Starting veganism

Why ?

Did you know that more than 60% of all deaths worldwide are due to chronic diseases and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some cancers? Poor diet is considered a major contributing factor in all cases (1). My name is Jefferson HENRY, 23 years old and a graphic design student at KissPlanet, I made the choice to become vegan on September 17, 2022. Sharing my life with a vegetarian for several years, I took the time to learn about the impact of our food on the environment and the results are amazing. The precursor documentary was TheGameChangers.
 

Naturally attracted to sport, I was directly concerned by the various studies I saw. Bringing together the opinions of several very popular public figures, the documentary follows the careers of top sportsmen and women for whom athletic performance has proven to be exceptional. From Lewis Hamilton to Patrik Baboumian to Arnold Schwarzenegger, find out what is really behind what you eat. 

I can't talk about my change of diet without mentioning SeaSpiracy and CowSpiracy. For as long as I can remember I have loved meat, even a little too much... I once ate 500g of meat per meal. Today when I think about it, I don't regret the fact that I ate it, but rather that I didn't know where it came from, and this is precisely what I learned through CowSpiracy and SeaSpiracy.

Vegetarian or vegan ? 

I have to admit that I find it very hard to keep my convictions, especially with the holidays just over and my lightning transition into the world of vegetarianism (to make meal choices easier). Unlike vegans, vegetarians allow themselves to eat animal products such as milk, eggs, cheese, etc., hence my difficulty in being able to put an end to winter pleasures. 

Fortunately I can count on the support of my partner, but also on the influence of the few vegan accounts I follow on Instagram or Pinterest.

End of the year difficulties

It's January 3rd, I just found out that I have an appointment with a vegan nutritionist on Saturday, I feel like I'm going to enjoy it and get a boost.

The appointment went very well, I left the establishment with lots of meal ideas and a better grasp of the foods I need to have on my plate. I am thinking in particular of my neglect of side dishes, such as chia seeds, which can be sprinkled on many dishes and which provide a lot of nutrients and fibre. I admit that I neglected the importance of having someone in the business with me when I started this journey; feeling 'watched' forces me to push myself to achieve the goal I set. That's why I only regret not having thought of it earlier.

Veganism and your relationship with others

I am aware of the difficulty of understanding how convictions or values can be contradictory to a more traditional way of life that has been going on for many years. Fortunately, more and more people are taking the step towards vegetarianism or veganism, which also allows me to justify my choices and change people's minds. Today my friends accept it even if, when someone offers me a product with eggs and I answer "I can't", they always say "you don't want to". Fortunately, I am very calm by nature and I don't react much to trivialities. 

In addition to the support I receive from my partner, I can also count on the work I do on a daily basis at KissPlanet, which allows me to understand and discover numerous studies that clearly show the state of the climate and environmental emergency. Everyone has their own way of reacting to the alert. I have changed my diet because I am convinced that this is the quickest way to return to calmer waters.