Welcome to my Cruelty-Free World

Hi, my name is Danielle, and I’m a vegan.

I dunno, it sounded like the best way to introduce this. But really, that’s what I’m here to ‘blog’ about in a few short words. How did I get here? Well, once upon a time…
I grew up in a very healthy family…homemade baby food, breads, etc. My mother knew how important setting her kids up on the right path to nutrition was. McDonald’s was a rare occurrence in our household, and not a nightly dinner as it has become in many, and I am thankful every day for the healthy life my mother started me out on. Did we eat meat? Of course we did, but that’s another story for another time.
In college, I bought the book Skinny Bitch simply because the title caught my eye, and I thought it sounded hilarious. I actually didn’t read the cover or anything, and had no idea what it was really about, I just thought it looked cute and funny! Turns out, it was a book on veganism! Sneaky, sneaky, I know! However, this book quickly became my Bible in a way, because it truly opened my eyes and gave me a completely new perspective on everything that I did in my daily life. I read the book in a day, and the next day proudly proclaimed to my fiancé and anyone else who would listen, “I’m vegan now!!!” Yeah, well that lasted all of 3 days, until my hunger for fatty, delicious cheese soon took over again. Fail! Well, from that point on, I was always very conscious about what I was putting into my body, although I’d still eat things that I knew I shouldn’t be eating. I loved eating at Vegan restaurants in LA and ate a lot more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and even though I would go vegetarian for sometimes up to a month at a time, in the long run I just couldn’t give up my meat and cheese.
Well, in November, we moved from Los Angeles to Madison, WI. Now you’re probably thinking that I’m a complete carnivore after moving to the land of cheese and beef, but wrong! My mother purchased the book The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone for me after I told her on the phone that I re-read Skinny Bitch and really wanted to stop eating carcasses and nipple puss. When I received it, I read that one in a day too, and since February 28, 2010, I have been 100% vegan, and could not be happier! Yes, I spent my first couple of months in Wisconsin completely indulging on burgers and cheese and this amazing Wisconsin creation called Frozen Custard, but I knew that this was not how I was supposed to live. I was battling severe insomnia, joint pain, and this 25 year old was told by her chiropractor that I had a 70-year olds back. It hurt to exercise so I always made excuses not to do it, and I started growing out of my clothes in ways that no woman wants to do. It was time for a change.

Well, it’s been a month and a half, and I’m a new person! I lost 9 pounds the first month, just eating vegan “junk” food (meat alternatives, vegan baked goods, etc.) and I haven’t had a cheese craving yet! I can sleep through the night, my digestive system doesn’t feel like it’s fighting against me anymore, and I’m not trying to brag or anything, but my skin looks freaking amazing! I feel so good, and have found a new appreciation for that room in my apartment I always tried to avoid…the kitchen!

So here I am, a month and a half into this journey to my new life. I invite you to join me on this journey, or just stop by to see what kinds of vegan friendly places I find in my new city, or to snatch a yummy recipe, or if curiosity just gets the best of you. Welcome to my new cruelty-free world!