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| Although it was norm for me and my family to frequently visit Baguio, this specific trip was actually one of the most impactful for me. |
When I first decided to just stop eating meat, I didn't call it vegan or plantbase back then because I was hearing about those but never actually paid attention. I had no judgement against the idea of not eating meat. I just thought it was interesting not to do so. But I never gave it a lot of thought, because I had this personal motto that food is happiness. And at a young age, I figured and told myself that I would never starve myself just for a diet or lose weight. I was never weight/figure conscious. Perhaps my parents/family raised me well enough to have a good sense of accepting myself for my weight and figure. If any... I use to think I was too thin and even wanted to gain at least ten more pounds. Other than that, I didn't question my figure. I even decided that the whole weight+height equation must be wrong, since I could never get out of 110lbs. no matter what I do. Yet, science assumes I should be around 5 to 15 pounds more than I should be. And honestly... even if I currently have this "massbuilding+toning self project" going on... I don't exactly care what weight I get into, mainly because I can accept myself for my physical physique. I think that's actually one reason why I have been delaying my own progress and haven't been as aggressive as body builders and fitness buffs are. I'm not worried or concerned about my figures... and am happy about who and what I AM.
The one word that did stick to me was #fruitarianism. Mostly because I heard it on the radio and it was presented as a story instead of just some kind of flash news. As you can see... I have a thing for stories. And soceven if I heard fruitarianism only once on a radio more than 10 years ago, it actually stuck with me. And maybe one other reason is that I naturally loved fruits even as a kid. I had trouble with many different foods. But I was okay with fresh fruits, and always would coax my parents to buy fruits if they brought me with them to the grocery.😍
So the whole #veganism was "an after effect". I was already doing what I can to keep meat out of my meals. And eventually figured maybe I can run some research. That's how I stumbled into the whole veganism movement thing going on. And found recipes. I also stumbled upon stories of other people, which matched up with my own personal experiences.
So, yes... it was when I ran a search that I realized there were "words" to describe what I was doing. That was the only time all the stories of friends and coworkers sank in. I had at least a handful of people who told me about how a coworker or classmate or schoolmate was vegan... it all never sank in and made sense, until that moment when I was researching for myself.
This is another reason I don't force people into #wholefoodplantbase. I understand that it can be so absurd or completely new/strange to some people. But time can come when it will make sense. Especially when they themselves are interested and want to know more.
If vegan/light/prana/wfpb is for you, it will happen for you.
To me, as I often quip: It's about life choices and journeys. What are you choosing? What journeys are you designing or have designed? Though there are potentially other factors, those two are often basic to the equation.
Moreover, as I also do say: Truth be told, you already are. We already are.
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