Greetings!

I've recently embraced vegan eating as a life-enhancing choice and it's really worked out for me. Thus, I wanted to write about my experiences -- as much for me to remember the fine details as to let others know what I'm doing. Hopefully, I'll be able to collect little tips, tricks, and anecdotes, so I can look back and see where I've been and where I can go from here.

First off, it should be known that I was raised almost vegan. When I was a little kid, I was violently allergic to sugar and cow's milk, so my mom replaced those kind of things with goats milk and soy. Yes, I was the kid who didn't get to choose between plain or chocolate milk at elementary school, but instead was greeted with a cafeteria worker's rolled eyes and handed an "Ah-Soy" soymilk in a capri-sun-like foil packet. At least I got chocolate-flavored milk every day! Okay...carob. =)

I had horrible allergies and asthma if I didn't hold to a vegetable-based diet as a kid. Well, that was until my hormones kicked in at 13. The childhood asthma left me and my ultra-skinny frame started putting on some weight. I decided to try out my newfound health and fill myself with as much McDonalds and sweets I could get my hands on.

Needless to say, by the time I was 16, I went from a 29 inch waist to a 38 inch waist. Throughout college, I hit 40 inches and realized I needed to eat much much better. I started moving back into a vegetable-based diet, but kept my beloved chicken, fish, and dairy.

After college, for some reason, my asthma came back FULL FORCE. I was hacking and wheezing every morning, weak from the exertion of just breathing. A doctor prescribed Singulair, which cleared up my breathing, but only if I took it every day.

I experimented with vegetarian eating, keeping eggs and dairy in my diet. I lost a little bit of weight and I was feeling better (and was coincidentally dating a vegetarian), but the asthma still hung on, bad as ever.

Well, a few months ago, I decided to give up on milk, just for a little bit. And you know what? The asthma went away, almost entirely. I dropped all animal products beside milk when I found them in my diet. Eggs were the hardest, to be honest -- they just taste soooo good to me. It must be memories from childhood.

And now - I'm reclaiming my childhood way of eating =), to great success. My partner, Lance, and I cook and eat vegan now and we love it.

So here's to learning new things! =)