for every change that you do, there’s always going to be a feeling of missing your old ways, and for that, some things happen that is known as withdrawals. whether it’s avoiding sweets, cigarettes, or even drugs, the craving for going back is very common and hard to battle. and beginner vegans like me have them too. for me, here are some of the symptoms i noticed:
- my palette became more sensitive. because i have eaten meat all my life, i can tell the meat apart with my eyes closed. and i was fine while eating because i mainly chewed my food without really savouring the flavors. since i stopped it, it was different for me because there was a distinctive taste that i was not having.
- headache on the second day. it wasn’t an unbearable one, but it was enough for me to recognize it. since i knew what it was, i decided to treat it naturally by letting it be, and drank a lot of water.
- breaking out. actually, i still do, and it’s annoying. thankfully it’s not as bad anymore as how it used to be when i still ate meat.
- craving for party foods. as a filipina, i enjoy it when i go to parties. aside from the never ending laughter and yacking amongst friends, the food is endless. but now that i am vegan, i am going to be the only one that would say NO to the food (in my mind), and instead i will look at each platter hoping that they served a veggie dish.
these are the ones i can remember. but, there’s always good with the bad, and with that comes the benefits i am now enjoying:
- more energy. i was never a coffee drinker from the get go, but once in a while we would do a quick Starbucks run especially before we go to church. my favourite was Salted Caramel Mocha. now, my body doesn’t even ask for it.
- my PMS symptoms changed. normally, i would feel my breasts being sore that it was so painful to take my bra off, and it was worse for me because i am well endowed. my appetite was also through the roof, and i would always feel them 2 weeks prior to my actual period. i am 3 days away from my first day, and yet i was able to curb my appetite and for the first time i am not suffering from removing my bra.
- no more sensitivity to sunlight. i hated the sun and summer with a passion, not for vain physical reasons, but because i would then get headaches once i am outside for more than 5 minutes. what made it worse is when i had to go inside a cooler place with the A/C on after being out in the sun. no more headaches means no more pain pills. no more pain pills means one happy liver.
- weight loss. in a span of 14 days, i lost 6 pounds already, and i haven’t even done any drastic measures like extreme exercise, nor did i even skip meals.
- bowel movements were much easier. i had Metamucil every day because of severe constipation. and because i stopped eating meat, my digestive system adjusted very well and visiting the loo was more enjoyable. and what i also noticed is that my poo doesn’t stink as much anymore as how it used to, no pun intended. it still smells, obviously, but the odor disappears once i flush.
as i write these things down, i can say proudly that i have made the right decision to go vegan. the good outweighed the bad, and it’s been a great change for me so far. should you decide to go vegetarian or vegan or any diet you wish to follow, consulting your doctor or nutritionist is a must. remember, not all results are typical.
My Vegan Journey 