Today marks the fifth day of me becoming a vegan.

For the past few years I have been a vegetarian. Which means that I have not eaten chicken, beef, pork, turkey, fish or any other animals since I was 21. I’ve had the enjoyment of eating dairy products like cheese, milk, chocolate and ice cream.

The main reason for me becoming a vegan was for the challenge. Crazy, I know. Originally I became a vegetarian because of animal cruelty and to eat healthier. This is another reason why I am a vegan.

This past week I have been giving and throwing away anything that contains dairy. Now my kitchen is stocked with fake cheese, tofu, dairy free bread, amongst a plethora of other edible things.

For the most part I have felt confident and in good health through this transition. I haven’t felt more tired or sickly. Of course this is only after 5 days. However, I have been feeling constantly hungry. This is annoying. Usually the hunger kicks in about an hour after eating a meal. This is my body getting used to no milk products.

Shopping makes for a long adventure, too. Yesterday I spent a good hour and a half at Whole Foods reading all the ingredients on the packages. To my surprise a lot of things contain dairy even in small amounts. Also, shopping at organic grocery stores is very expensive. I’m used to this though.

I have been successful in finding restaurants and cafes that are vegan. There are several in a few different neighborhoods. Other smaller neighborhoods are scarce.

I hope to continue with being a vegan. However, if I go back to being a vegetarian the world won’t end. More updates soon!

For resources on becoming a vegeternian or vegan visit Action for Animals or Peta.

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