After discharge, I adopted my healthy eating habits again – cutting out sugar and oils but unfortunately restricting severely too. I was terrified of dairy... for the saturated fat I thought. Turns out I was wrong.
In February 2016, I decided that I wanted to go vegan. I think I subconsciously knew that dairy was unnatural for us and should very rightly so make us feel sick when we eat it but I hadn't established this link. After being educated about the dairy industry, and the egg industry I went vegan, never looking back.
For the first time in two years, the food I was eating wasn't knocking me sick. Yes, I still had that voice in my head telling me that I was unworthy and that I didn't deserve to eat, but that dirty feeling I had was disappearing. The fear foods I had were slowly disappearing as I dived in and tried yoghurt, cheese and milk for the first time in two years. Not only were these options healthier for me, I was confident that I was no longer eating the product of exploitation in my breakfast, lunch and tea. My mind was shifting. Foods that I had never previously tried such as walnuts, avocados and brazil nuts, I embraced, recognising how healthy and natural they were for me. The fridge became a garden of fruit and vegetables instead of stolen breast milk, and stolen eggs.
My eating disorder was incredibly strong, but I had right on my side. The food that I was eating was natural, healthy, green, yellow, purple, red and orange. I was finally winning – competing with my eating disorder, telling it that a big bowl of greens ARE allowed!
Becoming vegan was a life changer for me. I felt alive. I felt well. I felt clean.
YOU ARE READING
How Veganism is Helping me to Overcome my Eating Disorder
Non-FictionA short insight into how, by adopting an vegan lifestyle, I was able to avoid a second hospital admission and began to start living my life again!
