Why I went Vegan

Growing up in a Chinese household, my parents always made sure we were well fed. My dad was a big foodie and loved both eating and cooking. Every weekend he would put together a proper feast, with lobster, crab, abalone and all sorts of expensive ingredients on the table. He was a chef, so mealtimes were always something to look forward to.

December 8th 2020

This was the day I lost my dad, and with him, I lost my appetite too....

When my father passed away, my family and I were devastated. Busy with preparing for the funeral, that food barely crossed our minds. We ate whatever was there - leftovers from the night before, comfort food cooked by others, anything easy. Some days I went without eating at all, and on some days I didn’t even drink water. My mum would make a big pot of simple rice congee with a few side dishes, and that was what my siblings and I were eating every day.

We were dealing with grief and riding through so many emotions that nutrition became the last thing we thought about. Very quickly, we all became exhausted.

In Buddhism, merit is seen as a beneficial force built up through good deeds, thoughts and actions. It can also be shared with a loved one who has passed away, in the hope of helping them in their next life..

My mum was the one who kept reminding us that this was not the time for us to get ill. We still had a duty to make sure Dad passed into the afterlife properly, and for that, we needed to start eating properly again.

We were very close to my dad, and the belief in an afterlife was what helped keep us going. We wanted to believe that this was not the end, and that he would be reborn. With the idea of merit in mind, we wanted to do something meaningful. We wanted to give something up, as a way of building merit for my dad in his next life.

So we decided to go vegan for the 100 days of mourning.

Coming from a household where the mindset had always been, “You need to eat meat with every meal to feel full,” this was a big change. But my mum was fully on board with the idea, because she believed it would help contribute to the quality of my dad’s next life. It was difficult at first, especially when we realised just how many foods contain animal by-products, but we adapted quickly. Vegan food is actually so easy to find in supermarkets now.

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Vegan for 100 days

Before this, I never really liked tofu or mushrooms very much. But during those 100 days on a plant-based diet, tofu became my main source of protein, and I actually started to enjoy mushrooms too - especially pan-fried king oyster mushrooms, which have such a scallop-like texture.

We had a lot of support from friends and family, with people sending us vegan hampers and other thoughtful bits. It also made a big difference that we were doing it together as a family, trying out new recipes and taking turns to cook

To be honest, during the first few weeks we were definitely doing “unhealthy vegan.” We were eating vegetable fried rice, noodles, and other processed or fried vegan foods, so it was not exactly a health kick. In fact, I actually put on 2kg in the first two weeks.

I wasn’t sure how my body would feel, but I was surprised that I didn’t feel like I had less energy than when I was eating a non-plant-based diet. We often talked about what we would eat once the 100 days were over. The things I missed most were eggs and red velvet cake. I wasn’t craving steak, chicken or fish.

Once the funeral was over, around 30 days in, I started making fresher vegan meals and swapping unhealthy vegan snacks for nuts, seeds and fruit. I was eating more grains, beans and tofu.

After about two weeks on a healthier vegan diet, I actually felt really good. I had more energy and I wasn’t waking up feeling lethargic anymore. At that point I remember thinking, I could actually do this forever if I had to.

After 100 days

On the 100th day, I was actually dealing with the side effects of my first Covid vaccine, so I spent the whole day in bed and kept things simple with a basic vegan meal.

As time went on, I started asking myself: Do I even want to eat meat and dairy again?

I’ve always been into fitness and used to work out nearly every day, but after my dad passed away I didn’t train for around 40 days. Even so, I was surprised that I could still perform at the same level as before - running, walking and lifting as normal, even after that long break.

I also noticed that I no longer woke up feeling sluggish all the time. Since switching to a healthier plant-based diet, I rarely feel like that in the mornings now.

Feeling so positive about how this way of eating was making me feel, I started reading more about plant-based diets and about cancer too. After losing my dad to cancer, I wanted to look after my health more than ever.

I had already watched Cowspiracy and David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet, so I had started cutting down on meat from around September 2020. After that I watched The Game Changers, What the Health and Seaspiracy. Of course, documentaries are always made with a particular angle in mind, so I do think it’s important to do your own follow-up research too.

Between those documentaries, my own reading, and my experience of 100 days eating vegan, I decided that going forward my diet would be predominantly plant-based.

So I wouldn’t say I eat mostly plant-based because I believe meat and dairy are automatically bad for everyone or bad for the planet in every single context. For me, it’s more that this way of eating makes me feel good, and doesn’t feel bad for my body.

These days, my diet is still mainly plant-based. Sometimes I use honey in my cooking, and there have been times when I’ve eaten meat or fish if a plant-based or vegetarian option wasn’t available.

Breakfast: Spinach smoothie with banana, a handful of berries, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, pea protein powder and a little water. Sometimes Marmite on sourdough toast, or homemade vegan gluten-free oat pancakes.

Lunch: Usually Huel Hot & Savoury when I’m really busy with work, or some kind of noodles - often soba with soya beans, carrots and tofu in a mirin and sesame dressing.

Dinner: Usually some kind of stir-fried vegetables in a tahini and miso dressing, served with soba noodles or rice, with homemade kimchi on the side

snacks: nuts, seeds, dark chocolate