Confession of a vegan- What made me go the WFPB route, How it all started!! The true story - by Madhura Vayal
Whatever everyone has heard till date about how I became a vegan isn’t really truly or rather the complete story. To be honest as time has passed the details have become hazy but I definitely remember that one fateful evening when my husband declared that we are watching a documentary called the Gerson’s Therapy. It is based on the findings of Dr Gerson who showed that a plant based nutrient rich diet can possibly heal everything…. After a decade of wholefood plant based lifestyle I vaguely remember what this documentary really was all about but I definitely remember that carrot juice had loads of nutrients which can reverse cancer as well as improve eyesight!…My husband was thoroughly impressed but if you ask me, it really didn’t create much of a dent in me!!
A little back story- just before this documentary watching I had undergone an emergency surgery where I had to be admitted and my gall bladder was removed laparoscopically. My husband found this extremely invasive and with my past medical history to add on to, he really wanted to find a good solution for me. He himself was undergoing some health issues, where his blood reports showed elevated cholesterol levels along with a heightened HbA1c making him borderline diabetic. Being an anti-medicine person, he was tremendously motivated to find out how all of this can be reversed without adding any chemicals in the body. Gersons Therapy became like a Eureka moment for Raj and he was really focused on implementing this in his life. Let me stress on this- the man went to great lengths to implement it. Someone who had not been in the kitchen for much other than making tea or heating his cold meals, he was willingly researching recipes and even attempting to make them with very few errors and a lot of creativity. It had kind of become a mission for him to turn his health around and maybe take us (our kids and I) for a health ride with him.
With all this frenzy happening and me just having delivered a baby boy (Ram was just about 2 months old), I didn’t have enough free brain cells to even think whether I wanted to be vegan, plant based, oil free or what not free. I had just recovered from a serious bout of mastitis. All I wanted was rest, peace of mind and ready to eat meals in my hands (Being in US without a maid, one toddler and a new born, food was the last thing on my mind, all I was looking for was ready to eat meals). It was not an easy transition for me. I am a typical GSB and I was eating non-veg- eggs, chicken, and fish almost every single day except for Mondays occasionally. Raj and I had our share of arguments, but I must really give it to him for holding his ground and not budging or cheating even once. He has been an unwavering vegan since Nov-Dec 2013. A decade of not eating any animal products.
So, what made me turn Vegan? Honestly it was neither health nor was it ethics and definitely environment wasn’t on my mind then. But inwardly I was very competitive and a go-getter. Now what has competitiveness got to do with turning vegan? When Raj started following this lifestyle, he immediately started shedding weight and he definitely started looking good. (Along with a few kgs he dropped a few years as well, He still looks as if time has stood still other than the handsome salt n pepper hair). With the pregnancy and a bad lifestyle (even after the stroke) I was 87-88kgs and my weight was just not budging. I decided to do it just so that I wouldn’t be the unhealthiest one (that too being a nutritionist). I copied Raj in everything he was doing, religiously ate what he ate (he was cooking anyways) and even started working out with him. Did I really enjoy the food- an honest NO!! He is a terrible cook lets maintain that but he was surely trying hard. Lo and behold, the results were outstanding- the kgs were melting and the body was getting toned and in shape but what I markedly experienced was an astonishing mental clarity and a feeling of calmness even with small kids and no help. My irritability was next to gone and at times even I noticed, I had a smile on my face. I was comfortably doing activities which I found really boring and cumbersome…Physically I was on top of the world even better than in my teenage years.
I have really not shared this with anyone but currently on a self-discovery journey I find this chapter of my life very fascinating and definitely worth sharing with those who still haven’t found a reason for becoming vegan…So whatever it is, just dig deep in and find out that one reason- good or bad that can really catapult you to your amazing new self!!… Definitely worth a shot…. Thank you, Raj, for being that driving force!
