Meet our newest contributor, Kate Coffey! Kate is the amazing, truly inspiring blogger behind Forever Fascinated. When she isn’t writing, Kate is usually found cooking up a storm in her kitchen or playing in the South Korean wilderness with her husband, Chris, and their rescue puppy, Wednesday. Her first post on PD, a must-read for any doubters and nay-sayers, first appeared on Forever Fascinated.
Five Fascinating Reasons Why Going Vegan IS NOT Terrifying…
In descending order, because I like the suspense…
Reason # 5: It’s not that hard.
You have about 9 zillion (true figure) ingredients at your disposal on a daily basis. Trust me, living in South Korea has proven challenging, but I can still fill a huge cart with vegan-friendly items from our corner market. Don’t be scared of making potatoes your main dish, instead of a side to your meat. Or try eating a delicious animal-free quiche like this one from PETA. All these dishes can be made with items you can find at your local supermarket, Forever Fascinated guaranteed. [Editor’s note: we might have to pow-wow with Kate before reconsidering South Korea’s #3 ranking in the Most Vegan-Friendly Countries. Was this (gasp) ranking-inflation? Our journalistic integrity won’t let us rest until we find out more from our fearless Korea correspondent. Stay tuned!]
Reason # 4: You’re eating vegan food already.
You have most likely tried (maybe unknowingly) every so-called “vegan food” out there at one point or another. Soy exists in almost every processed food; and soy = tofu (healthier than the yucky processed soy in your potato chips, promise). You’ve all eaten veggies–even you hide-the-lima-beans-under-the-table people–and you lived to tell the tale, yeah? You have a couple of favorite fruits? Use them to make a smoothie with peanut butter…mmm peanut butter.
Reason # 3: You’ll look and feel awesome.
You like your body right? I mean, even if it’s not your preferred shape, color, size, width, length etc. it lets you live in it every day. We should pay it back with some awesome fuel! Yeah, let’s do that! Alright, well good fuel = whole plant based foods. Going vegan has helped my skin clear, helped me shed extra pounds I was carrying around my stomach, has helped me focus better, has given me more energy, has given me an enormous community of completely amazing people to whom I can talk on and on and on about my love for veganism –much like I am doing right now…anyway, moving on…
Reason # 2: You’ll get enough protein.
Are you getting anxious yet? Number one is awesome. But for number two I will simply say this: as a runner, a beginner-level yogi, an avid hiker and a lover of anything active and outdoors–I GET ENOUGH PROTEIN. I actually had someone tell me once that they would not be surprised if my heart gave out because I don’t eat meat…I should have kindly pointed to the many studies that prove just the opposite. However, I kept my happy, kind mouth shut. It is true we have to make sure we are getting protein from the “right” sources but it is SO EASY. Do you like nuts? Check. Do you like beans? Check. Spinach? Dark leafy greens? PEANUT BUTTER?!?!?! ALL YES. And all so easy to sneak into your diet even if you ABSOLUTELY hate them. DO NOT let the haters and down-talkers let you think we don’t get enough protein, because as a card-carrying vegan, crazy outdoorsy, high energy 23-year-old, I can tell you, WE DO. That’s all for now…carry on to number one! WOOHOO!
Reason # 1: You’ll be making a difference.
I am sure you love animals. I don’t doubt that one bit. How about you prove it with a little compassion for all living kind? I wake up every morning knowing for a fact that what I am eating (or not eating for that matter) is saving thousands of lives. Want to make a difference? Want to make a name for yourself? Go vegan. People will follow. I promise. You will glow and people respect that…as long as it is from your food choices and not self-tanner…you know who you are folks. Just be kind and show others the way; it’s incredibly satisfying and calming to know that you (YES, YOU!) can make a difference in the world without putting in too much effort! Cool!
Just my two cents. I hope you all have a fantastic cruelty-free day, and that maybe I pushed you to think outside the box. I am not saying I know all but I can get you started if you have any questions about going vegan/vegetarian/cruelty free.
Go you!
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Kate Coffey is the founder of Forever Fascinated Blog, a vegan, the lucky co-parent to Miss Wednesday the Wonder Pup, a French speaker/lover of anything French, U.S. Army Wife who is on a mission to spread the good word about living life to its fullest!
