I have been vegan for 13 years and am here to say that it is not an optimal diet for every human.

In fact I have come to realize it can even be dangerous for some, like myself.

If someone told me this years ago I would have (silently) scoffed and felt a mild tingling of superiority spread throughout my being. "I just care more about the welfare of other beings than this person." I would have thought. I never outwardly judged people for their dietary choices and I even tried to combat the invasive arrogant thoughts that came into my head with things like "Hey there buddy, you enjoying that laptop that people died making? How about that tablet that you got purely for pleasure and can't even justify with work? Oh you liking that quinoa that you are eating and taking from the mouths of people in a third-world country that depended on it and now can't afford it because you have it? How about that coconut oil you practically bathe in that was probably harvested by chained up monkeys?" but somewhere under all that I still felt a bit of superiority and now I am here to admit that was ableist of me.

I genuinely believed anyone could thrive on a vegan diet. But why?

Because I had for 5 or 10 years and I felt fine? I was thriving. What kind of self-centered, arrogant crap is that to think? I am not a doctor and I was admittedly not chronically ill but I somehow thought if a diet worked for me it must work for everyone else too? I am now chronically ill with 3 overlapping diseases. Interstitial cystitis, IBS, and most likely -to my horror- PCOS. Now you may be asking what exactly makes me vegan so dangerous or impossible to thrive on just because of some illnesses? Surely I can just eat beans, nuts, veggies and get all the good nutrients I need to thrive.

Well, I decided to make a pie chart to illustrate my point a bit easier.

Here is a full list of foods to be avoided if you have interstitial cystitis:
Cranberry juice, Grapefruit and grapefruit juice, Lemons, Oranges and orange juice, Pineapple and pineapple juice, Strawberries, Chili peppers, Pickles, Sauerkraut, Tomatoes and tomato products, Processed sandwich meats (salami, bologna), Soy, Yogurt, Chili, Horseradish, Ketchup, Salad Dressings, Soy sauce, Vinegar, Worcester Sauce, Alcohol, Coffee (caffeinated and decaffeinated), Tea (caffeinated and decaffeinated), Carbonated drinks, (cola, non-cola, diet, and caffeine-free), Chocolate, Indian food, Mexican food, Pizza, Spicy foods, Thai food, Artificial sweeteners (Equal® (sweetener), NutraSweet®, Saccharin, and Sweet’N Low®) Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

and if you are thinking, yeah well they say to avoid those things but you could probably make exceptions. Right now I am at a point where I am peeing 30 times a day and in constant burning pain and can't leave my bedroom. It isn't a choice and you are in a little pain if you fuck up, for some, it is legitimately debilitating to eat anything on that list.

And hereare IBS triggers:
(take note of how many of those things would be IC safe, vegan foods that I NEED to be healthy)

IBS triggers

• Too much fiber, especially the insoluble kind you get in the skin of fruits and vegetables
• Breads and cereals made with refined (not whole) grains
• High-protein diets
• Coffee, carbonated drinks, and alcohol
• Processed foods such as chips and cookies
• Beans
• Fried and fatty foods

Things to avoid if you have PCOS:

• High GI Foods
  *Low GI Carbohydrates
• Soy Products
• Processed foods and meats
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Limit starchy foods

So, as you can see the options for remaining foods that are safe for IBS, IC, PCOS, and vegan are pretty damn slim.

I am not saying it is impossible as I still plan to remain vegan. I have been vegan for half my life now and don't plan to give it up very easily, if ever. I plan to cut out all refined carbs and sugars. I already cut all the main IC triggers a week ago and I plan to incorporate quinoa and oats in place of pasta, bread, and potato and plan to invest in a protein powder and flax oil.

However, I am definitely going to acknowledge that I may now be depriving myself of nutrients and I do think if I could morally or physically stomach the idea of eggs and fish it would be much, much easier to be healthier, slimmer, and in less pain. My vegan diet is clearly getting in the way of my health and while I still think meat consumption reduction is absolutely necessary considering our population size and the effects of the meat and dairy industry on the environment I do not, any longer, believe veganism is a viable, healthy option for everyone. ** I am very pro-insect eating as an alternative to animal meat.**

I still think a vegan diet is absolutely possible for many people...

and I am still chugging along on my vegan diet myself but I can only imagine that many other illnesses mess with people's ability to eat nutrient dense vegan food just like mine does. If I try to just cut out IC triggers and ignore the IBS ones I am in the bathroom shitting until my ass is bloody and my butt is covered in hemorrhoids and I still can't leave my room. If I ignore the IC triggers and eat those I am unable to leave the bathroom because I am peeing razors and battery acid and ignoring the PCOS because I was unaware of it lead to me nearing obese level fat and feeling like absolute garbage. These things aren't just things I slightly prefer they are absolute guidelines for my health and well-being.

Anywho, I do plan to check in with my new diet. I only cut out booze, coffee, and acidic foods a week ago and only today did I decided to do away with starch, fried foods, refined carbs, sugar, and seriously reduce my potion sizes. It is possible I will eventually find my sweet spot and still be vegan but I would never look down on another person for not going through the hell I am, jeopardizing their health and sanity in order to be vegan. I think it is important for vegans to acknowledge that some people have serious physical illnesses that make veganism a bad dietary choice. I personally used to not buy that but, now as I am disabled, fat, and unable to leave my bedroom, I am saying I was wrong. It is important to challenge even the ideals closest to our hearts when we are confronted with new information.

Sources for the ridiculous sounding claims, like chained up monkeys harvesting coconuts

Monkeys picking coconuts:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/19/448960760/monkeys-pick-coconuts-in-thailand-are-they-abused-or-working-animals

(Hey cool, may not be as insidious as I believed in the past!)

Slaves making phone batteries:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/21/this-is-what-we-die-for-child-slaves-made-your-phone-battery.html

Quinoas global success leaves issues for Bolivians: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/americas/20bolivia.html

More information on diets for IC/IBS/PCOS:

IC diet:
http://www.ichelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/food-list.pdf

IBS diet:
http://www.aboutibs.org/treatment-main/ibs-diet.html

PCOS diet:
http://www.healthline.com/health/pcos-diet

Also, perhaps I was wrong about insects? I will be looking into this more and blogging about whether it's worthwhile or not later:
http://time.com/3824917/crickets-sustainable-protein/

**all images from pixabay

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