Almost Vegan

My dad has been bugging me to read this book called, "The China Study" for almost a year now. A few months ago he went beyond recommending it and gave me a copy.

I read it in two days.

It's somewhat dry, but pretty compelling stuff. It was hard not to make some serious dietary changes after being hit with all those graphs and tables.

Two months later, I am losing weight like crazy and feel better than I have, maybe ever. I still get tired. I still get grumpy, and things still stress me out - but I have a lot more energy and I feel sooo much better!

When I was in high school I tried on my friend's glasses just for fun and was amazed by how clear everything was! I went to the eye doctor and my vision was something like 20-400 - but that was just what I had always known. I got my first pair of glasses and the world was beautiful. Then I had lasic surgery, which corrected my vision even better than the glasses ever did and, for the first time ever, I could see individual leaves on the trees. Going off dairy has been like trying on my friend's glasses. Oh look, I must have been lactose intolerant (like my mom) all this time and didn't know! I think I am both lactose intolerant and addicted to cheese. I love it - I crave it -It's not my friend.

I signed up for the organic fruit and vegetable delivery and have been learning a lot more about nutrition and vegan cooking.

I'm trying to get Oliver and Toby to eat more fruits and vegetables too. I've been making a lot less progress in that area; but, small, healthy changes are taking place over time. Oliver tried soy and rice milk. Toby likes to drink rice milk with chocolate, and he loves fruit - but like me he is very addicted to cheese, and, although I think they are much tastier than the originals, he doesn't like the soy mac 'n cheese, or soy yogurt.

Becoming vegan, (I'm still not vegan as I'm still wearing leather shoes, knitting with wool, etc., but I'm almost vegan) has been a lot like becoming a born again Christian - I want to share "the good news" with the world, and, yet, almost no one wants to hear about it. The nice thing about living in a new city, though, is that I don't have any friends to alienate. I'm starting from scratch and doing things for myself, the way I think I should. It's liberating, in a way - and I hope to continue my vegan journey - even though I know a lot of you will think I'm nuts.