My Response to "10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan"

Matt Frazier, a writer for HuffPost, wrote an article titled, "10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan" which you can read here. 

In this article, Frazier talks about all the things he wishes he could go back and tell his former self what would happen when he went vegan. Reading his advice for his pre-vegan self, I can relate to much of what he said.

1. "The Jokes Will Never Stop"

This is true. No matter how much people respect you for being vegan, there will always be the time you get people saying, "But bacon though!" or "So all you eat is lettuce, huh?", and more. My family has come a long way, but to this day, I still get called "extreme" for not eating certain foods. For example,  this past weekend, I was at my grandma's house and my dad ordered pizza for dinner. He got me a Margherita pizza with no cheese. When he picked it up, and my grandparents saw it, the first thing they said was, "How can you eat that with no cheese? That's not pizza," Those kinds of comments hurt a lot more when I was younger, but now I'm just used to the fact that not everyone will understand your reasoning for going vegan, and that's okay.

2. "Giving Up The Cheese Isn't Nearly As Hard As It Seems"

This is one of the reasons why people don't want to go vegan, believe or not. When I went vegan, I found there were more alternatives to cheese than ever. Giving up real cheese was not at all as hard as people made it out to be. I found when I stopped eating cheese, my skin cleared up and I felt a lot better. It was not the life-changing crisis people made it out to be.

3. "You Will Impact More People Than You Realize"

This is true, and one of the most fulfilling things that could happen as a vegan. Over the course of me being vegan, I have seen my mom stop eating turkey because when we visited a farm sanctuary, she met a turkey who changed her life. She saw that he had so much personality, and she realized she couldn't eat it anymore. My dad as well has stopped eating all meat except fish. Seeing my family realize that this lifestyle is so beneficial has been amazing to watch. I even have had friends told me they went vegan because of me, and nothing feels better than that.

4. "Be prepared for a feeling of responsibility, and the compulsion to hold yourself to a higher standard than before."

This is especially true. When people find out you're vegan, they begin to think you're also up to date on all the important social justice movements, and that your lifestyle is pure in all aspects. In some ways, this can be true, but in others, it can be really difficult. For example, because I'm vegan, people also think I'm 100% plastic-free. Although I'm trying really hard to get there, I'm not right now, and because of the vegan title, I have been judged for that. Also, because I don't eat many veggies, but mainly carbs, I'm also told I'm a "fake vegan" (whatever that means). That is also hurtful because I'm vegan for the animals. Not to be a healthy eater.

These are just some of the things Frazier listed, and I relate to them all. It will always be hard being vegan (not because of the food, but dealing with the people who do not approve of your lifestyle) but the positives have always outweighed the negatives for me. Going vegan will always be one of the best things I decided to do, and I'm proud of that.