Here to stay

So there we are. One more foodie adding to the pile of blogs. I've been thinking about it a lot, since changing my eating habits drastically in april this year. I've been wanting to write, about the why and how of vegan food and my temperamentful love affair with healthy eating. I love to cook, I love to eat, I love to inhale chocolate. Only a few months ago I was an omnivore, a meateater, a sugar addict and a frequent drinker of wine, gin & tonics and full fat cappucino's. Hell, I even used to smoke, which is pretty darn crazy for someone who wants nothing but to go through life as a professional singer. I also used to weigh about 11 kg more than I do today. I used to feel tired and unhealthy. I had been using make-up on my face almost every single day since I was about 18 years old. And I used to close my eyes for the fact that I was munching on dead animals, produced in an industry that has nightmare-like proportions.

And one day it hit me. I still don't know what really happened as it went so quickly. I was fed-up with my weight and inspired by a friend to do a 10 day lemonade fast. You know, 10 days of nothing but water, lemonjuice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. I pulled through and I dropped some pounds but more importantly; it got me thinking. Your mind tends to change during a fast, and mine sure did. I read about 'Skinny Bitch', bought myself a copy (best gift I ever gave myself) and devoured it in two days. I cried. I finally opened my eyes to what is happening in the world. The horrors of factory farming. The craziness of modern food industry. The diet hysteria that makes us scared of carbs. The way we stopped thinking for ourselves. The way we are slaves to alcohol, sugar and caffeine. Then I read 'Eating Animals' by Jonathan Safran Foer and my mind was made up. I was going vegan overnight.

People around me thought I was 'going through a phase'. Some of my best friends called me 'crazy', and a fanatic. I had a hard time explaining myself while trying not to be preachy. Ofcourse, it was a bit strange for people to accept the sudden and extreme changes in my lifestyle. God, before I was a drinking bulldozer, a hamburger baking rock 'n rollster. I used to think of vegetarians as 'smelly people' and I wasn't that big an animal fan (honestly, I am still not that fond of horses). And there I went, all idealistic and glowing with health, talking about animal rights and the future of the planet. For some friends, it was a bit hard to believe. 'Who are you and what have you done to Laura?'

Today, I couldn't be feeling better. I don't eat any animal products, I try to eat no refined sugar at all, quit the coffee and sold my espresso machine and I seriously limited my alcohol intake. I visit food festivals, meet other vegans, follow a bunch of vegan/vegetarian foodblogs and became a regular at my local whole foods store (Biomarkt). My kitchen cabinets are filled with dried legumes, healthy oils and whole-grain pasta's. I have a this really nice 'groentenabonnement' that gets me a bag of organic fruits and vegetables every week. And who knew I would start to love all soy products? One of my foodie friends Hiske now lovingly calls me a 'Tofu Warrior' (or a Teenage Mutant Vegan Turtle).

I love it. And I need a place like this to share my ideas and recipes, and to connect to the big vegan scene in the United States (the reason I write in English). You better recognize, because this Veggienista is here to stay.