My journey started February 21st, 2010 when my church decided to do a 21 day fast. They gave everyone, who wanted to participate in the fast, the option to fast whatever they wanted. My husband and I decided we were going to go on the Daniel fast for the full 21 days, which was the best thing I could have ever done. The first week was terrible. I was going through withdrawals from chocolate, all kinds of sugars, the greasy hamburgers and all the processed foods that I was so used to eating. I didn’t think I was EVER going to get past craving all that junk. During the second week, I could not believe how I was beginning to feel. I was feeling better than I ever had before! I had tons of energy and didn’t feel bloated and sick anymore! I have had stomach problems for years, but during the fast, all my stomach problems seemed to disappear. After our fast was over, we headed out to our favorite hamburger joint. I got my favorite double cheeseburger and onion rings with sweet tea. Yum…right? Wrong!!! I was only half finished with my burger and I was beginning to feel so bloated and sick. Needless to say, the greasy food that I so used to love, did not love me or my stomach anymore. It was at that moment, when I decided that I was finished with meat, and that is when I decided to become a vegetarian.

I have to tell you....toward the end of our fast, my husband told me about seeing Alicia Silverstone on Oprah and about her new book called “The Kind Diet” . I looked up Alicia and her book on Oprah’s website and I knew that I must have this book. Her words of "flirting" with becoming vegan, and how bad the meat that we buy, really is, really got my curiosity up. So, I got her book for my birthday, and that is when my vegan journey began. So far, it has been great and the thought of meat…well, let’s just say…I do NOT want it anymore! I do not want all that processed food and sugar that I once so loved. I was also so amazed at the cruelty that the animals are put through just to provide food for humans. It is so sad!!! No animal deserves to be treated that way!

Being a vegan goes far beyond food for me. It is a new way of life. I will be posting some tasty vegan recipes, as I find my way in this new way of living. I will also be sharing things I'm learning about other animal free products as well. You may not be vegan, but maybe you will find some of my postings interesting. Vegan or not, the food is fantastic and I know that I'm getting much healthier!

So, I invite you to follow me on my new journey. Who knows…you may just decide to make some changes in your own life. So, here we go...

~lovin...livin...vegan~