Growing up in a Chinese household, my parents always made sure we were well fed. My father was a big foodie and he loved to eat and cook up a feast; putting lobster, crab, abalone and other expensive ingredients on the dinner table every weekend. He was a chef so meal times were always a delightful time of the day.
December 8th 2020
On this day I lost my father and also my appetite, I didn't want to eat or cook and to be honest food was the last thing on my mind, I just didn't want to eat anymore...
When my father passed away, my family and I were devastated. Busy with preparing for the funeral, we didn't have time to think about food. We ate whatever was available, leftover meals from the night before, comfort meals cooked by others only if it was there. There were a number of days I went without eating and some days not even drinking water. My mum would cook a big pot of simple plain rice congee with a few side dishes and this is what my siblings are I were eating everyday. We were dealing with grief and riding through a number of emotions, that we ignored nutrition and quickly became quite fatigued.
Merit is a concept considered fundamental to Buddhist ethics. It is a beneficial and protective force which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts, or thoughts. Merit is also shared with a deceased loved one, in order to help the deceased in their next life.
My mum was the one that kept reminding us that now is NOT the time for us to get ill, we still had a duty to make sure my dad passes into the afterlife successfully and in order for that we had to start eating properly again.
We were really close with my father and the belief of an afterlife is what kept us going, believing that this is not the end and that he would be reborn. With this merit concept, we wanted to do good, and give up something in order to gain merits for my father in his next life. So we decided to go vegan for the 100 days of mourning.
From living in a household where my parents always had the mentality of "YOU NEED TO EAT MEAT" with every meal to be full, my mum was for the idea of going vegan for 100 days as it would contribute in the quality of my fathers next life . It was difficult at the start when we realised A LOT of foods contaied animal by products, but we quickly adapted. Vegan foods are so easily available at the supermarkets now .
Vegan for 100 days
I never used to like the taste of To-fu and mushrooms but during my 100 days of a plant based diet, Tofu was my main source of protein. Also taking a liking to mushrooms, especially pan fried King oyster mushrooms as they have a scallop like texture and taste.
We had a lot of friends and family showing support and sending us vegan hampers and it was easy as we were doing it together as a family, trialing new vegan recipes, taking it in turns to cook.
Unhealthy Vegan- I must admit that during the first few weeks we were just eating vegetable fried rice, noodles, and other processed/fried vegan foods; so not exactly healthy; this actually made me put on 2kg in two weeks.
Not sure of how my body would feel, I was surprised that I didn't feel like I had less energy than when I was on a non plant based diet. We often talked about what we would eat after the 100 days was over. What I missed the most was eggs and red velvet cake. I wasn't craving steak or chicken or fish.
Healthy Vegan- We were all busy with the funeral preparations so anything vegan was okay for us but after the funeral (about 30 days in..) I started to prepare fresh vegan meals and replaced unhealthy vegan snacks for nuts,seeds and fruit. I started eating more grains, beans and tofu.
About 2 weeks into a healthier vegan diet I felt good. I had more energy; didn't wake up feeling lethargic. I could do this vegan diet forever if I had to.
After 100 days
On the 100 days, I was actually suffering the side effects of having my first covid vaccine so I spent my entire day in bed, so kept to a simple vegan meal that day.
As the days went by I began to think do i really want to eat meat and dairy?
I was a fitness enthusiast and I worked out nearly everyday, but from when my father passed away I had not trained for about 40 days. So I was surprised when I was able to perform at the same level as before; running and walking and lifting the same even after the 40 days rest.
I used to always wake up feeling tired but since switching to a healthy vegan diet I rarely feel sluggish when I wake up in the mornings now.
Super excited about how this plant based diet was making me feel I started to read up more about plant based diets and about cancer. After losing my father to cancer I wanted to look after my health more than ever.
I had already watched "Cowspiracy", and David Attenboroughs "A life on our planet" so had already started cutting down meat consumption from September 2020. I then watched "The Game Changer", "What the Health" and "Seaspiracy", and of course all these documentaries are made with one agenda in mind so I do think you should do your own follow up research.
With these documentaries, my own research and my 100 days of vegan diet experience, I decided that going forward my diet would predominantly be plant based.
So I wouldn't say I am on a plant based diet because meat and dairy is bad for the body and for the planet but I am on a plant based diet because it isn't bad for my body.
Today my diet predominantly is plant based, sometimes I do use honey in my cooking and I most definite will and have eaten a meat or fish meal if a plant based or vegetarian meal was/is not available at the time.
Breakfast: Spinach smoothie with banana, handful of berries, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, pea protein powder and a little water.
Marmite on sourbread toast or home made vegan gluten free oat pancakes.
Lunch: Huel hot & savory (when I'm super busy at work), or some kind of noodles, usually soba with soya beans, carrots, tofu in a mirin, sesame dressing.
Dinner: some form of stir fry vegetables in a tahini, miso dressing served with soba noodles or rice, with a side serving of home made kimchi.
snacks: nuts, seeds, dark chocolate
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