Normally I think that telling people you're fasting or giving up something for Lent or in other ways advertising your piety pretty much, by definition, negates it. I'm not sharing here to advertise, I'm sharing because I'm excited about a change I'm about to make.
It appears that I have made the decision to eat vegan for Lent. I say "eat vegan," because the most I could ever become is a dietary vegan. It will be a new experience to become intentional about converting to a completely plant-based diet, and taking all animal-based foods away. Specifically, there are a couple of medical reasons I need to supplement with protein. I had to get soy-based protein (which is a little risky given the type of cancer I had), because whey protein is animal-based. While vegan eating does not rule out sugar, I've become aware that some cane sugar and some sugar substitutes are processed through animal bones, so they're out. I've also come to realize that I can't indulge my addiction to TJ's jelly beans, since gelatin is made from bones, hooves, etc.
So I have to get intentional about what I put in my body. That's cool; the next step for me in training is to begin to eat cleaner, so the eating part works. I'm not and probably never will be a philosophical vegan; while I respect all sentient life and have always had an aversion to eating animals or to being reminded of the fact that what I'm eating was a living being, I also believe that humans exercise dominion over the other sentient creatures. I also recognize that sentient creatures eat one another from time to time, so no -- I don't foresee myself ever becoming a philosophical vegan.
But for the 40 days of Lent, I intend to adopt a plant-based diet. Well, a diet that excludes animal products. I want to use an artificial sweetener that is derived from plants (nectresse, or something) and might revert to agave (though I don't really like that in my coffee. It's like putting honey in coffee); there are food items initially derived from plants that have so many artificial additives that I would consider them chemicals. I'm thinking I probably won't ingest them. And I haven't done a complete inventory of all my vitamins to make sure that none of them have any traces of animal processing, so that's something I'll need to do.
But yes, I'm making the switch, and I'm expecting both health benefits and will go through a meditative/contemplative process. I found a guide, interestingly enough called "Vegan for Lent," that includes Scripture, recipes, and even the names of some restaurant chains and types of food that are suitable for vegan eating. Although that's not really an issue for me. I've been eating the texturized tofu (Thai Chicken; a little tough but nicely spiced) and know of at least 3 or 4 supermarkets where I can find ready-to-go vegan products. Additionally, the Engine 2 diet has products at Trader Joe's. TJ's also has a convenient marker (v) for its vegan foods -- TJ and Whole Foods both offer lots of Indian food, many dishes of which are vegan.
I went into Polash tonight and got another Saag Paneer and a Vegetable Vindaloo. I asked the guy if any of the dishes on the menu were vegan, that is, prepared without butter or any other animal product. He began to rattle off a list, and then decided that next time I came in, he'd just go through the menu with me and indicate which products are vegan. So I don't think eating vegan will be an issue; I hope and pray that the growth will come in my own intentionality about what I put into my body.
And it doesn't have to end at Lent. I've been vegetarian for as long as a couple of years at a stretch, usually for health reasons. I'm interested to see how I feel (and whether any cravings remain) after 40 days of plant-based eating. That will determine how I move forward.
So I'm in until at least tomorrow afternoon. There's a blizzard in NYC. The car is safely in the lot, which was being plowed by some crazy speeding tow truck driver, the Y cancelled classes and closed from 5 pm tonite til tomorrow at noon, so I don't have to worry about working out, and I have saag and vindaloo to keep me company. Maybe I'll get some sleep and then go put up that new shower head.
I'm excited about this next phase. I have a prayer and accountability partner, and we're going to go Vegan for Lent!
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