Monday 16 May 2016

My Vegan Life (In Pictures)

My Vegan Life - That Lisa Clare

I've been vegan for over two years now. It's not a secret. I've completely embraced it in every aspect of my life and it's been the most positive thing I've ever done for myself - although I didn't actually do it for myself to begin with - but I don't talk about it much. Sure, I'll wax lyrical about cruelty-free beauty products or what I had for dinner and I think I've used all of the vegan hashtags at some point in the last two years, but I don't really get deep and ethical about it online. To be honest, I'm a little self-conscious because I don't really fancy being stereotyped, and I don't want it to overshadow other aspects of my identity. Today, however, I really feel like giving a bit of insight into my day-to-day life as a vegan...


Vegans are some of the most food-obsessed people I've ever come across, and I'm right in there with them. It's not because we have trouble finding food either; it's more to do with the fact that a whole new world of food options opens up to you when you ditch old habits. Hand on heart, I can honestly say I don't miss anything that I used to eat - mainly because I've been veggie for most of my life, and because, a lot of the time, the meals I cook now are just plant-based versions of the meals I used to make.  I may experience the odd feels when I see someone with blue cheese or a poached egg, but I definitely don't want to eat those things now. They don't register as food with me any more. Those feels are pure nostalgia and have been relegated to the 'been there, done that' folder in my brain. 

Pizza Express Pianta - Vegan Pizza
Pizza Express Pianta Pizza
Nowadays, you'll find me getting ridiculously overexcited about artichokes, guacamole and sweet potatoes (although not on the same plate). Yesterday I baked a swede in the oven and devoured it whole, sprinkled with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. I never enjoyed steak or bacon as much I enjoyed that swede yesterday. I'd describe my current diet as high-carb-low-fat, with mostly whole foods, although that may not be reflected in some of the photos in this post. We're all allowed treats once in a while, and vegan treats are positively saintly compared to their meat, dairy and egg laden counterparts. I shop in regular supermarkets and eat out at regular chain restaurants. 


Beauty has been more of a challenge. I'm still using up the dregs of my pre-vegan makeup stash because I'm not in a position to be able to afford to throw away expensive makeup. Non-vegan ingredients are harder to identify on beauty products and animal testing is a minefield thanks to various legal loopholes. Thanks to sites like Logical Harmony though, I'm able to make more informed choices now and, although there are occasional slip ups - I bought myself a new Barry M eyeshadow palette recently and the primer included with it turned out to contain beeswax - you live and learn) - I now know which brands to avoid and which brands offer amazing cruelty-free products for vegans. 

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation - Vegan Beauty


I wouldn't say that being vegan has changed anything about my personality or who I am as a person, although I'm definitely more mindful now in my day to day life. I've learned that it's okay to ask questions and not to be scared to say no to something because it conflicts with what you feel is right, because people who belong in your life, and deserve your time, will always understand and respect your choices. The most powerful thing I've learned is that it's okay to change your opinion based on new information. One of the most humble things we can do in our lives is to be constantly in search of knowledge and to grow and shape our lives around the things we experience. Some things we see along the way may be shocking and unpleasant, but sometimes they make us better people. I'm definitely a happier, healthier person today because of those things. 
Now that I'm starting to ease myself back into regular blogging again, I'm going to try and share more vegan lifestyle related content, some amazing resources, and maybe even dabble in the odd plant-based recipe post (although don't get too excited about that - I'm a 'fly by the seat of my pants' kinda cook and very rarely use precise measurements or keep track of what ingredients I'm throwing in my pot). 

For more snippets of my vegan lifestyle, feel free to stalk me over on Instagram and Pinterest. I'd love to see you all there! 

SHARE:

1 comment

  1. That vegan pizza looks AMAZING!! I'm vegetarian so it's cool to find a blogger who's lifestyle is similar to me :)

    Blessings,
    Edye | Http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete

© That Lisa Clare | Derbyshire Lifestyle and Travel Blog. All rights reserved.
Blogger Templates by pipdig