Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
I’ve been doing this blog now for about 4 years and it’s only just occurred to me that I have never really explained how I came to be vegan. Everyone’s journey is different and so I thought it might be nice to share my journey.
My main driving factor for veganism is my love of animals. My whole life, I have loved animals and been fascinated by the wide array of creatures that we share our planet with. I have always wanted to work with animals, or to at least do something that directly helps them. I also grew up with animals in my home: cats, birds, hamsters, gerbils, fish and even terrapin. I have never known a home without animals, and since the passing of my own sweet rabbit roughly 3 weeks ago, this is the first time that my home hasn’t felt fully like my home. It feels too big. Too empty. Because without an animal in my home, I feel like something is missing.
Growing up, my favourite toy ever was a stuffed duck named (oh so creatively) Duck. I still have him now, even if he is very threadbare and very delicate. Duck was also the first animal that I made the connection to with my food. Chinese duck pancakes with plum sauce I still argue is one of the greatest foods ever made. But I remember eating one and realising that Duck, my beloved Duck, was the same animal as the one I was eating. Yes, he is a toy, but when I was 8, he was real. And it was that meal that made me connect the animal on my plate with a living, breathing animal. And my realisation snowballed.
I refused to eat lamb, because lamb was not only an animal but a baby animal. I was eating a baby. So I refused to eat it. I wanted to go vegetarian from a young age, probably around 9 or 10, but my parents said that I could only go vegetarian once I learnt to properly cook, so I could cook myself proper meals. So when I was 16 years old, I finally got permission to go vegetarian, and never once doubted my decision.
During my studies, especially once I started university and began my law degree, I realised how many issues there were with the law when it comes to animal protection. As such, I did a lot of research projects about animal welfare and animal rights, such as looking into the ethics around zoos or the issues around animal testing for medicinal purposes. It was during this research that I began to delve deeper into animal agriculture and I saw again and again just how poorly we as a society treat animals.
I admit that I did delay going full vegan, as at this time (around 2012/2013) veganism was still quite new and the most vocal voice was the extreme view. And I didn’t know if I fully agreed with such an extremist view, such as the idea that owning animals as companion animals is still speciest, or that anyone who drinks milk is a anti-feminist predator. Luckily, a lot of these views have changed over the years, and the conversation has moved over to a more neutral approach that encourages open discussion, but at the time this was not the case. But I saw the horrible acts that are committed in the animal agriculture industry, and I couldn’t do it anymore. So I finally took the leap and moved to a vegan diet.
At first, it was really hard because veganism was still very new and very under-supplied. But the changes I saw in just the first five years within the industry was mindblowing. It really did explode overnight. Which I was very thankful for! The more I researched, the more I adapted my way of living to have as little impact on animals as possible: I do not wear them, eat them or use anything that has been tested on them or contains parts of them. And I don’t regret a single part of it.
When I first went vegetarian, the impact on my body was pretty immediate. I lost a fair amount of weight. My skin cleared up in about a week. I had more energy throughout the day and I actually enjoyed the taste of food. When I went vegan the changes were also noticeable almost immediately. I have more energy, I sleep better, I feel more fueled in my body by what I am eating. I feel veganism has helped me to become a better runner, a fitter and more active person, and finding new ways to cook and create meals is surpsingly exciting. It also makes me feel good in my own self, knowing that my actions and my choices each day are fully aligned with the morals and values that I hold very deep within me. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. Part of me wonders how different my life would have been had I just taken the full plunge when I was 16.
It also helped me start this blog. Whilst it may not be the most groundbreaking endeavour, it is something I really enjoy doing and is a hobby that I find really exciting and rewarding. So thank you all for joining me in my little corner of the internet that I hope brings you a little bit of joy.
Taylor Talks Vegan 