The hostility, controversy, and unstoppable rise of Veganism, Vegetarianism and Plant Based Diets. Blog #21

A handful of topics create instant universal controversy and fiery debates on the social medias and in real life. Veganism has been one of them for a few years now. Let's break it down.

A quick glance at the internet reveals how Vegetarianism has been around since the dawn of time, noticeably in India but also in Ancient Greece and all over the world now. There is an estimated 375 million Vegetarians and 1 million Vegans worldwide. In the UK many call themselves Vegetarians when they really are Pescatarians and in the sport industry many prefer the label of a plant based diet as it focuses on health and performance as opposed to animal rights or environment, and is generally more flexible. Regardless of the specificity of each diet it is fair to say that there has been an incredible shift in lifestyle and diet in favour to eating less animal protein, thanks to the internet, the social medias and the Millennials...

From a meathead to a mighty and compassionate human being

I used to eat meat most of my life, consuming obscene amounts of any animals daily and loving it. My parents used to struggle a lot when I was a toddler, so as soon as they started to make money they overfed me like a precious little golden pig to make up for all those years without the luxury of the certainty of nutritious food. The dual French and Chinese culture I grew up in both share their passion to kill, cook and eat any animals, from trotters to testicles, to the snout and anything in between. I can remember my Mum, a Buddhist eating animals very scarcely, chasing me around the family restaurant constantly trying to get me to eat vegetables and fruits for health purpose in vain. Fresh and healthy products were only an anecdote in my diet for most of my life. At that rate, by the age of around 10 I became obese and was diagnosed with Gout, an illness generally associated to old men, my premature surprise inheritance from Dad.

Fast forward few decades, it is 2016 and I am a full vegetarian moving slowly towards Veganism by reducing my consumption of dairy one element at a time. I have started to become obsessed with mindset and therapy since 2015, and as my mind expanded to a greater perspective than my vantage viewpoint I realised I am not the centre of the world and no one should suffer because of me and the antediluvian and obsolete beliefs that serve us absolutely no purpose and are so detrimental to the planet and its inhabitants one way or another.

All the switches are to be found into our subconscious mind

It took me no effort to transition as I know my mind very well and have previously switched lifetime habits many times the moment I found the switch. The switch is that association that programs us to repeat doing those things we know we shouldn't be doing. I have stopped over eating, smoking, drugs, self harming, addiction to fear, anger, sex, porn and Facebook... stopping meat was never going to be a problem for me. I never missed the taste of meat. I never missed the texture or the smell of it. Each day I gained more and more understanding of a healthy, balanced and delicious plant based diet and most of all I gained a new state: the wonderful, unique and overwhelming feeling of living in line with my true inner beliefs.

Most meat eaters avoid watching videos of slaughterhouses yet create the demand. Many meat eaters love their pets yet allow people to harm other animals in those slaughterhouses daily. I was no longer part of the problem and the cohesion of my lifestyle to the way I always felt towards all sentient beings was a revelation, an epiphany, a humbling glimpse into heaven. How could I ever teach compassion if I didn't practice it ?

Self first is not selfish

After 2 years however I decided to allow meat in my diet again in some capacity as my performance as a powerlifter declined considerably. Having survived 46 years on a very specific diet of 75% meat, my body didn't know what to do with all those healthy beans, nuts and leafy greens I was ingesting and wouldn't process enough goodness out of them to help me lift heavy weights and recover from the training. It takes time to the body to adapt to anything and I know that although it might take me longer to adapt I would eventually, just like everyone would. But powerlifting training has been so instrumental into my transformation from a schizophrenic suicidal manic depressive addicted to everything, I chose the way I feel over my commitment to being compassionate to all sentient beings.

Not everything has to be 100% black or white

At the time I am writing this article I am technically enjoying a plant based diet with a limited, specific and mindful meat consumption, and I still enjoy tremendously cooking many vegetarian and vegan meals through the week. I also believe that at some point I might decide to be happy with lifting less and very much potentially go back towards Vegetarianism or Veganism. It is not the label of whatever we are supposed to be. It is doing our best to live in line with our set of inner beliefs and natural connection with all beings, in conjunction with our circumstances. Whatever we do is ok as long as it is chosen and done mindfully. Each moment is followed by another moment offering a different set of questions. We must pay attention and listen to these questions.

If we hear that voice screaming in the back of our mind whenever someone on Facebook shares a video of some animal being tortured and we quickly scroll down whilst munching on a bacon sandwich, we want to listen to that voice. It is the voice of compassion, love and life altogether. The more we learn to listen and address the questions the more we allow ourselves to find the answers. The discomfort we feel is Nature, the Universe and God's way to tell us that there is a better choice of action for us to take. As long as we dismiss the voice we live in ignorance of our full potential as human beings owning the tremendous power to make this world a better place for all... and we remain a part of the problem.

It is never too late or too soon to change

I have learnt in my life as an ex addict to so many things over 38 years, the hard and long way to change myself. As a therapist that unique insight and experience serves me everyday to help people switch and let go of any type of habits. From the most harmless patterns to the most dangerous, intense and life debilitating addictions, the formula is the same. We must find the switch.

If you or someone you know wishes to take the step of Veganism in 2019 and make compassion a new daily lifetime habit, I would be absolutely honoured to guide you through an easy transition, using hypnosis, regression and human psychology within the unique, powerful and life changing scope of Rapid Transformational Therapy.