Five years ago I delved into the world of veganism after being vegetarian for many years. I became vegan as part of my new years resolution and went into it knowing very little about the lifestyle.
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I didn’t have much support but I received a cookbook as a gift, The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, that changed my life and I have not looked back.
Veganism has such a huge impact on our health, the environment and animal welfare. There are many studies done, in particular The China Study, that links a plant based diet with a reduction in heart disease, some cancers and autoimmune diseases.
People who eat plants tend to weigh less and report having more energy, clearer skin and overall better health. When I became vegan, I saw my cholesterol levels drop and I ran a 10 mile run and a half marathon.
Veganism also impacts the environment because growing plants requires less resources than factory farming. Raising animals for food puts a tremendous strain on our environment because it uses a huge amount of water and there is so much waste from the animals.
Animal waste produces methane which is one of the greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. The best action you can take to help save our environment is to stop eating meat.
My main inspiration for transitioning to the vegan lifestyle was animal welfare. When animals are raised for food, they are crammed in tiny spaces, they are denied fresh air and they are horribly mistreated. Baby cows are taken away from their mothers to become veal meat and the milk from the mothers is being bottled and shipped for our consumption.
There is nothing natural about factory farming; it is a business and animal welfare is not a big priority. Factory farming impacts our health because animals are injected with growth hormones and antibiotics which is then finding their way into our bodies when we consume these products.
Veganism means to consume a diet that is devoid of animal products and byproducts. It is not, however, devoid of taste or nutrients. A well balanced vegan diet is full of vitamins, minerals, calcium, protein and iron and all these nutrients comes from plants.
I have since been dedicated to sharing easy, delicious vegan recipes and inspiring people to eat more plants. Here is a key lime pie recipe that is completely delicious and is vegan and gluten-free.
Crust ingredients:
1 cup of gluten-free rolled oats
2 tbsp of chia seeds
2 tbsp of flaxseed meal
7 soaked dates, pitted
Filling ingredients:
2 12 oz cans of coconut cream
Juice from 2-3 limes
2 tsp of vanilla extract
6 soft dates, pitted
Method
- In your food processor, blend the crust ingredients and press into a cake pan.
- Put wax paper on the bottom of a cake pan.
Make sure the crust is spread out and even.- Blend the filling ingredients well, making sure everything is as smooth as possible.
- Spread the filling on top of the crust.
- Add a lime for decoration.
Notes: you can replace the dates in the filling with 1/2 cup of coconut sugar. Lime juice is bitter so taste the filling before you add more juice. If you love lime juice, add more. You can also refrigerate full fat coconut milk to use in place of the cream. You can also add pecans or walnuts to the crust.
