French for life, Vegan for 31 days
3 reasons why I am going vegan this January
Veganuary is a campaign whose aim is to reduce the suffering of animals by inspiring and supporting people across the globe to go vegan for the month of January. Watch their latest video here to find out more.
Reducing meat and dairy consumption is good for the planet, it helps reduce cruelty to animals and it is great for your health.
I was born in France and brought up on a small farm. I moved to London 2o years ago and I am now a Nutritional Therapist. I have always enjoyed plant-based dishes but as a native French, becoming vegan feels like an enormous challenge. For some people, it may even feel totally impossible. This is because the traditional French diet includes large amounts of meat and dairy.
So why have I decided to go vegan this January?
There are 3 main reasons why I am keen to try a vegan diet during the month of January.
- As a Nutritional Therapist, I am interested in finding out if the vegan diet is balanced and suitable for long term health. The best way to assess this is by doing it myself.
- I want to raise awareness about the negative impact of eating highly processed animal products.
- I want to learn how to reduce my impact on the planet.
France: a country where food is sacred
Food in France has a very special place in the culture. France’s extraordinary range of different geographies and climates support the local production of all types of ingredients. Any visitors will find that French cuisine is extremely diverse with many traditional dishes using local produce. In many ways, an understanding of the culture of French food is an understanding of France itself. And quality always wins above quantity.
Where I grew up, produce are generally grown locally. Meat and dairy come from known farms. Animals are raised with care and respect. Farming skills are passed down to the younger generations. Small farmers aspire to reach self sufficiency and sustainability of supply. Resources are maximised and waste is limited.
These are the values I was brought up with and they are still very close to my heart even though I live in London.
The vegan movement, for me, is a great wake up call for the people who have not had the opportunity to experience what I have taken for granted for so long: all food should be treated with the ultimate respect.
Let’s reconnect with real food
Nowadays, people are encouraged to buy large quantities of food from supermarkets. Some of this food is consumed but unfortunately a lot is thrown away every week (7 million tonnes every year in the UK)! We have got used to year around availability of produce and we have completely lost the connection with nature’s seasonal cycles (unless you are lucky enough to have a garden or an allotment). Let’s try to change this!
Veganuary is a great campaign to encourage people to think about what they eat every day, where the food comes from and how it is produced.
Let’s slow down a bit to reassess what we are doing to ourselves and to our planet.
I invite you to follow my personal journey during the next few week. I am looking forward to discovering new tastes and new textures. All plant-based of course! I will be sharing my thoughts and my favourite recipes on this blog on a regular basis.