for protein. I eat a ton of beans, lentils, peas, green veggies, tofu, tempeh, seitan, nuts, protein shakes, etc. I personally don't follow WSLF or HCLF ( High Carb Low Fat) lifestyles because I personally feel that when I have a more balanced diet of fats, proteins, and carbs and I feel my best.



Cheese, Ice Cream, Butter, etc?

I've noticed that for a lot of people giving up meat isn't as hard as saying goodbye to dairy. Due to the fact that I can't drink milk, I have been eating dairy replacements my whole life, and I have seen the demand for more dairy-free foods increase over the years. Since having dairy free options is at a higher demand there are some really great alternatives to your favorite foods. Vegan butter, veganaise, and dairy free Haagen Daaz all taste pretty close to the real thing. For vegan cheese though, the only brand that I recommend is Follow Your Heart cheese. Many "vegan cheese" brands are marketed as dairy free but actually contain casein which is a milk protein, making it lactose-free but not dairy free. And other vegan cheese brands just are not that good.



I hope all of this information was helpful! If you have any more questions about veganism, going dairy free, or anything that fits the Keeping Up with Kat umbrella follow and DM me via Instagram @ktinsley_



Thanks for Keeping Up With Kat!