In the land of (NO) milk and honey....
As I mentioned last week, I'm trying out veganism for a month. I'm on day 11 thus far and still don't have a firm vision as to how this will fit into my life for the long term.
It is certainly a lot more work and has been more expensive for me. The fact that I am rehearsing a show makes it much more complicated and some days I don't feel like I get a "meal" because I don't eat anything hot. Often I get by grazing on random items; combinations of fruits, veggies, hummus and various carbs with lots of salads along the way (and with Lara Bars as my back up fix). I don't know if that is going to be sustainable for me. While I'm adjusting a bit now, initially I wasn't enjoying eating and I've had a few days of not feeling well. Clearly this is a lifestyle that requires time and effort in the kitchen and balancing that with my schedule is going to be interesting. I do think that with time to cook, this would be a very different experience and one that would be much more pleasant and satisfying.
While I grumble, I will say that for the most part I have not had huge cravings for animal products. I have, however, been seriously missing my decaf with half and half - which is one of my favorite simple pleasures. Thus far I have tried coffee with rice milk (plain and vanilla), soy milk (plain and vanilla), almond milk (vanilla) and hemp milk (vanilla). To be honest, for me, none of them hold a candle to dairy.
Soy and hemp milks seem to be the creamiest - but I have big questions about the impact of soy (on my health, the environment and agriculture at large). The hemp milk is quite expensive and while I can see it is distributed from NY (approximately 800 miles away from me and clearly not local), I do not know where the hemp itself was grown nor do I have knowledge of its impact. I have read that in countries where it is illegal to freely grow hemp (as in the U.S.) industrialized hemp is imported from China and the Philippines (YIKES! That is just not going to cut it and had I read that earlier, I never would have purchased it). I plan to try oat milk next, which is as expensive as the hemp milk, but I can apparently make it myself.
And yes. I know I could just give up coffee...*looks pained*.
I'm trying to do research but often I run into a wall due to the lack of information available about food sources. I notice that this feels like a really challenging sacrifice for me and parts of me feel very proud of sticking with it even when I'm not loving it. Other parts wonder about quality of life and whether or not this is actually supporting my values - or if it is equal to, or less effective than sourcing local, ethical dairy.
While in general, I really like reducing my intake of animal products I'll need some time, homework and calculations to determine if this lifestyle choice furthers my goals around sustainability and accountability. If it does, I have a lot of work to do. I'll need to determine my stance on eating honey, wearing leather and silk...etc. I'll need to see if my body is happy with this and if I'm getting enough B-12 and other nutrients. I also would need to learn to shop for and cook meals that I enjoy and to get used to the fact that many people are really uncomfortable with my making this choice and want to tell me all about it (sheesh).
While it's not all that bad, I would likely swoon with delight over a plate of Mujaddara and I can't help but realize how spoiled I am when so many people in the world have such limited access to food (hot, vegan or otherwise).
Perspective, perspective...