{"id":8716,"date":"2016-11-04T10:20:58","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T08:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/?p=8716"},"modified":"2021-10-06T02:19:57","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T23:19:57","slug":"kaip-tapti-vegane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/how-to-become-a-vegan\/","title":{"rendered":"Why did I become vegan? <i>I got rid of acne and allergies<\/i>"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Vegans:&nbsp;<\/strong>people who protect not only their health, but also nature <a href=\"#footnote-1-8716\" id=\"note-1-8716\" class=\"footnote-link\">1<\/a> and animals <a href=\"#footnote-2-8716\" id=\"note-2-8716\" class=\"footnote-link\">2<\/a> chooses to eat only plant-based food.<\/p>\n<p>However, for some people, such changes may seem scary. <a href=\"https:\/\/tapkaugalingas.lt\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Most of all, from not knowing how easy it is to become a vegan.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Today&#039;s interviewee <strong>Milena Kolesinskaite&nbsp;<\/strong>that&#039;s exactly how he changed his daily life. One day she realized that she could no longer live by contributing to the suffering of other living beings... <strong>And became a vegan.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It&#039;s quite an interesting story because Milena seems to have had no difficulty with the extreme dietary changes! Well, we&#039;d better let Milena tell us all about it:<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"16877\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/milena-koles-kaip-as-tapau-vegane.jpg\" width=\"656\" height=\"437\" data-width=\"656\" data-height=\"437\" data-init-width=\"1250\" data-init-height=\"833\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Hello! First of all, who are you?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p style=\"\">I am Milena Kolesinskait\u0117, I am 27 years old. I am in the heart <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/milenoszaislai\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a toy maker<\/a>, writer and curious person. I also like to entertain people, improve myself by gaining wisdom from life and the environment.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Do you often challenge yourself?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>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...<\/p>\n<p>I can&#039;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 &quot;just&quot; - all of them are very necessary for me.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> What challenge did you take on?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I don&#039;t feel comfortable calling this a challenge because I found it very easy. And the challenge should be difficult, right? I became a vegan.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>No meat, no dairy, no eggs and no honey. I buy only vegan cosmetics and try to invest every penny responsibly.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Most go vegetarian first and then vegan. Why did you decide to change your diet so suddenly?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I wanted quick changes and quick results. I didn&#039;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&#039;t wait any longer for ethical and moral reasons - I wouldn&#039;t have been able to live with myself, knowing the harm I was doing to animals to satisfy my non-essential needs.<\/p>\n<p>This challenge, I think, was determined. I&#039;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.<\/p>\n<p>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 &quot;junk food&quot; and coke. However, it so happened that now I am teaching my mother\u2026 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>So, all my life I have been slowly working towards this challenge. I just needed some encouragement and more information.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Is being a healthy vegan easy?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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 <a href=\"#footnote-3-8716\" id=\"note-3-8716\" class=\"footnote-link\">3<\/a> and take care of your health and possibly use some nutritional supplements.<\/p>\n<p>True, nutritionists vitamins <strong>D <\/strong>and <strong>B12 <\/strong>supplements and so recommend <strong>to everyone <\/strong>for northerners - even those who eat animal food.<\/p>\n<p>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&#039;m not picky about food, but I like to eat tasty and full.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> How<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;organism<\/strong><strong> responded to the changes? <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I didn&#039;t really experience any downsides. Everything just got better - not immediately, but little by little.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The first observation is <strong>a feeling of lightness and endless energy. <\/strong>I started to sleep better, I felt fresher in the mornings.<\/li>\n<li>Later I noticed other positive changes in the body - <strong>previously, a sore throat in the cold season was common for me. <\/strong>However, after becoming a vegan, I experienced this only once and recovered easily.<\/li>\n<li><strong>My skin also improved, I got rid of the unnecessary layer of fat around my stomach <\/strong>and I experienced many other small health improvements that I had not even noticed before.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Only after becoming a vegan did I learn to understand my body better and started taking care of it.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Have you ever wanted to give it all up and go back to being omnivorous?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>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?<\/p>\n<p>But immediately the thought flashed that everything is fine, taste is not everything. There are tons of other things that are also delicious.<\/p>\n<p>And when your stomach is full, you don&#039;t think about any chicken. Besides, there already is <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Meat_analogue\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vegan chicken and other meats<\/a>, just wait until you bring her here. <a href=\"#footnote-4-8716\" id=\"note-4-8716\" class=\"footnote-link\">4<\/a> If I still want her by then...<\/p>\n<p>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&#039;m stronger than my normal instinct to grab a tasty morsel.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><strong> What do you think about your changes today?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Well, to be honest, I can cry with happiness just thinking that it&#039;s been a year already. <a href=\"#footnote-5-8716\" id=\"note-5-8716\" class=\"footnote-link\">5<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>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&#039;t know it yet.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> What have you learned this year?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>In the year that I&#039;ve been vegan, I&#039;ve gained more knowledge than I probably did in my entire year at school. And, of course, I calmed my conscience.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If I hadn&#039;t tried this challenge, I would have never known how good it feels.<\/strong> It also gave me the opportunity to evaluate people I know and who are close to me in a different way.<\/p>\n<p>I learned (and am still learning) that you can and should fight for your values. Basically, there wasn&#039;t a single negative thing about this challenge. Everything after that only goes up\u2026 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"16878\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/milena-koles-vegane.jpg\" width=\"656\" height=\"437\" data-width=\"656\" data-height=\"437\" data-init-width=\"955\" data-init-height=\"637\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Do you have any advice for people who want to go vegan?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I suggest getting involved as much as possible: join <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1574075269567131\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vegan communities<\/a>, read books, watch documentaries and other people&#039;s videos about their experiences. <a href=\"https:\/\/tapkaugalingas.lt\/\" style=\"outline: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Try the free courses for those who want to eat more plant-based<\/a>. All of these have a lot of valuable information.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The most important thing is not to forget the goal and the results. <\/strong>Don&#039;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.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Soooooo\u2026 What challenge will you take on now? Do you already have ideas?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Yes! This time I feel the need (according to the current lifestyle) to start exercising. Since I&#039;m in a position where I can afford it, I&#039;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.<\/p>\n<p>I&#039;m afraid I&#039;ll be disappointed, because I&#039;m not one of those people who likes to do sports, although I like to move. We&#039;ll see how it goes. I haven&#039;t quite decided on it yet, but I have an idea.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: normal;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block;\">\ud83c\udf31<\/span><\/span><strong> Thank you, Milena!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Wow, how easily and pleasantly did Milena get here! And if you also want to change your diet, but Milena&#039;s one-day revolution sounds scary...<\/p>\n<p>\u2026You can try it <a href=\"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/how-to-live-healthier\/\" style=\"outline: none;\">small steps method and choice architecture<\/a>. Or repeat&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/minus-kilograms\/\" style=\"outline: none;\">the experiment of Audrias from Debesy<\/a>. It may sound complicated, but it is very simple. Try it. \ud83c\udf31<\/p>\n<p>And, as always, your opinion and additional questions for Milena are welcome below. Thanks for the time together!<\/p>\n<div id=\"parasas\" class=\"\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 900 189\" width=\"200\">\n        <path class=\"d-1\" d=\"M67 50L5 172\"\/>\n        <path class=\"d-2\" d=\"M19 152c7 8 30 33 59 32 41-1 76-46 80-100 2-22-6-77-42-79C61 2-1 54 46 76\"\/>\n        <path class=\"a\" d=\"M204 126.9c1.4-6-1-23.7-8.8-23.3-33.2 1-44 50-31 54 11 3 22-10 36-25 2-3 14 9 25 10\"\/>\n        <path class=\"nie\" d=\"M211 157c45-44 65-58 70-54 6 5-16 42-12 45 6 4 47-55 57-49 7 4-7 34 4 47 8 11 20 7 28 1 18-14 28-28 27-22s-5 38 46 16c21-9 22-29 13-36-3-2-16 6-16 16-1 18 14 29 37 28\"\/>\n        <path class=\"t-1\" d=\"M387 80a1 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 0-2 0\"\/>\n        <path class=\"liu\" d=\"M444 184C549 88 546 23 536 23c-19 0-57 74-57 122 0 4 5 13 13 16 5 3 11 2 16 1 6-1 11-6 17-10l39-32c0 6-2 8-3 14-2 7-2 10 1 14l5 4c6 3 14 1 20-1 17-7 26-19 44-29 3-1 8-4 12-2l5 6c4 11 1 16 4 22s13 10 20 8 12-9 13-14l4-13 3-5 6-4 13-5c3-1 6-3 10-8\"\/>\n        <path class=\"t-2\" d=\"M576 85a1 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 0-2 0\"\/>\n        <path class=\"s-1\" d=\"M720 142c8 2 27 3 35-3 6-4-18-36-22-32-3 4-6 19-30 65\"\/>\n        <path class=\"s-2\" d=\"M756 140c4-1 9-4 12-8\"\/><\/svg>\n    <\/div>\n    <noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/wp-content\/themes\/debesyla\/inc\/img\/fallback-parasas.png\" alt=\"Daniel\" style=\"top: -2.5em; position: relative;\"><\/noscript>\n<p><span><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"16894\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/tapk-augalingas-veganu-kursai-nemokami.png\" style=\"\" width=\"136\" height=\"143\" data-width=\"136\" data-height=\"143\" data-init-width=\"300\" data-init-height=\"314\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h3>UPDATED: Free Nutrition Courses<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">I have a useful resource to add to this conversation: <strong>&quot;Be auMighty&quot;<\/strong> a challenge. <a href=\"#footnote-6-8716\" id=\"note-6-8716\" class=\"footnote-link\">6<\/a> Join and get knowledge from plant nutrition specialists in 22 days.<\/p>\n<div class=\"footnotes\"><hr \/><ol><li id=\"footnote-1-8716\" class=\"footnote\"><p>The meat and dairy industry is a bigger source of pollution than road transport. Plant-based food production, on average, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-017-06466-8\" style=\"outline: none;\">is 2-8 times cleaner<\/a>.<a href=\"#note-1-8716\" class=\"footnote-return\">&#8617;<\/a><\/p><\/li><!--\/#footnote-1.footnote--><li id=\"footnote-2-8716\" class=\"footnote\"><p>can you imagine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kiausiniukaina.lt\/\" style=\"outline: none;\">under what cruel conditions are raised hens<\/a> and dairy cows, not counting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NxvQPzrg2Wg\" style=\"outline: none;\">meat animals<\/a>?<a href=\"#note-2-8716\" class=\"footnote-return\">&#8617;<\/a><\/p><\/li><!--\/#footnote-2.footnote--><li id=\"footnote-3-8716\" class=\"footnote\"><p>This is easy to do in polyclinics and in the departments of some larger pharmacies where there are blood test centers.<a href=\"#note-3-8716\" class=\"footnote-return\">&#8617;<\/a><\/p><\/li><!--\/#footnote-3.footnote--><li id=\"footnote-4-8716\" class=\"footnote\"><p>This interview was recorded in mid-2016. Currently, at the beginning of 2020, there are already plenty of alternatives to these animal products in Lithuania. Recommended to check <a href=\"https:\/\/www.veggo.lt\/\" style=\"outline: none;\">VEGG<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.livinn.lt\/\" style=\"outline: none;\">LIVIN<\/a>, as well as large shopping centers.<a href=\"#note-4-8716\" class=\"footnote-return\">&#8617;<\/a><\/p><\/li><!--\/#footnote-4.footnote--><li id=\"footnote-5-8716\" class=\"footnote\"><p>The conversation was recorded in the middle of 2016, currently, at the beginning of 2020, Milena is still vegan and has not stopped this diet.<a href=\"#note-5-8716\" class=\"footnote-return\">&#8617;<\/a><\/p><\/li><!--\/#footnote-5.footnote--><li id=\"footnote-6-8716\" class=\"footnote\"><p>I also worked on it.<a href=\"#note-6-8716\" class=\"footnote-return\">&#8617;<\/a><\/p><\/li><!--\/#footnote-6.footnote--><\/ol><\/div><!--\/#footnotes-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\tMilena realized that she cannot live by eating other animals... And became a vegan. However, it was not difficult for her! Here&#039;s how you can become a vegan too.\t\t<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8716","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-debesylieciai"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debesyla.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}