Why did I become vegan? I got rid of acne and allergies

🌱 Hello! First of all, who are you?

I am Milena Kolesinskaitė, I am 27 years old. I am in the heart a toy maker, writer and curious person. I also like to entertain people, improve myself by gaining wisdom from life and the environment.

🌱 Do you often challenge yourself?

Five years ago, I certainly did not imagine myself as I am now. Sometimes it makes me feel weird. If the teenage Milena that I was had met the me today, she would probably have looked at me like some wild animal...

I can't say that I challenge myself often. They usually happen when I feel the time has come. The challenges are maturing because none of them happen "just" - all of them are very necessary for me.

🌱 What challenge did you take on?

I don't feel comfortable calling this a challenge because I found it very easy. And the challenge should be difficult, right? I became a vegan.

In other words, I drastically changed my lifestyle in one day. In one day, I went from being a complete carnivore (I ate at least four chicken thighs, the dishes were drowning in cream and had to contain at least a small piece of ham, tuna or canned food, in the worst case - at least the smell of meat (!)) I became a vegan.

No meat, no dairy, no eggs and no honey. I buy only vegan cosmetics and try to invest every penny responsibly.

🌱 Most go vegetarian first and then vegan. Why did you decide to change your diet so suddenly?

I wanted quick changes and quick results. I didn't want to wait months or years to see the first changes. At that time, I realized that it was necessary to drastically change everything. I also couldn't wait any longer for ethical and moral reasons - I wouldn't have been able to live with myself, knowing the harm I was doing to animals to satisfy my non-essential needs.

This challenge, I think, was determined. I'm an animal lover - I was always one of those kids who wanted to pet the cows and would go to the barn to catch a glimpse of the pigs out of the corner of my eye. I never turned down an opportunity to go to the countryside or anywhere where there were animals.

Growing up, my mother taught me and my sister the principles of healthy eating, so we grew up knowing what is healthy and what is not, consciously avoiding "junk food" and coke. However, it so happened that now I am teaching my mother... 🙂

So, all my life I have been slowly working towards this challenge. I just needed some encouragement and more information.

🌱 Is being a healthy vegan easy?

I think the problem is that few people know how much and what kind of substances the human body needs. People who do more research will learn that a properly balanced vegan diet can be even more fulfilling than normal. It all depends on the chosen diet.

If you only eat pasta and potatoes, your diet will not be complete. But if you include a lot of different plant foods in your diet, there should be no problems.

Of course, it should also be taken into account that modern agriculture is not capable of growing food that is complete, so a person with any diet should have regular blood tests 3 and take care of your health and possibly use some nutritional supplements.

True, nutritionists vitamins D and B12 supplements and so recommend to everyone for northerners - even those who eat animal food.

It was not difficult for me to create my own diet, because there are few products that I do not like. Most of the time, anything with a pinch of salt is fine with me. I'm not picky about food, but I like to eat tasty and full. 

I eat a lot of fruit to meet my glucose needs, as many uncooked vegetables and greens as possible, legumes and grains. I only limit fats, processed foods and refined sugars.

🌱 How organism responded to the changes?

I didn't really experience any downsides. Everything just got better - not immediately, but little by little.

1. The first observation is a feeling of lightness and endless energy. I started to sleep better, I felt fresher in the mornings.
2. Later I noticed other positive changes in the body - previously, a sore throat in the cold season was common for me. However, after becoming a vegan, I experienced this only once and recovered easily.
3. My skin also improved, I got rid of the unnecessary layer of fat around my stomach and I experienced many other small health improvements that I had not even noticed before.

Only after becoming a vegan did I learn to understand my body better and started taking care of it.

🌱 Have you ever wanted to give it all up and go back to being omnivorous?

There were no such thoughts. But sometimes there were tiny panic attacks. They lasted only a fraction of a second, but during that time I thought: Am I really never going to taste chicken again in my life? And cheese?

But immediately the thought flashed that everything is fine, taste is not everything. There are tons of other things that are also delicious.

And when your stomach is full, you don't think about any chicken. Besides, there already is vegan chicken and other meats, just wait until you bring her here. 4 If I still want her by then...

After quieting my brain, I spoke to my heart. About why I started this challenge in the first place, which I very much hope will last a lifetime. These panic seconds are rare now, but I know I'm stronger than my normal instinct to grab a tasty morsel.

🌱 What do you think about your changes today?

Well, to be honest, I can cry with happiness just thinking that it's been a year already. 5 I know that if I was able to do it this year, I will be able to do it for the rest of my life.

I feel that a new and beautiful world has opened up to me. I feel grateful to people who have helped me without knowing it. My goal has been achieved. It was achieved right from the start, I just didn't know it yet.

🌱 What have you learned this year?

Of course, first of all, I learned a lot about the food itself, its composition and possibilities. I learned about human physiology and biology. I think this information is invaluable for any Homo sapiens.

In the year that I've been vegan, I've gained more knowledge than I probably did in my entire year at school. And, of course, I calmed my conscience.

If I hadn't tried this challenge, I would have never known how good it feels. It also gave me the opportunity to evaluate people I know and who are close to me in a different way.

I learned (and am still learning) that you can and should fight for your values. Basically, there wasn't a single negative thing about this challenge. Everything after that only goes up... 🙂

🌱 Do you have any advice for people who want to go vegan?

I suggest getting involved as much as possible: join vegan communities, read books, watch documentaries and other people's videos about their experiences. Try the free courses for those who want to eat more plant-based. All of these have a lot of valuable information.

The most important thing is not to forget the goal and the results. Don't lose sight of why the change is happening and why the challenge is important. And remember that no one else controls you - only you.

🌱 Soooooo... What challenge will you take on now? Do you already have ideas?

Yes! This time I feel the need (according to the current lifestyle) to start exercising. Since I'm in a position where I can afford it, I'm making plans in my head to devote three months of intense training over the winter with the goal of getting physically stronger and building an athletic body.

I'm afraid I'll be disappointed, because I'm not one of those people who likes to do sports, although I like to move. We'll see how it goes. I haven't quite decided on it yet, but I have an idea.

🌱 Thank you, Milena!

Wow, how easily and pleasantly did Milena get here! And if you also want to change your diet, but Milena's one-day coup sounds scary...

...You can try it small steps method and choice architecture. Or repeat the experiment of Audrias from Debesy. It may sound complicated, but it is very simple. Try it. 🌱

And, as always, your opinion and additional questions for Milena are welcome below. Thanks for the time together!