Veganism
- MRS LANGDON
- Feb 28, 2018
- 2 min read

I am a pescatarian. I have been since I was 12 years old. I dabbled with vegetarianism for a few years but I missed by seafood too much. I am a great lover of seafood and would be satisfied with half the cast of Finding Nemo presented to me on a plate.
However, as part of my ’40 things’, I am going to set myself the challenge of being a Vegan for a month. The month of March to be exact.
I became a vegetarian for a number of reasons. I had always been upset by the idea of battery farming, and slaughter houses when I was young. However I had never really made the connection. The meat on my plate just used to ‘appear’. As I got older I remember watching a documentary at school on animal product testing, and I remember being truly disturbed by what I saw. It was only when I went on my first school trip to France and was served (what was rumoured to be) a Horsemeat steak, that I started to put a face to the roast joint I was shovelling down. I could not eat it, no more. I could not face eating the animals I loved.
My relationship with fish is slightly different. I can not put a finger on it. It is not that I believe they deserve to be eaten more than the cow in the field I drive past every day. I just do not see it as ‘meat’. I know a lot of people will disagree and call me a hypocrite, but this is my honest opinion.
Now , I truly admire vegans and the discipline it takes to cut out all animal products from your diet. I remember struggling during the early stages of giving up meat, craving roast chicken on more than one occasion. I wish that I had the discipline to cut out fish all together, but the lure of ‘frutta del mare’ in the Cinque Terra in the summer holidays is just too much.
Being Vegan is a whole new challenge. I need to consider all types of food I have taken for granted. Chocolate, milk, butter even wine are now off the menu. As are cakes, pastries, some pasta sauces, even some pastas. No Friday night Pizzas, no ‘Cheese Fridays’ with the office. All gone. For a month.
I think I can do it. If I really set my mind to something I can demonstrate excellent discipline. I gave up smoking with no relapse at all. Just woke up one morning and decided I wanted to live a long life, so threw the cancer sticks away. I’ve now been a non-smoker for seven years and I’ve not had one chesty cough. Not one.
So tomorrow I am going to start my Vegan diet. I’ve got a plan for a menu. I’ve researched what I can and cannot eat, I’ve warned my family and my colleagues. I am ready to face the challenge.
I will be recording my progress throughout the month. Who knows, I might like this new lifestyle and decide to do it for good. I’ll have to find an alternative for pizza toppings however. I’m sure they do vegan cheese? Right?
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