Disclosure

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you'll have seen that I often call myself vegan. You may have also noticed that I sometimes eat honey or wear clothes that aren't vegan. I am aware that these things don't work together so I thought I would clarify!

In the summer of 2012, after dealing with lots of stomach aches and then researching about the benefits of a plant-based diet, I decided to go vegan cold turkey, solely in regards to my diet. I stopped eating meat, eggs, dairy and honey. As the weeks went on, I started to think more about the title "vegan" and which reasons caused me to go vegan. The main reasons were all health related. Dairy, especially when combined with processed sugar, didn't sit well in my stomach. With more research I discovered that dairy may actually hurt our bones more than help them. I also learned that I can get all the nutrients I need from plants, while bypassing all the cholesterol and saturated fats found in animal products. This left me with just honey to think about. 

The conclusion I came to in regards to honey is that it doesn't make me feel sick or give me stomach aches. Raw honey also has a lot of health benefits such as containing antioxidants, flavonoids, anti-bacterial properties and anti-fungal properties. It is also an unrefined sugar that doesn't give me a sugar rush followed by a crash, and is therefore a great way for me to sweeten my baked goods and drinks. For these reasons, I do eat honey occasionally.

While I decided to adopt a vegan diet solely due to health reasons at first, I have become more educated about the ethical reasons that people chose a vegan life-style. Currently, I'm still only "vegan" in regards to my diet (with the occasional enjoyment of honey), but I'm currently thinking about and wrestling with the ethical side of veganism. I'm sure I'll write about any changes that occur in that area!