As a "vegan" I dont understand the focus of labels. The more plant- based options people make the better. Who cares if its 100% , 90%, 70%, 25%???? The more open people are to plant based options, the easier it is to move towards a brighter and cleaner future 💕
Yeah, this is the problem with people like freelee. If you eat mostly plant based and eat one egg for example, you are instantly a "bad person". Vegans should realize that by lowering the pressure of being a perfect vegan, more people would start reducing animal products and in the end less animal products are consumed. Turning totally vegan is not very easy
Thank you! I eat like 95% plant based. But whenever I get a scoop of dairy ice cream (because let’s face it, sometimes I just get tired off ordering the same three flavors that are non-dairy) everybody loses their mind. C’mon please just let me eat whatever I think is the best for me!
Hi vegan viewer here! I just want to post a little reminder for anyone who genuinely can’t be vegan that there are still lots of other ways to help the animals: buy cosmetics/ toiletries which are not tested on animals (leaping bunny certified), avoid fashion made from fur/leather/down, boycott animal circus acts etc and just as Abbey said reduce your animal consumption as much as you can 🌱 Doing something is better than doing nothing, just try your best that’s all anyone can hope for ❤️
And if you're having these issues, hold onto what vegan swaps you CAN make! Just because you can't eat soy, doesn't mean you eat wheat gluten. For example.
I have some friends who eat vegan at home and outside of the house don’t worry about it and are flexible. It seems like a really good balance for them.
You can’t eat vegan if your not vegan to begin with🤷🏻♀️ you mean they don’t eat animal products not they eat “vegan”. Veganism is a lifestyle, I get what you mean though
As a vegan I feel that if 50% of Americans went flexitarian it would make a bigger difference that the small 1% of uptick of people who go fully vegan(and also most abandon it)
Yes you’re absolutely right. However, if that was what she said and her perspective was trying to help people eat as much of a plant based diet as possible to help the planet I would agree. That’s not it tho is it? She promotes dangerous eating habits and a dangerous diet. She doesn’t eat mostly plant based tho, she eats mostly cholesterol and saturated fat filled foods that are bad for the environment and people. She promotes ridiculous practices and is sponsored by the meat industry. If this was her world view she could have simply stated it. Clearly it’s not and clearly she doesn’t give a shit.
Thank you for sharing this! As a vegan, I don’t think it works for everyone to be vegan. I am grateful for your example of what a balanced and conscientious diet is.
Agreed. This is where me and a lot of my vegan friends disagree. Being vegan has been great for me personally, it's been great for my partner. As much as I would love to live in a vegan world (I'm vegan for environmental/animal welfare reasons), I also recognize that that does not work for every single person, and I can't tell people how to live their life.
I totally get this perspective, but my experience with going vegan was actually the opposite. When I went plant based, my relationship with food became the best it had ever been. It wasn’t restriction, but a new, creative experience that made me feel happy and fulfilled (both inside and out). Food was not the enemy but an opportunity to come into balance with myself and the world. May not be the case for everyone, but I wanted to share!
Totally had a similar experience. However as another person who struggled with orthorexia feeling “bad” if you eat non vegan foods is really a dangerous place to be. So I really like the blue zones lifestyle to dramatically reduce animal product consumption and live intuitively.
I eat vegan as an ethical choice, but I do 100% understand that it is difficult and especially difficult for those with disordered eating pasts. I do have to say that you do SO MUCH here on YT for veganism and how to do it healthfully than probably 80% of the vegan specific channels on here. We see you, Abbey. You're doing good.
What a nice comment!! I'm not vegan but have drastically reduced my meat/dairy consumption in the last few years. I think people like Abbey and others who just show that plant-based eating can be delicious, easy, and part of everyone's diet make a big difference! If we all reduce our intake of animal products, it will make a big difference!
@@fragitude yes, less animals will be consumed if most people eat less meat. Simple math :) most people just aren't going to go vegan. If more people can be convinced to reduce their consumption, reducing overall demand. If you tell people they're either vegan or they're evil, they are less likely to make any effort.
@@laraerae4321 I'm not talking about the animals you don't consume. If I only murder on Sundays does that make me a good person? You're basically saying yes because I have reduced my killings Monday through Saturday. Better to not kill at all. Better to be vegan 100%.
Thank you for bringing this up! I have had the same struggles as you with orthorexia - luckily it never got so far that it became really unhealthy for me BUT the mindset still exists. I was vegan for a while but had to stop and have been a vegetarian for a few years. It was only recently that I started eating meat again but I am so happy that I did that. Taking away restrictions in food helped my mental health A LOT. I do still eat mainly vegan/vegetarian meals and only eat meat occasionally, it just helps me to not have the restrictions. I think it's important to talk about this in our social media society where we are constantly being told how to be "good" and "healthy". THANK YOU!
I think the main thing with veganism is ethics I don't think health reasons alone are significant enough. I wish more vegans would also see that even reducitarianism is much more likely and will contribute significantly (even though i disagree with the consumption of animal products but totally understand that veganism is not for everyone in terms of access and restriction).
Even being mostly plant based and actively reducing animal products is better than nothing!! It’s not about the diet it’s about the suffering animals and deteriorating earth. Only twisted people could actually go and kill the animals
@@ngxoxo "Even being mostly plant based and actively reducing animal products is better than nothing!!" " Only twisted people could actually go and kill the animals ." Wow, did you actually say this in the same comment?
@@FABIOof119 uuh in the world i live livestock consume most of the grains produced, cause unhappilly theyre not plants and cant grow outta sunlight and water, and the livestock industry also, maybe, a huge consumer of antibiotics 🤫
Such a prevalent topic. Many of my friends recovering from eating disorders went vegan at first. They spent 100% of their time thinking about what to eat next and feeling guilty for eating 1 piece of dark chocolate. Luckily, they realized that it just fostered their obsession with food and restriction, and now they eat a more intuitive diet. It's quite scary how many people in their 20s severely restrict their food intake for "health" reasons, but actually just have eating disorders. When I obsessed over my food the most is when I was most miserable. Def not a fun or healthy way to live.
I was literally just starting to slip back into kinda disoriented eating when I was watching this, like I was stressing because I couldn't figure out if the wine I had as a paring for my otherwise vegan meal was vegan or not and all that so this video really caught me at the top of the hill, I promptly added some feta to my salad and reached out to my support network (which consists of posting to my story and noone caring but still)
Constant Chaos I agree posting something to your story is a great tactic, even if no one replies - bc it's both public & a journal, you get the benefits of letting other people know (even just randoms online), decreasing isolation & increasing motivation, & you get to see a record of just how far you've come since you fist started working on things - which can be very useful for those days you don't feel like you're getting anywhere. (I'm going on my experience with addiction rather than disordered eating - while they are different I think there's some overlap in terms of recovery & seeking to change the habits, behaviours & situations that feed into them.)
@@hcamuber yeah, i save everything like that from my story so I can look back when I need it (which I never do but it's still nice to be able to) And it's not that absolutely noone cares, I mean it's just my cousin and then my sisters friends who look up to me but it helps to put it out there I would offer that I can help you out if you dont have a super support network but that would probably be creepy lmao not to mention the last thing someone needs is another medical professional reminding them to take care of themselves lol
Having had a relative pass away due to an eating disorder at only 24YO I did want to reiterate that it’s VERY important to consider this. I really respect how this video was presented and explained. I went vegan for the animals and of course in an ideal world I’d love if we all preferred to cuddle animals rather than eat them, however, I do also know that every human being is totally different. I an honestly happy if someone who is a meat eater has the veggie option or the veggie has the vegan option. Love to all 🖤
As a life long (29) pescatarian I've always been kind of isolated in my food choices socially. I thought it was "normal" to go somewhere and not be able to have anything but salad. I recently became vegan and the issue has worsened. I definitely needed this video. Thank you.
As a relatively new vegan, former flexitarian, and person with a history of disordered heating/orthorexia, my recent transition to eating fully plant based hasn't felt restricted because I view it as a CHOICE, not as a rule. :) I'm "allowed" to eat animal products, I just choose not to because I don't want to contribute to animal agriculture if I have other options. I put off transitioning for a long time because I didn't think I could do it healthily, but it has actually helped with some of my guilt around eating by knowing no animals suffered for my food, and pushes me keep good food in my pantry to assure I always have adequate sources of vegan protein and other nutrients. This is just my perspective, not disagreeing with your video because I really related to your experience. :) I think promoting flexitarianism and reductionism is so important, because the general public is more open to that idea and every bit helps.
One thing that helps me not feel so restricted with veganism is to think of "replace, not restrict" when it comes to plant-based alternatives. I freely eat plant-based "meats" and "animal by-products" as it's good for my mental health. I guess you could call me flexitarian/98% vegan, as if I'm at home or at a restaurant with a lot of vegan options, I'll eat vegan, but if I'm at a restaurant that has no satisfying or balanced vegan options (e.g., dry side salad and fries are not satisfying either mentally or physically), I will choose to eat animal by-products (although not meat since I've lost my taste for it/desire to eat it). I think for some people with an eating disorder/disordered eating history, it can eventually be a safe option to go vegan. And some people can never go vegan without triggering the eating disorder, and that's OK, too. There are other ways of advocating for the animals and the environment outside of diet, and a mentally and physically healthy advocate for the animals and the environment that's eating meat is better than someone actively using eating disorder behaviours not being able to be an advocated because they are consumed by their eating disorder/disordered eating.
@@erickamcc1701 yes, +1 to all of this! Two big points related to what you mentioned that I didn't include in my original post: (1) there are so many good vegan substitutes these days that it's easy to abide by that "replace, not restrict" mentality. Burgers, ice cream, nacho cheese, pizza -- all still on the menu, but with vegan versions. :) (2) I hate the militant mindset that veganism is all or nothing. That vegan is something you are, not something you do. While I strive towards the "vegan" definition -- to reduce the suffering of animals -- I more often say that I'm "plant-based" or "avoiding animal products" for this reason. I don't want to be overly paranoid about slipping up and getting called out and having my intentions questioned. There's a lot of moral ambiguity and identity politics involved in the vegan label that can turn people off and that's really unfortunate.
I think the choice vs rule thing is an important distinction, I also went vegan while recovering from an eating disorder and it really helped alleviate my food guilt.
A very rational and well-considered position just as I expected it would be. Thanks for this video. It explains your philosophy very clearly. I also apologize in advance on behalf of veganism if/when the Freelee-type crowd comes at you for this.
@Cindy Wallis That's exactly how i eat. It works for me for the past 12 years of being vegan. I'm always saying to people i just eat everything as long as it is vegan. And in case i go somewhere or to someone's home ... i never complicate if there is no food for me. I will eat just salad or bread which almost every house has anyway. I'm being very uncomplicated about it and have no issues. And my mind is cool and peaceful
I loved your video. I HAVE struggled with my weight all my life. When I was at my thinnest, people would praise me a lot because I was being 'good' without acknowledging the very awful, obsessive and restrictive food habits I had, now I gained weight again because of bad habits, and I am highly criticized and put down... it's funny because not even at my thinnest I was healthy, but it seems that people only like to criticize the looks rather than the red lights of eating disorders... My journey to find balance continues, but I agree that mental health and prioritizing your well-being is always the best way to go. Thank you. I love your channel.
O sweetie, at the other spectrum of life (I'm 64) it's still important to be thin without considerations like frailty falling and breaking something all nonsense. I don't look my age but don't care; do full body workouts 2x week; love swimming but me and my dog pound the pavement also. 4 yrs ago I was thin and felt 90 yrs old. It helps when you're older and hormones aren't raging but it was imperative to be healthy. Being vegan and concern for welfare of animals and the planet ; of course, and whatever anyone can do is of great benefit. But you have this one life whatever you think about the hereafter if it exists; make the most of it!
yes love this Abbey! Such a fan of intuitive eating and not restricting any food groups (unless ethical, medical or religious). Thank you for teaching, telling your story and saying goodbye to diet culture! xx
This is my story … and now when I do allow something that is not so clean … Im destined for guilt and shame. It’s such a terrible cycle. I am learning so much from you Abby and it is helping me to learn to give myself a break…. Thank you 🙏🏻 💖
As someone with gastroparesis I really appreciate this video because in most vegan circles there's little acknowledgment of the people unable to live on a vegan diet, despite wanting to. It's lovely to hear a healthy perspective on this ❤
aza van de Because the unfortunate sector of vegans, that again isn't that small, will always preach that there is always a vegan way, or option for your issue. This is as false as the earth being flat.
@@IvonaFlakus I have gastroparesis, so my stomach is paralyzed. Because of this I struggle daily just to meet my calorie intake and also can't eat any fiber. There's a lot more to it, but this is just the basics of what I live with.
@Etevaldo Skylab Etevaldo Skylab while that's true I think it's always important to remember and be vocal about exceptions like me, to give a full picture. There will always be people like me who can't survive a vegan diet and its important for non disabled people to be aware of this and remember.
I have several thoughts. Disclaimer: I am a vegan, and I’m in recovery from an eating disorder. I agree with you that for some people, going vegan is unhealthy, especially mentally and emotionally. The Vegan Society’s definition of veganism includes the phrase “as far as is practicable and possible”, and for some people with an eating disorder/disordered eating history, it is not really practicable or possible without doing harm to themselves. Even though someone is unable to eat in a vegan way, there are still other ways of living a vegan lifestyle that doesn’t involve food, such as avoiding zoos and aquariums, making sure that personal care items are vegan (or at least cruelty-free), fighting for better animal welfare laws, and donating to animal sanctuaries that rescue animals from factory farms. So far, being vegan (or at least 98% or so) has worked for me because of several factors: I work with a dietician who is cautiously supportive of it (she appreciates the ethical and environmental reasons why I’m vegan, and she works with me to make sure the eating disorder doesn’t take and run away with it). I also have worked hard on having a mindset of replacement, not restriction. What I mean by that is I will replace animal-based products with their plant-based counterparts. I also give myself grace if I’m in a place where there are no vegan options and will order something with cheese or eggs. I don’t think I could ever eat meat again as I’ve really lost the taste for it, but if my only balanced (by that, I mean 3-4 fuel groups and a foundation fat) option is a grilled cheese and creamy tomato soup at a little mom ‘n pop restaurant in the middle of nowhere, I will eat that rather that go hungry, as feeling hungry fuels the restrictive part of the eating disorder, and I want to avoid that if at all possible, and sometimes that means eating foods with animal products in them. If I make my own food, or I’m in a restaurant with vegan options that sounds good to me and will satisfy me physically and mentally, I will choose that, though. I will close with saying that if you want to be a vegan but can’t for whatever reason (most especially because of an eating disorder/disordered eating history), you are NOT a hypocrite for eating meat. If it is necessary for your mental and physical health, it’s necessary for your mental and physical health. It is difficult/impossible to advocate for the animals and environment if you are consumed with an eating disorder, so the way I see it, you can be a more effective advocate if you are mentally and physically healthy, even if it means you have to consume meat or other animal products to do so. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good in this situation. The world needs a million imperfect advocates for animals and the environment more than it needs 100 doing it perfectly, and every bit you’re able to do (see paragraph 2 above) counts and it matters. And above all else, YOU, dear reader, matter. Take care of yourself before you take care of others, because you cannot give the care to others that you do not first show to yourself.
I also wanted to comment on the moralisation of "good" vs "bad" food choices. It is so heartbreaking to hear an 8-year-old girl (because it's usually girls) say that she's been "bad" because she decided she wanted dessert. Eff purity culture as a whole, but most especially when it's placed on food. Food is amoral (neither good nor bad); what matters is whether or not it serves you, not you serving it. I no longer want to place my worth on what my body looks like or by what I put in my body. The body image is usually the last thing to recover from in regards to ED recovery, and that's my last major stuck point, but thankfully, that's so much better now than it has been in the past.
I love the wording of "replacement vs restriction". I don't find veganism is restrictive at ALL for me. For example, if I want a hotdog I'll make a vegan one. If I want a burger there is Beyond Meat plant-based patties! I just replace the meat and keep eating intuitively. I follow intuitive eating with my veganism and still, my intuition will never lead to me real meat - the thought makes me sick now. Instead, the cruelty free replacements satisfy me!
This is 100% valid. I’ve been vegan for 3 years now and never ONCE have I uttered the words “you should be vegan” to anybody, because it isn’t for everyone...I think it would be great if more people at least tried it, or incorporated it into their diet more (for me it’s the sake of the animals that makes it important to me) but people know their own bodies and psyches better than anyone else and if it feels like it would do you in, then no, you should not be vegan. I used to suffer from extreme disordered eating too, and going vegan really helped me and I gained back the 30lbs of healthy weight I had lost during the 10 years of that hell...BUT that was my experience and it could be the complete opposite for someone else. I think it’s really weird that it seems to be the norm that vegans are policing the whole world and everyone in it (you would THINK that people so compassionate towards animals would have compassion for all life, which includes other humans, but I guess they don’t all see it that way)...I say stay in your own lane and offer information when you’re asked. That’s my philosophy
I think the closest I've come to "you should go vegan" is "if you're interested in becoming vegan or more plant-based, I've got some good recipes you might want to try, and I'm happy to share my experience in going vegan." I think that sometimes our fellow vegans forget the "as far as is practicable and possible" part of the Vegan Society's definition of veganism. For some people, for reasons of mental or physical health, it really is not practicable or possible. For me, it is possible to be mostly (like 98%) vegan and in recovery from an eating disorder as long as I practice flexibility in the times where It's not possible to adequately feed myself with the vegan options on a menu (dry side salad is not satisfying physically or mentally), and adopt a mindset of replace, not restrict when it comes to plant-based alternatives to animal-based products. For some people, especially early in recovery, even these safeguards are not safe for them, and I would rather someone be healthy and eating meat and still advocating for the environment and the animals than to be locked into the hell of an eating disorder/disordered eating and completely consumed by it, unable to use their voice for the environment and the animals, but they're eating vegan.
thank you! i can't even eat a diet low in animal problems due to health issues - and when i try to explain this a large number of vegans have told me a should just die. completely baffles me! even my brother is vegan and while he is usually pretty good, occasionally he will start ranting at me about my life not being worth all the animals lives. it's like some people can't be caring about more than one issue at a time
@@BlanchestarlightUwU you can drown in an ocean or a puddle. Comparing these things does nothing but invalidate the people who are struggling with the thing you are looking down on (in this case, orthorexia). Being dismissive helps no-one.
I actually stopped my orthorexia and my diet has been more inclusive since going vegan! It turns out, veganism was my missing link. I appreciate your take on veganism and every little bit helps.
I am working towards becoming vegan, but I believe we can make a bigger difference encouraging more people to reduce their consumption of animal products than a small percentage becoming fully vegan.
@@seanogorman3617 if you're implying that you're restricting your dog of meat then you really need to re-evaluate your choices. Dogs need meat to live and function, much more than humans Do. Even if they survive off a plant based diet it will not be enough nutrients and cause the dog to be malnourished and unhappy. Including more dog safe veggies in addition to their meat is a good thing tho and from what I've seen they enjoy it.
If you care about animal cruelty and don’t want to destroy the planet, but the idea of going vegan seems way too difficult (it did to me once as well). Here’s tips for making it easy ruclips.net/video/YmFO5BHO4YE/видео.html
I'm two years out recovering from Binge Eating Disorder. The problem with this particular ED is other people feel it's necessary to police your food for you, making said binge eater FAR more likely to binge. I can't have a terribly restrictive diet either (I was vegetarian before and currently) because I really don't want to replace one eating disorder with another. Great video!
I really agree with this. I think binge eating is a very specific ED that has a part of "trigger food", going into extremes and forbidding what we consider "unhealthy" (and it could be even a super nutritious food). I have experienced this with myself as well, in combination with bulimia and it took me two years to get out of this. I cannot be vegan (maybe just now) because restricting something to myself would create those triggers. The only things I cannot eat are my allergies and bad digest causing food. I really appreciate this perspective and it makes me sad some people are being even a bit aggressive about me eating meat. Now I am considering myself as a reducetarian and I am exploring vegan food as an addition to my current diet.
As a former vegan who has struggled with binge-eating for most of my life and orthorexia later on, I truly thank you. The vegan movement fucked me up and is unfortunately forever associated with some of the worst years of my disordered eating. I don't think it's something I can ever pursue again, mainly for mental health reasons. Because my food history and relationship with food are so complex, I find it's a constant struggle to find the right balance for me. I restrict some highly palatable foods (or at least don't keep them in the house) to prevent myself from binge-eating, but can easily restrict too much and slip back into orthorexia mode. However, when I let go of restriction too much, I end up binging.
As someone with a chronic illness, eating meat really does make me feel a lot better and I'm very conflicted about it because I care a lot about climate change and the environment and so I want to eat less meat at the same time because I want everyone to do that. Hopefully in the future when I have a bit more energy to spend in the kitchen I'll be able to cut down on my best consumption but right now I feel I just need to prioritise my health
i get this - i got so bad with health issues my diet is basically dairy/meat/white carbs. But i can now walk to the shops a few times a week and do my own chores so i just refuse to feel too guilty! The reality is that i will always put my health before a random animals, and i think that's perfectly ok
I also have multiple autoimmune disorders that (explained in another comment) make it impossible to be vegan. I actually need to eat MORE meat. From growing up around farmers though, I can tell you this: Your Bolivian quinoa, from where my stepmom comes from, being shipped to you in the US, is WAY less environmentally-friendly than a locally farm-raised free range chicken from someone's backyard. The farmers are dying in the fields because of colonization; big corps are buying up the land and the farmers can't afford to eat their own crops. Quinoa in particular was once poor Bolivian farmer food, and is now rich white vegan food in America while the Bolivians who grow it can't afford it. Not ethical or environmentally-friendly. The switch: try looking up local produce that is grown in your state or county. Buy what is in season. Look up recipes. The less it had to travel, the lower the carbon footprint. Lots of places deliver, too. I can't often drive too much to get local stuff. Use up more of what you already have. Look up how commercial kitchens reduce waste and apply that to your own kitchen. See how much you save! The crap: Plastic-made and "greenwashed" fabric like tencel, bamboo, and rayon. Bamboo takes a LOT of chemicals to make into something wearable, and those chemicals poison waterways. Most of your fabrics like acrylic, spandex, etc. are plastics. The switch: Natural fibres, as close to 100% as possible for new items. Even wool lasts for decades if you treat it right, and sheep are specifically raised and humanely sheared for it. If you don't shear a sheep, it's skin can rot off it's body while it's alive because of bugs and humidity. Humans survived this long because of it. It's durable, flexible, and insulating, plus tears can simply be felted shut. It's also fire-retardent in that it burns to ash and won't melt to your skin like plastic clothing or "vegan leather", which is... plastic. If you, like me, can't do natural fibres because of economic or accessibility/wear issues (I have fibro and can't do cottons), buy secondhand locally whenever possible. Avoid Poshmark and other services that have to mail to you (think carbon footprint); try local first. Socks and underwear of course are all new for me, but almost everything else I own is secondhand. It keeps clothes out of the landfills. Check Goodwill for an Outlet store. Outlets specifically have clothes at deep discounts. Here, a pair of pants from GW costs the same as new.... but at GW Outlet, clothes are $2/lb. I found new Chico's jackets, Free People skirts, Limited blouses, and lots of great stuff that had no flaws or things I could repair in under five minutes by hand (my rule for damages). Those things make just as much impact. And you dont have to compromise your health!
Veganism may be good for the environment eventually, but so many health foods are imported from faraway places, and that transport has an impact on the environment too. Also I'm worried it's causing certain trade dependencies in developing countries... isn't quinoa and chia all produced in Central America? Eating those also feels potentially exploitative of other humans to me. I just don't feel like people talk about social impacts with veganism as it is practiced now enough.
@@Delinae Yep, quinoa is the staple food for the local people in Peru, but the recent western demand for it has pushed the prices up so much that the local people can no longer afford it, driving poverty in those areas. If you search for it, there is a lot of information out there about this kind of thing and people are raising questions about the ethical and environmental impact of plant based diets, including the fact that millions of animals are killed by poisoning, trapping and shooting to protect food crops grown for human consumption. Those deaths aren’t including the animals and insects killed by pesticide use and the animals that get chopped up in combine harvesters etc. It’s the uncomfortable truth that seems to have been brushed under the rug whilst people talk about how mono-cropped plant based foods are going to save the planet and end animal suffering. A lot of people who go plant based also end up destroying their physical and mental health and have to go back to eating eggs and animal products anyway, so that’s also a problem.
It’s sad to hear all these stories of people dealing with eating disorders and/or disordered eating. I thought I was alone when I was in the midst of my disordered eating so thank you for sharing your story so that others that are going through that don’t feel alone. I love love love your channel and your message... and you of course ❤️
Becoming vegan has actually helped me have a better relationship to food. My disordered eating habits have gotten less since going vegan. I get excited about food and cooking it. Which was rarely the case before. But certain parts of the vegan community especially the trainers have triggered very bad times due to calorie and macro counting as well as glorifying fasting.
What "trainers" do you mean? These ex-vegans I see on YT talk about 'fasting'. Why would anyone fast? I see many go on weird fruit only diets or water diets then they get sick and blame it on veganism. Being vegan shouldn't entail these things nor should a struggle. I'm glad things have gotten better for you. #veganforlife
@@betharramfleitas5512 Just bc someone is an MD doesn't make them knowledgeable about nutrition. I've fast...never felt a need to....and I'm healthy. I see fools all over YT fasting but never saying why. Others go on strange diets of nothing but certain fruits till they become emaciated and problems set in. You feel a need to fast go for it.....I'll stick to eating.
The thing to be careful of though is the thought processes about going vegan for your disordered eating habits. Are you honestly wanting to be vegan, or is that the disordered eating voice speaking? I just ask because some people who have an ED "cover up" their disorder by claiming they are vegan. I mean, yes, it's great that they are eating, BUT, if they are still being "ruled" by their ED thoughts, then that still needs to be addressed.
I have so much respect for your channel Abbey for this video and all your content. To have a fully qualified dietician online is so important to challenge the BS and educate. I've watched a lot of your reviews of social media influencers and your informed analysis is so important. This is the first time I've heard your personal story and really respect your openness and honesty. Personally I'm Vegan for the environmental, animal welfare and health reasons you list and actually was brought up that way, since four years old. My mum joined the Vegan Society in the UK to become fully informed of all the nutritional requirements of a balanced diet and how the vitamin and mineral needs could all be met. I'm so grateful for my mum because by doing this I grew up eating a really healthy, nutritious diet and I can eat intuitively like this in adulthood - no weighing scales or intermittent fasting or enforced calorie restriction etc and this is so liberating. So for me Veganism is freedom but this is my story not yours and I totally respect your journey too based on your own life experiences. Love and respect to everyone.
Thank you for sharing your story. I too suffered from orthorexia. I was vegan on and off for about four years and would go through phases of fruitarianism in hopes to cure my eczema. Now I eat a balanced diet that includes meat and cheese and I'm starting to realize that food is not the main cause of my eczema flare ups. Stress and anxiety is. Love your channel!
@@ashleypotter9331 Your body usually tells you when it wants something, I found out I had a lower than normal iron level last year, which I thought was strange being a guy even though I am over 50, I eat plenty of chicken and salmon. Long story short, I immediately went out and grabbed a couple of steaks and bbqued those mothers up, yum, then, gout attack. This put me off again, as I was never a big red meat eater any way. Fast forward one year later, I discovered low carb, I dropped my carbs a reasonable amount, my inflammation plummeted, I introduced steaks again, grass fed, only the best for me now, and I feel like superman the next day. Maybe this is how I should have always felt, I don't know, but red meat is now back in my diet full force, at least while it makes me feel great. Intuitive eating is well worth it, but I feel you need to have some extent of how your body feels before you can tap into this fantastic tool. I am so glad that my short stint with veganism is now way behind me, it just wasn't for me, and never will. Sorry for not so long story short in the end.😆
@Etevaldo Skylab "this is just not true. Our bodies are horible at telling us what to eat." Says who? You? Now who is speaking in the pseudo science realm... And nothing I said had anything to do with comfort food, now you are just injecting your perception of what I was saying into my comment. Some people would call that a strawman...
@Etevaldo Skylab I understood exactly why you cited comfort foods, because you wanted to move the conversation to what you wanted to talk about, not what I actually stated, again, read my last line in my last comment again...
A remember a patient of mine who had breast cancer. She vented to me late one night that she felt cheated, because of the years she'd spent eating "all the right foods," exercising, and avoiding all the dangerous habits, yet she still got cancer. She felt that all of her efforts had been wasted. She'd had visitors of the same outlook, that had tried to dissect her diet and habits to see where she "went wrong" and their judgment of her for getting cancer was palpable. I was able to explain to her that there are many unavoidable things that can lead to cancer, including oxygen, getting older, and bad luck. More importantly, I was able to reassure her that her healthy body would be better able to withstand the rigors of the surgery and follow up treatment than a less well-maintained body. This was a great comfort to her. The point of the story, is that much of "wellness culture" amounts to a lot of victim-blaming. A balanced outlook is more helpful in my opinion. It's good to eat less meat, even if one can't commit to being fully vegan for all the reasons you mentioned.
I came to veganism for health reasons. I’m holding on pretty tightly to it because I need too. But I understand and respect the fact that diet choices are deeply personal. I cannot judge, only offer advice when asked.
I don't know your health reasons. Depending on what those are, going vegan might be what's objectively best for you. But I do know: Vegans tend to say things about health benefits that don't hold up to closer inspection. A lot of the issues vegans associate with eating meat are actually the result of unbalanced diets and or eating highly processed foods with too much sugar, salt and fat. But surprise, surprise: Unbalanced diets with excessive sugar, salt and fat are unhealthy whether they include animal products or not. The health benefits of a vegan diet can only be measured as relative to some other diet. And the "baseline diets" to which vegans compare their own diets to measure the health tend to be the most atrocious they can possibly find. Of course being vegan is more healthy than having sugar loaded cereals for breakfast, a supersize fast food menu for lunch and two bags of crisps washed down with soda for dinner. If that's how you eat ANY change in diet will do you good. Under those circumstances veganism looks impressive. However if you compare veganism to a balanced, diversified and nutriciously informed diet that includes animal products, it doesn't look so impressive any more. In fact studies indicate that vegans live shorter and less healthily than people with moderate animal product consumptions.
@Miss Tree I'm in my fourties. When I was in my teens the archetypical vegetarian (the term "vegan" hadn't been coined yet) was a pale, sickly anaemic type with barely enough muscle mass to stand up against the wind caused by somebody vaguely waving in their direction. That's because what would evolve into the vegan community we know today hadn't yet figured out how to vegan and not die from malnutrition in the process. To make matters worse: Since the infrastructure to make foods available outside their harvesting season or from other continents, a lot of the ingredients used in vegan cooking today would have been impossible or prohibitively expensive to get your hands on back the late 1980s or early 1990s. Which means: back then a "strict vegetarian diet" was even more restrictive than veganism is today. Which also puts a quesion mark on the sustainability of veganism. After all, the infrastructure to ship in coconut cream from overseas or to keep raspberries or spinach available all year round requires has a significant environmental impact, too. And the more land in Africa or South America is used to grow cashew or quinoa for Europe and North America, the less land is available to grow crops for the locals, which contributes to starvation there, which raises ethical concerns about the impact a vegan diet impacts the well being of other humans. All in all: Claims about veganism being healthy, environementally friendly and such are sales pitches that should be taken with at least as big a grain of salt as claims about detergents washing whiter than white...
@@MrAranton yeah europe and north america sucks. whether youre vegan or not, your meat consumption is also destroying the amazon for this grass fed beef shit, and for feeding the chicken/pork you eat with soy and corn. there is an area bigger than france DESTROYED to raised livestock and plant soy (mostly for animal feeding). i live in Brazil, i ate pretty much vegan for the last 5 yrs and have never tasted quinoa, nor cashews even tho theyre native to south america. its not the vegans of the developed world that are destroying africa/south america, its THE DEVELOPED WORLD.
I have a young child who had feeding disorder and at one point only had 6 foods they were willing to eat. It was an awful time where hospital social workers are like you must just not be feeding your child only to watch them reject Oreos because the colors were mixed together and ice cream and pudding were too cold etc. Some foods were rejected for texture, some for taste, some because the texture changed too much during eating and became bad. We were seriously considering a feeding tube. Thankfully we found a feeding therapist we clicked with. We did food chaining. We expanded the accepted foods over more than a year. So we're in a good place right now and kiddo is doing great. More meals happen to be veggie or vegan but we could never strictly go vegan. I have to be wary about the ideas school is teaching this moralizing of food. They claim it's not about skinny it's about healthy but it sure seems like it when the diets suggested by so many "wellness experts" are low in calories or protein\fat and they market them to kids. We used to watch a RUclips family but we stopped as they went Vegan and then began a very low protein diet then cut out most sources of fat even for their toddlers and yeah nope. This fear over how fattening coconut oil is. It's one day make your kid a yummy birthday cake.
yeaaahhhh I was an "extremely picky eater" as a kid. I ate only white/yellow foods like french fries, rice, or corn. Turns out I had mostly asymptomatic Celiacs and autism. Textures have a seperate flavour. Oatmeal is the most disgusting texture in the world. Some foods I turned out to have allergies to that at first were mild things I couldn't communicate, or would just make me tired or headachey as a kid... and now I break out into hives from them. So. Just in case. Watch out for that. Because I wasn't diaged with Celiacs OR autism at that age. Instead, I was "picky" and then as a teen, "anorexic". Guess what I'm not allergic to. Potatoes... rice... and corn. HA!
As someone who has had a social anxiety disorder for basically my whole life, I can appreciate where you're coming from. A few years ago, I was vegan for about eight months and I found it made social situations, especially when food was involved, more challenging. Not necessarily because I received negative attention, but being vegan brought more attention to me overall, because people generally like to comment on it or want to talk about it. When social situations are already confronting, adding the social pressures associated with veganism compounds an already sensitive issue. Even though I'm not vegan anymore, I still try to limit my impact on other animals and the environment through my lifestyle choices. Some vegans have an incredibly distorted and irrational concept of veganism. If a person would harm either their physical or mental well being by going vegan, they shouldn't be expected to do so. Vegans who say that they would put another animals life above theirs do not understand the philosophy they're claiming to adhere to. Veganism isn't about ending harm altogether, that's impossible. It's actually about limiting harm as much as is practicable and not to the detriment of oneself. I don't think many vegans understand that the lifestyle is a privilege, afforded to them by modern society, science and medicine. Were our ancestors immoral because they needed to kill animals and eat animal products in order to survive and be healthy? No, because it was necessary. Are obligate carnivores inherently inferior beings because they need to kill another animal in order to survive? No, because it is necessary. The ethics behind veganism is not simply about harm but UNNECESSARY harm.
I am greatful that I am privileged enough to be vegan. I didn't make the connection that food is our bodies fuel until I went vegan. I didn't realize that I didn't have to feel sick after most meals, and that I should have energy to still function. Going vegan changed my entire life, including mental health, for the better. With that being said, I wish everyone could find this, in whatever diet works for their body. And reducing animal consumption is fantastic, no matter how slow or little you reduce, it makes a huge difference. I think people think they have to be all in or not. But if you can even just do 1 meatless meal a week, that's a HUGE difference that you're making
I am so grateful for your channel, Abby. You make me feel so much less guilty about not eating 100% plant based 100% of the time. When I first found the plant based diet about 4 years ago, I began placing it at the forefront of my identity which I think is a very dangerous thing to do. I’m now struggling a lot with orthorexic tendencies (which is such a scary thing to admit) but your channel is one of the things that is slowly but surely helping me to undo those tendencies. So thank you times a million for being a voice of reason and sanity in this wellness culture. You’re helping more people than you could possibly realize. ❤️
Thanks for sharing, Abbey! My "trick" to eating less meat and animal products is to not buy them at the grocery store, but eat them in moderation whenever I go to a restaurant. This way I get all the benefits of a plant based diet but I don't have to feel guilt or panic from going out to eat at a restaurant where I can't control the menu.
Thank you for doing this! I've been vegetarian for 10 years, and in that time I gained a milk allergy and then eventually IBS. I have a predisposition to eating disorders and an incurable chronic condition I was keen to cure, so for a while my diet became the absolute pinnacle of 'clean eating'. I became so unhealthy, skinny and fatigued that eventually for my safety I had to stop. Now, I occasionally eat animal products in order to allow myself to have as unrestrictive a diet as possible. I try to eat intuitively, if I fancy something I'll have it. Veganism is a restrictive diet, so it simply isn't suitable for everyone and I'm one of those people. I've learnt so much from your channel so thank you!
I was vegan in highschool for a bit and I can honestly say that it totally enabled my eating disorder tendencies. Veganism totally aligns with everything I believe in but I'm not sure I can get back on that horse because food rules fuck with my sense of control. I feel so validated hearing what you have to say about this, and overall I just cant stress enough how much I value your content. ❤
I can strongly agree with you on this, Abbey! tried going vegan and I would fall into the habit of really restricting myself, and now I've been vegetarian for over a year and that's been my golden diet. I feel great, and never ever feel restricted, which has drastically helped my relationship with food.
I have binge eating disorder (diagnosed by a medical professional, not by me) and I've been in recovery for about a year. I've had many slip ups, but I've been doing well for a few months. What's helped me is: going to Overeaters Anonymous meetings (binge eating and bulimia ED people go, since they both involve over-eating), since it helped me find a community of people who are supportive and completely understand what I'm going through. It helps me not to feel alone, to be held accountable for my progress, and to have people to turn to when I feel like I want to binge again. Also going to therapy has helped, as has learning to eat intuitively. The biggest things that has helped after OA is learning to accept my body for what it looks like now, instead of thinking of it as temporary, as in: I'm going to lose weight, so I don't need to buy nice clothes/clothes that fit properly. It helped to treat my body with kindness now. To dress well now. Because those things gave me self confidence, which in turn helped with my binge eating. It can be difficult when you're plus size because people will suggest diets to you without you asking for advice, you'll get messages from people you haven't spoken to in years on social media, where they're trying to sell you weight loss programs, or machines, and I honestly find it really insulting. You're not trying to help me, stop veiling your insults in concern. You're trying to help yourself by making a sale. Also, F you for assuming that I am not happy with who I am now. Because the thing is, 95% of diets fail. Once you've been at a certain weight for 5 years, your body registers it as the new normal, making major weight loss basically impossible. So instead of either binge eating my feelings, or starving myself so I can lose weight and have people like me more (I related to that part of your video - it's disgusting how much praise you get for losing weight an unhealthy way and then it just perpetuates and makes the disorder worse), I've decided to love myself now. I'm no longer over eating, or under eating to try to control my weight. Because I don't want to let my weight control my happiness, confidence, or well-being anymore. I might never be the size I always wanted to be, but my happiness isn't dependent on that anymore. And that feels really frikin good. I exercise, I'm a good cat mom, a good friend, I treat people with respect, and I think those are way more important than being a certain size.
It is important to be aware of those who can be vegan and those who cannot. I thank you so much for speaking out supporting that eating vegan can indeed be healthy for those without hindrances likes these, and keeping a level head when we often see extremes in one direction or the other. I hope people truly listen to what you are saying rather than blindly using one person's inability to justify their decisions when they face no difficulties swapping their plate.
When I went into anaphylactic shock for my peanut allergy it was really hard for me to want to eat anything that wasn't prepackaged and labeled clearly that it was from a nut free facility (admittedly I had a lot of food waste being paranoid that somehow my opened packaged food was open for too long and thus exposed to something dangerous). I was so scared that I struggled to eat whole fresh foods that were perfectly safe for fear that maybe, just maybe somebody at that store touched it with peanut dust on their hands. Each meal going forward definitely felt like a trust exercise. You work through it meal by meal. It helps you to realize 'Hey, I ate this peach and didn't die! Let's try broccoli. Let's try cheese, etc,etc.' and that kind of mind set helped me get back to normal. I am still very conscious of my food and where it's prepped and how it's made but I find it's helpful to be proactive (get comfortable with your brands, call ahead and add an allergy list to your dinner reservation) so that you can relax later and be able to just sit down and grab something from your fridge or order off the menu assuring that your allergies are known and accommodations in the kitchen are made. It's nice when you do the ground work before you are stuck in a situation so you can just reach out a pick something without stopping and having to do the double checking/ hesitation in the moment.
E Mona Lisa Surprisingly, I know what you mean. I have a tree nut allergy; I had an allergic reaction to pistachios when I was 4. I would not eat anything that was made in a facility or on equipment with tree nuts, I would barely eat outside of my home, I even stopped eating peanuts- You’d be surprised how many times I tell people I have a treenut allergy, and they say “Oh? A peanut allergy?” Its really stressful, but itll even out. I stopped eating for about 2 years because I was nervous, and whenever I went to the cafeteria or my class had a party, I’d panic and panic more because I thought I was having an allergic reaction. Its just the thought of maybe someone having eaten nutella or some sweet at the table I sat at, and it would then contaminate everything near me. I dont know about you, but Ive just stopped going to restaurants, haha. Ive had the majority of waiters and waitresses assume I meant a peanut allergy, and even had 3 ask me what an allergy was- one told me he’s never heard of that [referring to a treenut allergy]
@@insertname9098 I thoroughly vet my restaurants. I also go through my allergies clearly when I get there and let The server know it's okay to ask questions, double check with the ingredients with me, double check with the chef and if they are uncomfortable I let them know I have no problem if they would rather I be seated with a server more comfortable with allergies. One place I could recommend is Melting pot. They usually have one or two servers trained for allergies per shift. I have never had a problem there and they've brought me the dressing/ seasonings/ wrappers to things to double check. Yeah, eating out is hard but when you find the places you can go to its nice to have a place you can take friends out to.
My sis is a big part of my life and is well-known so she's not a mythological creature, just someone with among other things a seriously big website which is the point of this reply. Pickuplimes, Avantgarde Vegan and Abbey Sharp in the last 8 months are the most watched vlogs in this field on the net. What do they have in common? Authority and humility and willingness to learn as well as to help and teach; all good.
What you described, has been me over the past 2 months. For 7 months I have cut out McDonald's and soft drink bc they were my biggest addictions. Along with doing that, I decided to start exercising and eating healthily. I started tracking my macros and calories. However, I was still allowing myself the occasional donut or savoury treat. It wasn't until 2 months ago - when I went on uni break and was isolated for most of the day - that I became OBSESSESIVE over eating things I felt were healthy. I was on MyFitnessPal for hours out of the day, and changing what I would have for lunch and dinner 3/4 times until it perfectly fit my macro breakdown. 2 nights ago I had McDonald's for the first time in 7 months, simply because I knew I needed to bite the bullet and stop restricting myself. And the day after, I had never felt happier or healthier. I'm lucky to have a partner who is incredibly supportive. I've experienced bouts of this before, but the restriction period only lasted a month or so, and was fairly easy to overcome. At the moment I'm trying to find a balance between the healthy lifestyle I was living 4 months ago, and not being scared of food. Thank you for this video ❤
Thank you so much for your channel! I recently was told by my doctor that I had really high cholesterol. I have always grown up in a lower class house that often ate fast food and cheap, unhealthy foods. I had gained some weight and while away at college, was eating worse than ever. I started deciding to try and eat "clean" by cutting out my favorite foods like potatoes, rice, pastas, and pretty much anything other than vegetables and fruits. Your channel helped me so much to teach myself "emotional dieting" where I focus in myself and my mental health along with the food I put into my body and I've never felt better!
I have been watching your videos since a week or so, and it's opened my eyes so much over my own behaviours. A year or so ago, I became extremely weight conscious and started seeking anything and everything to lose weight. For almost 8 months or so, I was obsessed with eating clean, eating within my limit of 1200 calories a day. I would eat the same thing for dinner everyday (which was literally a snack more than a meal), stay empty stomach for 13 hours. I lost the weight and the constant compliments from friends and family just added fuel to the fire. I'd feel terribly guilty if I'd go out with my boyfriend for a meal, and stay empty the rest of the day to 'balance it all out'. Not to mention the health issues in terms of low energy, constipation and irritability. Since the last 6 months I've been home with my mum and returning to a real diet where I'm eating properly (I'm an Indian so my mother will not have any diet BS at home lmao). I was so scared about 'putting the weight back on', but now I just look back and feel bad at what I was doing to myself back then. Looking at your videos has definitely helped me flag my own disorderly behaviours. I really want to thank you for what you do. ♥️
I went vegan almost two years ago. It has really helped me. I had the opposite problem. I have major textural issues with food, bordering on ARFID. My diet was very limited and only composed of certain textures of food. I went vegan for both ethics and health. It has really helped me incorporate more textures and variety into my diet. I would love to see a video on ARFID.
Thanks for sharing this ❤ I'm coming from a very similar background. But I was vegan for 5 years and had to stop 2 years ago since I noticed that I felt very restricted. Now I've been following a pescetarian diet for 2 years and I'm feeling the best I've ever had - especially mentally.
Thank you for sharing. Nobody except one person in my life knows about my disordered eating past. I was able to hide it so well no one ever questioned my eating habits.My eating disorder in my teens took up so much of my life and social life all because I needed to have power over what I allowed to stay in my body. I am coming to terms that my past eating disorder evolved into a form of orthorexia. While I am much better now than where I was, I always rationalize my new eating habits as being "good for me", but many times get that food anxiety, or freak out if I have to eat something outside of my eating window. While I am grateful of myself for making more positive changes, I am still working on my food anxiety and trying to not stress if I have one "bad meal" or two. Stories like yours are so inspiring to me. Thank you again💕
I’m running around so I’ll bookmark this to watch later, but omg just a quick scroll reading through the comments section filled with wholesomeness and support from every side makes me just breathe a sigh of joyous relief, lol.. Wish the world were more like this ❤️
I know the social aspect of eating out is something that turns off people from veganism. I have gone with my friends to lunch, just sitting there with a drink, because I can’t eat anything on the menu. However, with the increase of vegan restaurants or just having vegan options, people may find it less difficult.
GILBERTO RUBIO VILLAFUERTE I heard Baskin Robbins is coming out with two vegan ice cream flavors next month. Popular chains are coming out with more and more options!!!
I agree with this, im vegetarian but if i was vegan i would be able to literally eat nothing when i go over to family dinners because its so animal-orientated!
Yes! This makes me so happy! I was a strict vegan for two years and it very much impacted my social life. Now I eat vegan at home but when going out I will take the veggie option if there is not vegan available.
Jana I’m still a strict vegan, but I don’t blame you for choosing the vegetarian option. As a goth, I’m used to benign the odd one out, just sitting there doesn’t really bother me. Luckily, now there are more vegan places in my area (I live near a very large city). There is a huge vegan community here, but eating out could be very difficult depending on where you live.
Can you do some plant-based recipe videos that center around beans, lentils legumes, etc.? This was a great video. I was vegan for a while, but would consider myself more of an intuitive/flexitarian eater. Leaves me much more satisfied and it's a lot less stressful in ANY social situation.
I don't normally read RUclips comments because they are so often antagonistic and hateful, but I love how that couldn't be further from the truth on Abbey's channel! Thank you Abbey and all the commenters for cultivating such a supportive, thoughtful and engaged dialogue. It's nice to see that this is possible on the internet and in these divisive times.
When I realized recently that I was struggling with binge eating disorder, I think it really hit me how eating disorders are so much more common than anyone even realizes. I think a lot of the health "gurus" on this platform are not only suffering from certain EDs unbeknownst to them, but also encouraging others that its whats healthy or "normal". Learning to integrate all different types of foods into my diet (although I'm vegetarian) and being less restrictive has helped me control my binging behaviors. One of the best (but hardest) things I've been doing to beat the binge is to stop classifying foods as strictly "good" or "bad" and just try to eat what I want in moderation. I am so thankful for you and other youtubers who speak out about EDs and promote a balanced lifestyle!!
What do you think about schools these days policing food and making children throw out whatever their teacher feels is 'unhealthy'? Do you think teaching kids such black and white food rules at such a young age could lead to disordered eating down the road? This might only be a thing in Australia though...
@@AbbeysKitchen I heard about something similar that was happening on the east coast in Canada. Parents would get a note if the child didn't have all 5 food groups. Then teachers gave the children the food groups they were missing. That was a few years ago I heard about that on the news. Curious if it still happens though.
@@AbbeysKitchen I really enjoyed this video. I find your take on these issues very balanced and thoughtful. I think a video on food policing for children would be interesting.
I eat intuitively, whatever I am craving, I craved bologna last week and baby spinach this week. I eat prob somewhere between 75-80 plant-based, and 20-30 fish, ethically gleaned meats. I pay so much for this meat that it controls my consumption of animal products. I tend to lean towards more liver for my health issues. My future plans are to have a circle of life farm, where I eat the veggies and animals that I raise.
@@AbbeysKitchen Thanks, I am concerned by "my way or the highway" behavior on the internet. People are once again woefully judging those differently, only what is acceptable to judge has changed.
I tried to be vegan...i felt stressed the whole time, and i felt like my intestines were dissolving, i felt like someone probed acid inside me. I cant do that. And she's right about finding what is best for our bodies and I need to be careful with what I eat.
This video has prompted me to make appointments with my GP, a psychologist and a dietician who specialises in healing from disordered eating and resuming a normal, healthy diet. You’ve made me realise that I have a serious problem with disordered eating and I have a one year old daughter who I don’t want to be impacted by it. For nearly 7 years now I’ve eaten a predominantly vegan diet (I’ve gone through periods where I’ve eaten vegetarian) and it began with clean eating. I was ‘following’ a ‘clean eating guru’ who was popular at the time here in Australia and it has stemmed from there and gotten worse over time. Thank you for making this video.
I was a strict whole food plant-based person for 5 years and everyone thought I was so healthy because I was a sz 2 with no cellulite...it was hiding my raging alcohol abuse. Sober now for 7 years and eat what I need to. I'm glad you made this video.
Veganism isn’t about “dietary rules”. It’s about living a lifestyle that reduces animal suffering as much as possible. It of course does involve eliminating corpses and secretions.
I totally agree that you have to prioritize your health. And it’s possible your example of “flexitarianism” may ultimately prevent more carbon emissions / animal deaths / human disease than if you went vegan. Most people won’t go vegan, but I think many will see your approach and be inspired to incorporate more plants into their diet. That’s a huge impact!
Wow, I can’t tell you how similar my story is to yours. I had digestive inflammation (due to stress) and was barely getting by each day as a mom of 3 children 5 and under. I became terrified of food and thought if I could find the “right” foods then I’d be ok. So while I embarked on that journey to attempt healing, I lost about 30 lbs. I was constantly complimented on how good I looked while I was mentally and physically wrecked. I became afraid to leave my house, afraid of germs or anything that might upset my digestion and was barely eating a bowl of rice a day. I have thankfully since recovered and am realizing that food rules and diet labels are not good for me. I recently discovered the concept of intuitive eating and am so glad to see that someone who knows nutrition like yourself believes in its benefits. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your thoughts here! 💛
I’ve been vegetarian for about 13 years and vegan off and on (currently on!) but it wasn’t until I found the WFPB approach that I began to experience my best health and vibrancy, and don’t feel like it’s restrictive at all. In fact, just the opposite! I was raised on the worst possible SAD ( Twinkies anyone?) I started on the journey for the animals, then kept it up to heal my heart disease and get healthy for me. I really appreciate your sharing your story. YTers are always talking about orthorexia but I never knew what it was. It is very easy to get obsessive about veganism for sure. I loved your “acid test” that if you can’t go out to dinner because you’re panicking that there might be butter on the veggies (because there likely will be) you might be orthorexic. And we appreciate your focus on vegan foods! 🥳 Great video.
I would love to know more about the nutritional value of animal products and how that differs from vegans foods. I hear many vegans claiming that animal products are 100% bad for you, but I have heard from more educated people that there are certain nutrients much more bioavailable in animal products than plants. I eat intuitively but would just love to know the truth behind this.
As a former vegan and someone who wrote a bachelor thesis on the vegan diet related to health I can confirm that from studies it shows that bioavailability in animal foods is often better. Personally I developed health problems after years being vegan although I ate healthy and supplemented, omega3/dha can be a problem. Personally I don't believe anymore that natural non processed animal foods from wild or well raised and fed animals (no factory farming!) is unhealthy, quite the opposite. And also actually beneficial for this planet but that's too complex to explain further here. ;) Nowadays I believe both factory farmed animal foods and plant foods from monocrops etc is bad for you, the best would really be real food meaning wild, organic and non processed food. In the end you just should be conscious about what and where you buy, where you put your money, how the food gets to your plate and how you feel with it.
plantifulalexandra this is an amazing response!! And it definitely aligns with Izzy Davis's opinion after studying physiology & metabolism at UC Berkeley. I would definitely agree 100% and I think that many vegans don't distinguish between factory farming and more sustainable farming & hunting practices, painting them all as bad. Lessening the environmental impact and animal suffering can be achieved without going vegan, as long as you are aware of where your food is coming from and make steps to be more ethical.
@@katereid8992 THIS! I believe when you first go vegan you automatically cut out a lot of crap like processed animal foods and that's why you feel amazing.. I feel that's kinda the thing with every "restricted diet" (yes, veganism is not a diet..), you often cut out a lot of bad foods as well even though you might also cut out good foods.
@@AMbrittni Yes, this! Vegans often say non vegans are detached from their food, now as an ex vegan I can see that I've been detached from food and nature as a vegan myself thinking about common phrases like "the fish wasn't asked if he wants to die".. like what? No, why would I ask the fish? He probably doesn't wanna die but if I wanna eat it well.. it has to die, that's just it. That's not good or bad, that's just nature.
Thank you so much abbey! I've been in recovery for binge eating disorder for years now and your content always is wonderful but this struck me so hard. Thank you for sharing your journey with us! Also for anyone with disordered eating, over eaters anonymous was helpful for me, as well as learning mindfulness and practicing intentional self kindness.
could not agree more with the points you made! as someone who struggled with eating disorders for years, I briefly went vegan for the "health and ethics" but really it was a method to restrict myself in a more socially acceptable way. in the end it wasn't healthy for me at all. restriction is restriction is restriction and some of us with ED histories just can't do it
I agree 100% with you. I was a vegan for 3 years, but it was so restricted and my binge eating disorder became worse. Now I eat everything I want, and guess what I eat vegan/vegetarian for the most time. So no rules or labels, is much healthier for me.
Abbey!! You are a BLESSING, a true blessing on this hell of a platform. i'm sure you're helping a lot of young people. eloquent, honest, professional, non-dramatic and to the point. Keep up the good work! Love love love you ❤
Thank you for sharing your story!! I'm glad that you found a way of eating that works for you and kicked orthorexia's butt! I first went vegan out of my anorexia/binge-purge hell, yes I was concerned for the animals- but in all honesty, I've made the decision so I could cut out even more foods and disguise it as being ethical. Still being in the ED mindset meant that I never managed to be vegan/plant-based the right way, and with that I mean: eating in a way that was not restrictive and getting all the nutrients I needed. I know that it's possible to eat plant-based and actually get all the nutrients needed, but that requires looking more deeply into nutrition itself (at least at the beginning). And trying to get out of an ED mindset and take the focus off of food on one hand, but then having to think about how to get all the nutrients needed from plant-based foods on the other hand, is very counterproductive (at least for me). My therapist encouraged me to incorporate some animal products back into my diet again, but I couldn't do that at the time (last year). I thought it would be against my ethical conscience, but I eventually noticed that the real reason behind it was fear. Because I've labelled animal products "bad" and plant-based foods "good". And because the "bad" foods were linked to a fear of "being unhealthy" and "making me fat" (ED speaking, not my rational belief; also, I don't believe "fat" to be a bad word or bad state of being), I couldn't eat them. That's what kept some parts of my ED alive for all these years. The real problem behind it all was my perfectionist, idealistic, puristic view of eating and health and beauty. I eventually incorporated some animal products back into my diet this year, like cheeses, and dairy or eggs in sweets. It feels fine for my body, it's a lot easier in social settings and it brought back some normality to my life. I can't follow a diet/lifestyle that is in any way restrictive. It just fucks with my mind and by that risks my mental and also physical health. That being said, it's not easy to eat animal products while knowing about the animals' suffering. It never will be. And it's not easy to have people comment on one's consumption of animal products after having been vegan. What makes me worry is that I see a lot of people with a history of EDs going/being vegan and still restricting their intake/clearly showing disordered eating habits, but believing it's fine because it's all under the label "vegan/plant-based".
I’m a vegan for moral reasons but that’s just for me. I do t see any reason to push that on anyone else. You’re doing what’s right for you and I love that. I also love that you don’t naysay a vegan diet just cause you don’t eat one. Everyone’s path is their own. Keep up the great work!
What moral reasons? The only reason domesticated animals exist is to feed humans. They don't exist in nature and they couldn't survive in nature. As for wild animals, deer in the wild live for roughly 2 years and die less than pleasant deaths in 'old age', usually succumbing to starvation during the winter. The best death you can give an aging deer is a clean kill.
Macedonicus well those statistics aren’t exactly right and I don’t really have to explain myself to you. I just meant I wasn’t vegan just for the health benefits. I think it is morally reprehensible to keep living creatures in the conditions we keep them in before slaughter or slaughter them the way we do. I believe that all living beings should be treated with kindness. Not as a commodity. Do no harm.
@@ArtyCraftZ Problems of suffering in nature is independent of the problems in animal agriculture because humans control life and death in animal agriculture, while animals in nature have more freedom, and humans have less control. That means if we continue business as usual, but stop breeding animals into existence we have a temporary holocaust versus an eternal holocaust. With enough resources, maybe we can do something about suffering in nature as well, if it is practicable. First focus should be to not cause suffering, since it's practicable, just stop.
Thanks for sharing your story. I’ve struggled with disordered eating when I was body builder. I switched to a vegan diet (that includes cooked foods and healthy fats. Big fan of peanut, avocados, pistachios and almond butters) after my chronic illness was getting out of control. Best thing I’ve ever done. My friends say they could never do what I do but I tell them eating less meat by using it as a garnish or trying meatless Mondays or even eating it as a main dish maybe 3 times a week or so helps reduce animal suffering and strain on the environment too. So I’m really glad you emphasized that for people who maybe interested in becoming more plant based or cleaning up their diet.
4 года назад
I discovered your channel just this year but I am so happy I did. I struggled as ateenager with anorexia and took me several years to recover fully, and I realize now that what I do now is intuitive eating. I stopped following diets, fashion magazines and in general stopped relating to people or started avoiding diet cuture, or conversations and or fit life obsessed individuals and started listening to myself. Challenged myself with foods I was afraid off, and with time was able to eliminate the "good or bad label" in my brain, as well as counting calories and all that. I did needed to follow some structure for the first years because I bounced from anorexia to bulimia and was having a hard time listening to my body, so just meal plans worked for a while till I was able to listen to my body and got rid of the rules in a way. And I am so happy to see your videos, like warning people about diet culture and just being happy to listen to your body and eat a bit of everything and def not feel guilty for eating what your body is asking for (within reason). So yeah, Thank you for these videos.
There is no debate about killing animals being humane. Meat as side dish? You dont need to eat dead bodies. Just get it right and accept the fact you just prefer taste over animal lives….
THANK YOU for talking about this. I absolutely hate how moralized food is, and I’m trying to move away from it as much as possible. I think intuitive eating is a really undervalued approach to nutrition
I had no idea what orthorexia was until I watched this. When I was 21 I started drinking socially and eating the fast food that comes with 3 am post bar cravings and gained a ton of weight. I decided to make a change which started with calorie cutting but once I reached my "goal weight" turned into a clean eating obsession. I would get anxious going to a restaurant and absolutely had to read the menu before I went. I would scour the internet for nutritional info to calm myself down about the grilled chicken and squash I knew I was going to order while everyone else haphazardly ordered whatever sounded best to them. I'm happy to say I've improved a ton over the last year and am loving your videos so much. They are reinforcing that I dont have to obsess as much and can eat what I feel like when I'm hungry and stop when I'm not. Xoxo.
The world isn't designed for vegans. If you can't go down the path of reading the ingredient list of everything you buy then that's that. I already have so many food sensitivities that I can't cut out any more so I make an effort to eat plant based but, like you, don't label it and what I need to.
I was a vegan and I suffered from Orthorexia as well. I stopped being vegan and I am finally healthy because I wasn't so obsessed one what I was eating.
I hope to be able to go fully vegan at some point, but right now I’m just focusing on incorporating more plant based foods into my diet and reducing my consumption of animal products. Thank you for being so open minded to all diets and prioritizing mental health! 💖
Wow. This story is so similar to mine. As someone who has struggled with orthorexia and not listened to my body for quite a while in the past year, hearing stories like this and watching you videos makes me feel even better about the changes I’ve made and not restricting food anymore. You’re amazing!!❤️
Veganism was really tough for me at first because I also had a history of disordered eating. I ended up making it work for me, but I totally understand that it is restrictive by nature & everyones EDs and health issues are different. Being a good vegan means understanding that there are valid reasons to not be a vegan. Thanks so much for sharing your experience & expertise! I love your work! 💚
So professional and well spoken. I’m a nutrition student and I look up to you as if you’re my mentor and I hope to be as passionate about food as you are
@@Assassin99584 Lol yep. He also deletes all comments that raise legitimate questions about the diet he sells. If he truly believed in what he preaches, he’d be happy to respond to people and answer their questions, rather than delete/block anything that may contradict what he’s saying.
Thank you for discussing the benefits of plant based but for the millionth time... Veganism isn't a diet, it's an ethical stance. An eating disorder is a mental disorder. Diets and specifics foods do not fix eating disorders, it is the mental and behavioral patterns behind the choices people make.
Thank you for sharing! This video hit home for me as an RD who is currently struggling with my recovery from orthorexia. I always enjoy your videos and this is one I will rewatch many times. Nice to know there are others who understand the struggle.
My sister is like this. She’ll eat multivitamins on an empty stomach and purposely make herself sick- crawling on the bathroom floor sick, just so she’s not eating! She’s also doing a new diet every month- whole 30? Vegan? She’s been a vegetarian since she was 13 and used to be very bulimic so much that she was hospitalized in high school. Now she’s a yoga instructor and praised for being so thin but it’s an obsession and she can’t really live a fun life at all. Everything revolves around control over food exercise and results in depression isolation and major freak outs about her appearance. She definitely has body dysmorphia. She thinks she’s huge. She even keeps weights by her scale to make sure it’s on caliber. It’s very scary. I love her and it makes me so sad. 💔
This is such a great topic! I also have restrictive patterns regarding to my diet, going from vegan, to keto and carnivore and never felt "in balance" or myself. I do feel my best on a vegetarian/vegan diet, but I also enjoy eating animal foods in moderation once in a while, when my body feels like it. Is hard for me to not be able to commit with a 100% vegan diet, but I also enjoy the freedom to eat whatever my body is craving. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Would eating an intuitive vegan diet also trigger your orthorexia? If you don't want to eat as clean as possible, there's no need to have an absolutely clean vegan diet. Just eat what you want. Plant milks, vegan meat replacements, etc. But maybe I don't understand orthorexia correctly. Still, veganism is not a diet. It's basic moral decency. Just like not eating dogs isn't restrictive, not eating cows, pigs, chickens and their secretions isn't restrictive either. It's simply not wanting victims for dinner. I for example eat anything I want. Fries, burgers, chocolate, ice cream and of course healthier food. Just what I have an appetite for. What I don't want is animals to suffer and die for me. So I don't eat them. There's no restriction or obsession in that. Especially when there's vegan alternatives for basically everything.
Thank you for posting this video. I have been watching your channel for the last couple of weeks and really enjoy the content but now I understand more fully where you're coming from. There have been times I've been frustrated with your talk of "intuitive eating" but now I understand why. I am a person with a "bigger body" as you say, so a lot of your suggestions just would not work for me. My disordered eating causes me to compulsively overeat and my natural inclination is toward fast food, fried food, heavy sauces, salty meats/cheeses etc and I eat until I'm FULL which is why I have high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. But I really appreciate the way that you call out diet culture because I have been trapped in that vicious cycle (lose/gain/lose/gain) for years now and am really looking for a way to break free for good. My doctor says I need to lose 10% of my body weight and thanks to you instead of going on another diet I'm working with a registered dietitian to put together a eating plan I can sustain long term. Your insights have been invaluable. God bless 😊
Thank you for sharing your story! I’ve been following your videos for a few months and love your approach to food. I’ve never heard the term Orthorexia but have had a similar restrictive relationship with food due to GI distress. You gave me new language for some personal struggles. I also relate to the reality that I too jump between 2 extremes when on restrictive, or all in, diets. I appreciate your willingness to address these issues that are so common in everyday life and social circles.
As a vegan, I think more people even becoming flexitarians is still making a difference to an extent 🤷🏻♀️
How did I get all of these Likes?
Tab Golem totally
Exactly! Fellow vegan here,I agree
Totally. I think realistically, more people are willing to commit long-term to reducing their animal product consumption than eliminating it.
yes yes yes!! so important!! -fellow vegan
I'm not vegan, but I've been slowly reducing animal products in my diet. It is working for me.
As a "vegan" I dont understand the focus of labels. The more plant- based options people make the better. Who cares if its 100% , 90%, 70%, 25%????
The more open people are to plant based options, the easier it is to move towards a brighter and cleaner future 💕
Yeah, this is the problem with people like freelee. If you eat mostly plant based and eat one egg for example, you are instantly a "bad person". Vegans should realize that by lowering the pressure of being a perfect vegan, more people would start reducing animal products and in the end less animal products are consumed. Turning totally vegan is not very easy
Thank you! I eat like 95% plant based. But whenever I get a scoop of dairy ice cream (because let’s face it, sometimes I just get tired off ordering the same three flavors that are non-dairy) everybody loses their mind. C’mon please just let me eat whatever I think is the best for me!
Yes!!!
I support that! I hope more people would consider veganism as a percentage of their every-days, but the final destination should always be 100% :)
Yes!! This mentality is loving and accepting of all people and their journey. Awesome comment.
Hi vegan viewer here!
I just want to post a little reminder for anyone who genuinely can’t be vegan that there are still lots of other ways to help the animals: buy cosmetics/ toiletries which are not tested on animals (leaping bunny certified), avoid fashion made from fur/leather/down, boycott animal circus acts etc and just as Abbey said reduce your animal consumption as much as you can 🌱
Doing something is better than doing nothing, just try your best that’s all anyone can hope for ❤️
Carolyn H yes killing animals mmmm so ethical
And if you're having these issues, hold onto what vegan swaps you CAN make! Just because you can't eat soy, doesn't mean you eat wheat gluten. For example.
Get your head out of your ass. People aren't going to kill themselves eating food they cannot digest/are allergic to just for your morals.
That was at Mumzel, btw. Imagine thinkings it's productive to make sarcastic comments at someone who's just trying their best. Jeez
Best way is no car no children! Just doing this your doing more then any vegan could.
I have some friends who eat vegan at home and outside of the house don’t worry about it and are flexible. It seems like a really good balance for them.
Qwerty great balance!!
You can’t eat vegan if your not vegan to begin with🤷🏻♀️ you mean they don’t eat animal products not they eat “vegan”. Veganism is a lifestyle, I get what you mean though
I started with that, too. Now I am vegan. :)
That's awesome for them! It's super healthy to do that!!
This is really bad because the food they get when eating out will usually not be healthy or obtained under kinder conditions.
As a vegan I feel that if 50% of Americans went flexitarian it would make a bigger difference that the small 1% of uptick of people who go fully vegan(and also most abandon it)
Good point!
Yes you’re absolutely right. However, if that was what she said and her perspective was trying to help people eat as much of a plant based diet as possible to help the planet I would agree. That’s not it tho is it? She promotes dangerous eating habits and a dangerous diet. She doesn’t eat mostly plant based tho, she eats mostly cholesterol and saturated fat filled foods that are bad for the environment and people. She promotes ridiculous practices and is sponsored by the meat industry. If this was her world view she could have simply stated it. Clearly it’s not and clearly she doesn’t give a shit.
What in the hell is flexitarian lol
@@tessalillian8184 when you eat plant based most of the time
@@avadickerson5143 ohh I guess I’m flexitarian then
Thank you for sharing this! As a vegan, I don’t think it works for everyone to be vegan. I am grateful for your example of what a balanced and conscientious diet is.
Naomi Renard thanks so much!
I’m glad that she at least supports veganism as whole. She always defends it in her critique videos
Agreed. This is where me and a lot of my vegan friends disagree. Being vegan has been great for me personally, it's been great for my partner. As much as I would love to live in a vegan world (I'm vegan for environmental/animal welfare reasons), I also recognize that that does not work for every single person, and I can't tell people how to live their life.
Not hurting animals is not for everyone?
M don’t be rude. There are people with digestive issues who are able to digest meat easier.
I totally get this perspective, but my experience with going vegan was actually the opposite. When I went plant based, my relationship with food became the best it had ever been. It wasn’t restriction, but a new, creative experience that made me feel happy and fulfilled (both inside and out). Food was not the enemy but an opportunity to come into balance with myself and the world. May not be the case for everyone, but I wanted to share!
Exactly. There's hundreds of thousands of edible plants and fungi that are all considered vegan.
The same happened with me
Totally had a similar experience. However as another person who struggled with orthorexia feeling “bad” if you eat non vegan foods is really a dangerous place to be. So I really like the blue zones lifestyle to dramatically reduce animal product consumption and live intuitively.
Same, been Vega over 10 years now. But it's nice to see her not invalidate veganism as most all dietitians here tend to.
I was vegan nearly 10 years. When I quit, when I went to the grocery store and knew I could buy ANYTHING there, that felt like food freedom to me.
I eat vegan as an ethical choice, but I do 100% understand that it is difficult and especially difficult for those with disordered eating pasts. I do have to say that you do SO MUCH here on YT for veganism and how to do it healthfully than probably 80% of the vegan specific channels on here. We see you, Abbey. You're doing good.
That’s why I subbed to her too -fellow vegan
What a nice comment!! I'm not vegan but have drastically reduced my meat/dairy consumption in the last few years. I think people like Abbey and others who just show that plant-based eating can be delicious, easy, and part of everyone's diet make a big difference! If we all reduce our intake of animal products, it will make a big difference!
@@laraerae4321 does it make a difference to the animals you consume?
@@fragitude yes, less animals will be consumed if most people eat less meat. Simple math :) most people just aren't going to go vegan. If more people can be convinced to reduce their consumption, reducing overall demand. If you tell people they're either vegan or they're evil, they are less likely to make any effort.
@@laraerae4321 I'm not talking about the animals you don't consume. If I only murder on Sundays does that make me a good person? You're basically saying yes because I have reduced my killings Monday through Saturday.
Better to not kill at all.
Better to be vegan 100%.
Thank you for bringing this up! I have had the same struggles as you with orthorexia - luckily it never got so far that it became really unhealthy for me BUT the mindset still exists. I was vegan for a while but had to stop and have been a vegetarian for a few years. It was only recently that I started eating meat again but I am so happy that I did that. Taking away restrictions in food helped my mental health A LOT. I do still eat mainly vegan/vegetarian meals and only eat meat occasionally, it just helps me to not have the restrictions. I think it's important to talk about this in our social media society where we are constantly being told how to be "good" and "healthy". THANK YOU!
I am vegan myself & loved hearing your point of view! Very respectful and well said 😊
I think the main thing with veganism is ethics I don't think health reasons alone are significant enough. I wish more vegans would also see that even reducitarianism is much more likely and will contribute significantly (even though i disagree with the consumption of animal products but totally understand that veganism is not for everyone in terms of access and restriction).
Jamie McQ for sure
Exactly it’s about the ethics
Even being mostly plant based and actively reducing animal products is better than nothing!! It’s not about the diet it’s about the suffering animals and deteriorating earth. Only twisted people could actually go and kill the animals
@@ngxoxo
"Even being mostly plant based and actively reducing animal products is better than nothing!!"
" Only twisted people could actually go and kill the animals
."
Wow, did you actually say this in the same comment?
@@FABIOof119 uuh in the world i live livestock consume most of the grains produced, cause unhappilly theyre not plants and cant grow outta sunlight and water, and the livestock industry also, maybe, a huge consumer of antibiotics 🤫
Pretty sure you just exposed my orthorexic habits. It hurts but I’m thankful!
Brittany Rippy i recommend finding someone to talk to about this
Abbey Sharp okay, thanks Abbey. I’ll start looking into this tomorrow morning. 💕
I hope you are doing well! I’m getting help for my orthorexia rn
Such a prevalent topic. Many of my friends recovering from eating disorders went vegan at first. They spent 100% of their time thinking about what to eat next and feeling guilty for eating 1 piece of dark chocolate. Luckily, they realized that it just fostered their obsession with food and restriction, and now they eat a more intuitive diet. It's quite scary how many people in their 20s severely restrict their food intake for "health" reasons, but actually just have eating disorders. When I obsessed over my food the most is when I was most miserable. Def not a fun or healthy way to live.
Violet Valentina definitely not. Thanks for sharing
I was literally just starting to slip back into kinda disoriented eating when I was watching this, like I was stressing because I couldn't figure out if the wine I had as a paring for my otherwise vegan meal was vegan or not and all that so this video really caught me at the top of the hill, I promptly added some feta to my salad and reached out to my support network (which consists of posting to my story and noone caring but still)
Constant Chaos I agree posting something to your story is a great tactic, even if no one replies - bc it's both public & a journal, you get the benefits of letting other people know (even just randoms online), decreasing isolation & increasing motivation, & you get to see a record of just how far you've come since you fist started working on things - which can be very useful for those days you don't feel like you're getting anywhere.
(I'm going on my experience with addiction rather than disordered eating - while they are different I think there's some overlap in terms of recovery & seeking to change the habits, behaviours & situations that feed into them.)
@@hcamuber yeah, i save everything like that from my story so I can look back when I need it (which I never do but it's still nice to be able to)
And it's not that absolutely noone cares, I mean it's just my cousin and then my sisters friends who look up to me but it helps to put it out there
I would offer that I can help you out if you dont have a super support network but that would probably be creepy lmao not to mention the last thing someone needs is another medical professional reminding them to take care of themselves lol
@@FABIOof119 that is incorrect
Having had a relative pass away due to an eating disorder at only 24YO I did want to reiterate that it’s VERY important to consider this. I really respect how this video was presented and explained.
I went vegan for the animals and of course in an ideal world I’d love if we all preferred to cuddle animals rather than eat them, however, I do also know that every human being is totally different. I an honestly happy if someone who is a meat eater has the veggie option or the veggie has the vegan option.
Love to all 🖤
Jaynie Thompson awww. So sorry about your relative 💞💞
Do you cuddle chickens?
As a life long (29) pescatarian I've always been kind of isolated in my food choices socially. I thought it was "normal" to go somewhere and not be able to have anything but salad. I recently became vegan and the issue has worsened. I definitely needed this video. Thank you.
As a relatively new vegan, former flexitarian, and person with a history of disordered heating/orthorexia, my recent transition to eating fully plant based hasn't felt restricted because I view it as a CHOICE, not as a rule. :) I'm "allowed" to eat animal products, I just choose not to because I don't want to contribute to animal agriculture if I have other options. I put off transitioning for a long time because I didn't think I could do it healthily, but it has actually helped with some of my guilt around eating by knowing no animals suffered for my food, and pushes me keep good food in my pantry to assure I always have adequate sources of vegan protein and other nutrients.
This is just my perspective, not disagreeing with your video because I really related to your experience. :) I think promoting flexitarianism and reductionism is so important, because the general public is more open to that idea and every bit helps.
One thing that helps me not feel so restricted with veganism is to think of "replace, not restrict" when it comes to plant-based alternatives. I freely eat plant-based "meats" and "animal by-products" as it's good for my mental health. I guess you could call me flexitarian/98% vegan, as if I'm at home or at a restaurant with a lot of vegan options, I'll eat vegan, but if I'm at a restaurant that has no satisfying or balanced vegan options (e.g., dry side salad and fries are not satisfying either mentally or physically), I will choose to eat animal by-products (although not meat since I've lost my taste for it/desire to eat it).
I think for some people with an eating disorder/disordered eating history, it can eventually be a safe option to go vegan. And some people can never go vegan without triggering the eating disorder, and that's OK, too. There are other ways of advocating for the animals and the environment outside of diet, and a mentally and physically healthy advocate for the animals and the environment that's eating meat is better than someone actively using eating disorder behaviours not being able to be an advocated because they are consumed by their eating disorder/disordered eating.
@@erickamcc1701 yes, +1 to all of this! Two big points related to what you mentioned that I didn't include in my original post: (1) there are so many good vegan substitutes these days that it's easy to abide by that "replace, not restrict" mentality. Burgers, ice cream, nacho cheese, pizza -- all still on the menu, but with vegan versions. :) (2) I hate the militant mindset that veganism is all or nothing. That vegan is something you are, not something you do. While I strive towards the "vegan" definition -- to reduce the suffering of animals -- I more often say that I'm "plant-based" or "avoiding animal products" for this reason. I don't want to be overly paranoid about slipping up and getting called out and having my intentions questioned. There's a lot of moral ambiguity and identity politics involved in the vegan label that can turn people off and that's really unfortunate.
I think the choice vs rule thing is an important distinction, I also went vegan while recovering from an eating disorder and it really helped alleviate my food guilt.
Lyndsey Olsen ONE LOVE VEGAN FOREVER JUST SENDING U SOME VEGAN COMPASSION AND POSITIVE ENERGY YOUR WAY
Your still identifying with labels and focused on that.
A very rational and well-considered position just as I expected it would be. Thanks for this video. It explains your philosophy very clearly. I also apologize in advance on behalf of veganism if/when the Freelee-type crowd comes at you for this.
Rampaging Chipmunk thank you 🙏
@Cindy Wallis That's exactly how i eat. It works for me for the past 12 years of being vegan. I'm always saying to people i just eat everything as long as it is vegan. And in case i go somewhere or to someone's home ... i never complicate if there is no food for me. I will eat just salad or bread which almost every house has anyway. I'm being very uncomplicated about it and have no issues. And my mind is cool and peaceful
OMG Freelee …. I love the internet and dislike it for just this reason.
You think reducing the entire life of a suffering animal to "a garnish" is "rational and well-considered"?
@@TheParadigmShiftTV preacher spotted
I loved your video. I HAVE struggled with my weight all my life. When I was at my thinnest, people would praise me a lot because I was being 'good' without acknowledging the very awful, obsessive and restrictive food habits I had, now I gained weight again because of bad habits, and I am highly criticized and put down... it's funny because not even at my thinnest I was healthy, but it seems that people only like to criticize the looks rather than the red lights of eating disorders... My journey to find balance continues, but I agree that mental health and prioritizing your well-being is always the best way to go. Thank you. I love your channel.
Sunshine Sanz totally. Thanks so much for sharing your journey
O sweetie, at the other spectrum of life (I'm 64) it's still important to be thin without considerations like frailty falling and breaking something all nonsense. I don't look my age but don't care; do full body workouts 2x week; love swimming but me and my dog pound the pavement also. 4 yrs ago I was thin and felt 90 yrs old. It helps when you're older and hormones aren't raging but it was imperative to be healthy. Being vegan and concern for welfare of animals and the planet ; of course, and whatever anyone can do is of great benefit. But you have this one life whatever you think about the hereafter if it exists; make the most of it!
yes love this Abbey! Such a fan of intuitive eating and not restricting any food groups (unless ethical, medical or religious). Thank you for teaching, telling your story and saying goodbye to diet culture! xx
Chloe Wilkinson Naturopath thank you
This is my story … and now when I do allow something that is not so clean … Im destined for guilt and shame. It’s such a terrible cycle. I am learning so much from you Abby and it is helping me to learn to give myself a break…. Thank you 🙏🏻 💖
As someone with gastroparesis I really appreciate this video because in most vegan circles there's little acknowledgment of the people unable to live on a vegan diet, despite wanting to. It's lovely to hear a healthy perspective on this ❤
aza van de hey totally. Thanks so much
aza van de
Because the unfortunate sector of vegans, that again isn't that small, will always preach that there is always a vegan way, or option for your issue.
This is as false as the earth being flat.
Aza I would love to know why cant you be vegan? Honest question, no judging!
@@IvonaFlakus I have gastroparesis, so my stomach is paralyzed. Because of this I struggle daily just to meet my calorie intake and also can't eat any fiber. There's a lot more to it, but this is just the basics of what I live with.
@Etevaldo Skylab Etevaldo Skylab while that's true I think it's always important to remember and be vocal about exceptions like me, to give a full picture. There will always be people like me who can't survive a vegan diet and its important for non disabled people to be aware of this and remember.
I have several thoughts. Disclaimer: I am a vegan, and I’m in recovery from an eating disorder.
I agree with you that for some people, going vegan is unhealthy, especially mentally and emotionally. The Vegan Society’s definition of veganism includes the phrase “as far as is practicable and possible”, and for some people with an eating disorder/disordered eating history, it is not really practicable or possible without doing harm to themselves. Even though someone is unable to eat in a vegan way, there are still other ways of living a vegan lifestyle that doesn’t involve food, such as avoiding zoos and aquariums, making sure that personal care items are vegan (or at least cruelty-free), fighting for better animal welfare laws, and donating to animal sanctuaries that rescue animals from factory farms.
So far, being vegan (or at least 98% or so) has worked for me because of several factors: I work with a dietician who is cautiously supportive of it (she appreciates the ethical and environmental reasons why I’m vegan, and she works with me to make sure the eating disorder doesn’t take and run away with it). I also have worked hard on having a mindset of replacement, not restriction. What I mean by that is I will replace animal-based products with their plant-based counterparts. I also give myself grace if I’m in a place where there are no vegan options and will order something with cheese or eggs. I don’t think I could ever eat meat again as I’ve really lost the taste for it, but if my only balanced (by that, I mean 3-4 fuel groups and a foundation fat) option is a grilled cheese and creamy tomato soup at a little mom ‘n pop restaurant in the middle of nowhere, I will eat that rather that go hungry, as feeling hungry fuels the restrictive part of the eating disorder, and I want to avoid that if at all possible, and sometimes that means eating foods with animal products in them. If I make my own food, or I’m in a restaurant with vegan options that sounds good to me and will satisfy me physically and mentally, I will choose that, though.
I will close with saying that if you want to be a vegan but can’t for whatever reason (most especially because of an eating disorder/disordered eating history), you are NOT a hypocrite for eating meat. If it is necessary for your mental and physical health, it’s necessary for your mental and physical health. It is difficult/impossible to advocate for the animals and environment if you are consumed with an eating disorder, so the way I see it, you can be a more effective advocate if you are mentally and physically healthy, even if it means you have to consume meat or other animal products to do so. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good in this situation. The world needs a million imperfect advocates for animals and the environment more than it needs 100 doing it perfectly, and every bit you’re able to do (see paragraph 2 above) counts and it matters. And above all else, YOU, dear reader, matter. Take care of yourself before you take care of others, because you cannot give the care to others that you do not first show to yourself.
I also wanted to comment on the moralisation of "good" vs "bad" food choices. It is so heartbreaking to hear an 8-year-old girl (because it's usually girls) say that she's been "bad" because she decided she wanted dessert. Eff purity culture as a whole, but most especially when it's placed on food. Food is amoral (neither good nor bad); what matters is whether or not it serves you, not you serving it. I no longer want to place my worth on what my body looks like or by what I put in my body. The body image is usually the last thing to recover from in regards to ED recovery, and that's my last major stuck point, but thankfully, that's so much better now than it has been in the past.
Ericka M Really love your comment and agree with it. I am also vegan and in recovery for ED.
I love the wording of "replacement vs restriction". I don't find veganism is restrictive at ALL for me. For example, if I want a hotdog I'll make a vegan one. If I want a burger there is Beyond Meat plant-based patties! I just replace the meat and keep eating intuitively.
I follow intuitive eating with my veganism and still, my intuition will never lead to me real meat - the thought makes me sick now. Instead, the cruelty free replacements satisfy me!
*eats eggs and cheese and calls themselves vegan* youre not vegan bro, you're vegetarian
great comment! i also went vegan when recovering from an ed and it actually really helped alleviate a lot of my food guilt
This is 100% valid. I’ve been vegan for 3 years now and never ONCE have I uttered the words “you should be vegan” to anybody, because it isn’t for everyone...I think it would be great if more people at least tried it, or incorporated it into their diet more (for me it’s the sake of the animals that makes it important to me) but people know their own bodies and psyches better than anyone else and if it feels like it would do you in, then no, you should not be vegan. I used to suffer from extreme disordered eating too, and going vegan really helped me and I gained back the 30lbs of healthy weight I had lost during the 10 years of that hell...BUT that was my experience and it could be the complete opposite for someone else.
I think it’s really weird that it seems to be the norm that vegans are policing the whole world and everyone in it (you would THINK that people so compassionate towards animals would have compassion for all life, which includes other humans, but I guess they don’t all see it that way)...I say stay in your own lane and offer information when you’re asked. That’s my philosophy
I think the closest I've come to "you should go vegan" is "if you're interested in becoming vegan or more plant-based, I've got some good recipes you might want to try, and I'm happy to share my experience in going vegan." I think that sometimes our fellow vegans forget the "as far as is practicable and possible" part of the Vegan Society's definition of veganism. For some people, for reasons of mental or physical health, it really is not practicable or possible. For me, it is possible to be mostly (like 98%) vegan and in recovery from an eating disorder as long as I practice flexibility in the times where It's not possible to adequately feed myself with the vegan options on a menu (dry side salad is not satisfying physically or mentally), and adopt a mindset of replace, not restrict when it comes to plant-based alternatives to animal-based products.
For some people, especially early in recovery, even these safeguards are not safe for them, and I would rather someone be healthy and eating meat and still advocating for the environment and the animals than to be locked into the hell of an eating disorder/disordered eating and completely consumed by it, unable to use their voice for the environment and the animals, but they're eating vegan.
thank you! i can't even eat a diet low in animal problems due to health issues - and when i try to explain this a large number of vegans have told me a should just die. completely baffles me! even my brother is vegan and while he is usually pretty good, occasionally he will start ranting at me about my life not being worth all the animals lives. it's like some people can't be caring about more than one issue at a time
Thank you for posting this! Orthorexia is HELL
Hi :)
Still not as hell as anorexia or bulimia, because at least it doesn't make you obsessed with losing weight...
@@BlanchestarlightUwU both are bad. Orthorexia is when you get obsessed with "clean eating", that's not healthy.
@@BlanchestarlightUwU you can drown in an ocean or a puddle. Comparing these things does nothing but invalidate the people who are struggling with the thing you are looking down on (in this case, orthorexia). Being dismissive helps no-one.
You were never truly vegan.
I actually stopped my orthorexia and my diet has been more inclusive since going vegan! It turns out, veganism was my missing link. I appreciate your take on veganism and every little bit helps.
I am working towards becoming vegan, but I believe we can make a bigger difference encouraging more people to reduce their consumption of animal products than a small percentage becoming fully vegan.
Kim Leah totally agree
Abbey Sharp I agree, I’m working on reducing my dog meat consumption, that’s much easier for me , more people would get on board with that
@@seanogorman3617 if you're implying that you're restricting your dog of meat then you really need to re-evaluate your choices. Dogs need meat to live and function, much more than humans Do. Even if they survive off a plant based diet it will not be enough nutrients and cause the dog to be malnourished and unhappy. Including more dog safe veggies in addition to their meat is a good thing tho and from what I've seen they enjoy it.
@@lolakleedorfer6502 I think he's talking about consuming dog meat and I think he's just fuckin' around
If you care about animal cruelty and don’t want to destroy the planet, but the idea of going vegan seems way too difficult (it did to me once as well). Here’s tips for making it easy ruclips.net/video/YmFO5BHO4YE/видео.html
I'm two years out recovering from Binge Eating Disorder. The problem with this particular ED is other people feel it's necessary to police your food for you, making said binge eater FAR more likely to binge. I can't have a terribly restrictive diet either (I was vegetarian before and currently) because I really don't want to replace one eating disorder with another. Great video!
Locutus0fBorg for sure. Thank you!
I really agree with this. I think binge eating is a very specific ED that has a part of "trigger food", going into extremes and forbidding what we consider "unhealthy" (and it could be even a super nutritious food). I have experienced this with myself as well, in combination with bulimia and it took me two years to get out of this. I cannot be vegan (maybe just now) because restricting something to myself would create those triggers. The only things I cannot eat are my allergies and bad digest causing food. I really appreciate this perspective and it makes me sad some people are being even a bit aggressive about me eating meat. Now I am considering myself as a reducetarian and I am exploring vegan food as an addition to my current diet.
As a former vegan who has struggled with binge-eating for most of my life and orthorexia later on, I truly thank you. The vegan movement fucked me up and is unfortunately forever associated with some of the worst years of my disordered eating. I don't think it's something I can ever pursue again, mainly for mental health reasons.
Because my food history and relationship with food are so complex, I find it's a constant struggle to find the right balance for me. I restrict some highly palatable foods (or at least don't keep them in the house) to prevent myself from binge-eating, but can easily restrict too much and slip back into orthorexia mode. However, when I let go of restriction too much, I end up binging.
Perfumaphilia thank you 🙏
As someone with a chronic illness, eating meat really does make me feel a lot better and I'm very conflicted about it because I care a lot about climate change and the environment and so I want to eat less meat at the same time because I want everyone to do that.
Hopefully in the future when I have a bit more energy to spend in the kitchen I'll be able to cut down on my best consumption but right now I feel I just need to prioritise my health
i get this - i got so bad with health issues my diet is basically dairy/meat/white carbs. But i can now walk to the shops a few times a week and do my own chores so i just refuse to feel too guilty! The reality is that i will always put my health before a random animals, and i think that's perfectly ok
I also have multiple autoimmune disorders that (explained in another comment) make it impossible to be vegan. I actually need to eat MORE meat.
From growing up around farmers though, I can tell you this:
Your Bolivian quinoa, from where my stepmom comes from, being shipped to you in the US, is WAY less environmentally-friendly than a locally farm-raised free range chicken from someone's backyard. The farmers are dying in the fields because of colonization; big corps are buying up the land and the farmers can't afford to eat their own crops. Quinoa in particular was once poor Bolivian farmer food, and is now rich white vegan food in America while the Bolivians who grow it can't afford it. Not ethical or environmentally-friendly.
The switch: try looking up local produce that is grown in your state or county. Buy what is in season. Look up recipes. The less it had to travel, the lower the carbon footprint. Lots of places deliver, too. I can't often drive too much to get local stuff. Use up more of what you already have. Look up how commercial kitchens reduce waste and apply that to your own kitchen. See how much you save!
The crap:
Plastic-made and "greenwashed" fabric like tencel, bamboo, and rayon. Bamboo takes a LOT of chemicals to make into something wearable, and those chemicals poison waterways. Most of your fabrics like acrylic, spandex, etc. are plastics.
The switch:
Natural fibres, as close to 100% as possible for new items. Even wool lasts for decades if you treat it right, and sheep are specifically raised and humanely sheared for it. If you don't shear a sheep, it's skin can rot off it's body while it's alive because of bugs and humidity. Humans survived this long because of it. It's durable, flexible, and insulating, plus tears can simply be felted shut. It's also fire-retardent in that it burns to ash and won't melt to your skin like plastic clothing or "vegan leather", which is... plastic.
If you, like me, can't do natural fibres because of economic or accessibility/wear issues (I have fibro and can't do cottons), buy secondhand locally whenever possible. Avoid Poshmark and other services that have to mail to you (think carbon footprint); try local first. Socks and underwear of course are all new for me, but almost everything else I own is secondhand. It keeps clothes out of the landfills. Check Goodwill for an Outlet store. Outlets specifically have clothes at deep discounts. Here, a pair of pants from GW costs the same as new.... but at GW Outlet, clothes are $2/lb. I found new Chico's jackets, Free People skirts, Limited blouses, and lots of great stuff that had no flaws or things I could repair in under five minutes by hand (my rule for damages).
Those things make just as much impact. And you dont have to compromise your health!
Veganism may be good for the environment eventually, but so many health foods are imported from faraway places, and that transport has an impact on the environment too. Also I'm worried it's causing certain trade dependencies in developing countries... isn't quinoa and chia all produced in Central America? Eating those also feels potentially exploitative of other humans to me. I just don't feel like people talk about social impacts with veganism as it is practiced now enough.
@@Delinae Yep, quinoa is the staple food for the local people in Peru, but the recent western demand for it has pushed the prices up so much that the local people can no longer afford it, driving poverty in those areas. If you search for it, there is a lot of information out there about this kind of thing and people are raising questions about the ethical and environmental impact of plant based diets, including the fact that millions of animals are killed by poisoning, trapping and shooting to protect food crops grown for human consumption. Those deaths aren’t including the animals and insects killed by pesticide use and the animals that get chopped up in combine harvesters etc. It’s the uncomfortable truth that seems to have been brushed under the rug whilst people talk about how mono-cropped plant based foods are going to save the planet and end animal suffering. A lot of people who go plant based also end up destroying their physical and mental health and have to go back to eating eggs and animal products anyway, so that’s also a problem.
All food makes up only a small percent of climate change. It's more about plastic, machines and capitalism.
Wake up, people.
It’s sad to hear all these stories of people dealing with eating disorders and/or disordered eating. I thought I was alone when I was in the midst of my disordered eating so thank you for sharing your story so that others that are going through that don’t feel alone. I love love love your channel and your message... and you of course ❤️
Thank you so much
Becoming vegan has actually helped me have a better relationship to food. My disordered eating habits have gotten less since going vegan. I get excited about food and cooking it. Which was rarely the case before. But certain parts of the vegan community especially the trainers have triggered very bad times due to calorie and macro counting as well as glorifying fasting.
What "trainers" do you mean? These ex-vegans I see on YT talk about 'fasting'. Why would anyone fast? I see many go on weird fruit only diets or water diets then they get sick and blame it on veganism. Being vegan shouldn't entail these things nor should a struggle.
I'm glad things have gotten better for you. #veganforlife
@@betharramfleitas5512 Just bc someone is an MD doesn't make them knowledgeable about nutrition. I've fast...never felt a need to....and I'm healthy.
I see fools all over YT fasting but never saying why. Others go on strange diets of nothing but certain fruits till they become emaciated and problems set in.
You feel a need to fast go for it.....I'll stick to eating.
@@chainamarie03 stick to whatever you want.. just don't say there's no reason to do something that so many DOCTORS support and do. Xo.
The thing to be careful of though is the thought processes about going vegan for your disordered eating habits. Are you honestly wanting to be vegan, or is that the disordered eating voice speaking? I just ask because some people who have an ED "cover up" their disorder by claiming they are vegan. I mean, yes, it's great that they are eating, BUT, if they are still being "ruled" by their ED thoughts, then that still needs to be addressed.
I have so much respect for your channel Abbey for this video and all your content. To have a fully qualified dietician online is so important to challenge the BS and educate. I've watched a lot of your reviews of social media influencers and your informed analysis is so important. This is the first time I've heard your personal story and really respect your openness and honesty. Personally I'm Vegan for the environmental, animal welfare and health reasons you list and actually was brought up that way, since four years old. My mum joined the Vegan Society in the UK to become fully informed of all the nutritional requirements of a balanced diet and how the vitamin and mineral needs could all be met. I'm so grateful for my mum because by doing this I grew up eating a really healthy, nutritious diet and I can eat intuitively like this in adulthood - no weighing scales or intermittent fasting or enforced calorie restriction etc and this is so liberating. So for me Veganism is freedom but this is my story not yours and I totally respect your journey too based on your own life experiences. Love and respect to everyone.
Thank you for sharing your story. I too suffered from orthorexia. I was vegan on and off for about four years and would go through phases of fruitarianism in hopes to cure my eczema. Now I eat a balanced diet that includes meat and cheese and I'm starting to realize that food is not the main cause of my eczema flare ups. Stress and anxiety is. Love your channel!
sayyestotheness so glad you found a more balanced approach that works for you. Thanks for sharing
@@ashleypotter9331
Your body usually tells you when it wants something, I found out I had a lower than normal iron level last year, which I thought was strange being a guy even though I am over 50, I eat plenty of chicken and salmon.
Long story short, I immediately went out and grabbed a couple of steaks and bbqued those mothers up, yum, then, gout attack.
This put me off again, as I was never a big red meat eater any way.
Fast forward one year later, I discovered low carb, I dropped my carbs a reasonable amount, my inflammation plummeted, I introduced steaks again, grass fed, only the best for me now, and I feel like superman the next day.
Maybe this is how I should have always felt, I don't know, but red meat is now back in my diet full force, at least while it makes me feel great.
Intuitive eating is well worth it, but I feel you need to have some extent of how your body feels before you can tap into this fantastic tool.
I am so glad that my short stint with veganism is now way behind me, it just wasn't for me, and never will.
Sorry for not so long story short in the end.😆
@Etevaldo Skylab
"this is just not true. Our bodies are horible at telling us what to eat."
Says who? You?
Now who is speaking in the pseudo science realm...
And nothing I said had anything to do with comfort food, now you are just injecting your perception of what I was saying into my comment.
Some people would call that a strawman...
@Etevaldo Skylab
I understood exactly why you cited comfort foods, because you wanted to move the conversation to what you wanted to talk about, not what I actually stated, again, read my last line in my last comment again...
A remember a patient of mine who had breast cancer. She vented to me late one night that she felt cheated, because of the years she'd spent eating "all the right foods," exercising, and avoiding all the dangerous habits, yet she still got cancer. She felt that all of her efforts had been wasted. She'd had visitors of the same outlook, that had tried to dissect her diet and habits to see where she "went wrong" and their judgment of her for getting cancer was palpable. I was able to explain to her that there are many unavoidable things that can lead to cancer, including oxygen, getting older, and bad luck. More importantly, I was able to reassure her that her healthy body would be better able to withstand the rigors of the surgery and follow up treatment than a less well-maintained body. This was a great comfort to her. The point of the story, is that much of "wellness culture" amounts to a lot of victim-blaming. A balanced outlook is more helpful in my opinion. It's good to eat less meat, even if one can't commit to being fully vegan for all the reasons you mentioned.
This comment section is so amazing and supportive❤️👏👏👏👏👏 I was worried it would be hateful, but every comment is so supportive.
I came to veganism for health reasons. I’m holding on pretty tightly to it because I need too. But I understand and respect the fact that diet choices are deeply personal. I cannot judge, only offer advice when asked.
kg sparrow totally
I don't know your health reasons. Depending on what those are, going vegan might be what's objectively best for you.
But I do know: Vegans tend to say things about health benefits that don't hold up to closer inspection. A lot of the issues vegans associate with eating meat are actually the result of unbalanced diets and or eating highly processed foods with too much sugar, salt and fat. But surprise, surprise: Unbalanced diets with excessive sugar, salt and fat are unhealthy whether they include animal products or not.
The health benefits of a vegan diet can only be measured as relative to some other diet. And the "baseline diets" to which vegans compare their own diets to measure the health tend to be the most atrocious they can possibly find. Of course being vegan is more healthy than having sugar loaded cereals for breakfast, a supersize fast food menu for lunch and two bags of crisps washed down with soda for dinner. If that's how you eat ANY change in diet will do you good. Under those circumstances veganism looks impressive. However if you compare veganism to a balanced, diversified and nutriciously informed diet that includes animal products, it doesn't look so impressive any more. In fact studies indicate that vegans live shorter and less healthily than people with moderate animal product consumptions.
@Miss Tree I'm in my fourties. When I was in my teens the archetypical vegetarian (the term "vegan" hadn't been coined yet) was a pale, sickly anaemic type with barely enough muscle mass to stand up against the wind caused by somebody vaguely waving in their direction. That's because what would evolve into the vegan community we know today hadn't yet figured out how to vegan and not die from malnutrition in the process. To make matters worse: Since the infrastructure to make foods available outside their harvesting season or from other continents, a lot of the ingredients used in vegan cooking today would have been impossible or prohibitively expensive to get your hands on back the late 1980s or early 1990s. Which means: back then a "strict vegetarian diet" was even more restrictive than veganism is today. Which also puts a quesion mark on the sustainability of veganism. After all, the infrastructure to ship in coconut cream from overseas or to keep raspberries or spinach available all year round requires has a significant environmental impact, too. And the more land in Africa or South America is used to grow cashew or quinoa for Europe and North America, the less land is available to grow crops for the locals, which contributes to starvation there, which raises ethical concerns about the impact a vegan diet impacts the well being of other humans.
All in all: Claims about veganism being healthy, environementally friendly and such are sales pitches that should be taken with at least as big a grain of salt as claims about detergents washing whiter than white...
@@FABIOof119 lol wtf, eating beef that was fed soy and corn does not gives money to agriculture, what does is veganism LOL
@@MrAranton yeah europe and north america sucks. whether youre vegan or not, your meat consumption is also destroying the amazon for this grass fed beef shit, and for feeding the chicken/pork you eat with soy and corn. there is an area bigger than france DESTROYED to raised livestock and plant soy (mostly for animal feeding). i live in Brazil, i ate pretty much vegan for the last 5 yrs and have never tasted quinoa, nor cashews even tho theyre native to south america. its not the vegans of the developed world that are destroying africa/south america, its THE DEVELOPED WORLD.
I have a young child who had feeding disorder and at one point only had 6 foods they were willing to eat. It was an awful time where hospital social workers are like you must just not be feeding your child only to watch them reject Oreos because the colors were mixed together and ice cream and pudding were too cold etc. Some foods were rejected for texture, some for taste, some because the texture changed too much during eating and became bad. We were seriously considering a feeding tube.
Thankfully we found a feeding therapist we clicked with. We did food chaining. We expanded the accepted foods over more than a year. So we're in a good place right now and kiddo is doing great.
More meals happen to be veggie or vegan but we could never strictly go vegan. I have to be wary about the ideas school is teaching this moralizing of food. They claim it's not about skinny it's about healthy but it sure seems like it when the diets suggested by so many "wellness experts" are low in calories or protein\fat and they market them to kids.
We used to watch a RUclips family but we stopped as they went Vegan and then began a very low protein diet then cut out most sources of fat even for their toddlers and yeah nope. This fear over how fattening coconut oil is. It's one day make your kid a yummy birthday cake.
yeaaahhhh I was an "extremely picky eater" as a kid. I ate only white/yellow foods like french fries, rice, or corn. Turns out I had mostly asymptomatic Celiacs and autism. Textures have a seperate flavour. Oatmeal is the most disgusting texture in the world. Some foods I turned out to have allergies to that at first were mild things I couldn't communicate, or would just make me tired or headachey as a kid... and now I break out into hives from them. So. Just in case. Watch out for that. Because I wasn't diaged with Celiacs OR autism at that age. Instead, I was "picky" and then as a teen, "anorexic". Guess what I'm not allergic to. Potatoes... rice... and corn. HA!
As someone who has had a social anxiety disorder for basically my whole life, I can appreciate where you're coming from. A few years ago, I was vegan for about eight months and I found it made social situations, especially when food was involved, more challenging. Not necessarily because I received negative attention, but being vegan brought more attention to me overall, because people generally like to comment on it or want to talk about it. When social situations are already confronting, adding the social pressures associated with veganism compounds an already sensitive issue. Even though I'm not vegan anymore, I still try to limit my impact on other animals and the environment through my lifestyle choices.
Some vegans have an incredibly distorted and irrational concept of veganism. If a person would harm either their physical or mental well being by going vegan, they shouldn't be expected to do so. Vegans who say that they would put another animals life above theirs do not understand the philosophy they're claiming to adhere to. Veganism isn't about ending harm altogether, that's impossible. It's actually about limiting harm as much as is practicable and not to the detriment of oneself. I don't think many vegans understand that the lifestyle is a privilege, afforded to them by modern society, science and medicine. Were our ancestors immoral because they needed to kill animals and eat animal products in order to survive and be healthy? No, because it was necessary. Are obligate carnivores inherently inferior beings because they need to kill another animal in order to survive? No, because it is necessary. The ethics behind veganism is not simply about harm but UNNECESSARY harm.
I am greatful that I am privileged enough to be vegan. I didn't make the connection that food is our bodies fuel until I went vegan. I didn't realize that I didn't have to feel sick after most meals, and that I should have energy to still function. Going vegan changed my entire life, including mental health, for the better. With that being said, I wish everyone could find this, in whatever diet works for their body. And reducing animal consumption is fantastic, no matter how slow or little you reduce, it makes a huge difference. I think people think they have to be all in or not. But if you can even just do 1 meatless meal a week, that's a HUGE difference that you're making
I am so grateful for your channel, Abby. You make me feel so much less guilty about not eating 100% plant based 100% of the time. When I first found the plant based diet about 4 years ago, I began placing it at the forefront of my identity which I think is a very dangerous thing to do. I’m now struggling a lot with orthorexic tendencies (which is such a scary thing to admit) but your channel is one of the things that is slowly but surely helping me to undo those tendencies. So thank you times a million for being a voice of reason and sanity in this wellness culture. You’re helping more people than you could possibly realize. ❤️
Thanks for sharing, Abbey! My "trick" to eating less meat and animal products is to not buy them at the grocery store, but eat them in moderation whenever I go to a restaurant. This way I get all the benefits of a plant based diet but I don't have to feel guilt or panic from going out to eat at a restaurant where I can't control the menu.
Julia Rowland that’s a great tip!
Thank you for doing this! I've been vegetarian for 10 years, and in that time I gained a milk allergy and then eventually IBS. I have a predisposition to eating disorders and an incurable chronic condition I was keen to cure, so for a while my diet became the absolute pinnacle of 'clean eating'. I became so unhealthy, skinny and fatigued that eventually for my safety I had to stop.
Now, I occasionally eat animal products in order to allow myself to have as unrestrictive a diet as possible. I try to eat intuitively, if I fancy something I'll have it. Veganism is a restrictive diet, so it simply isn't suitable for everyone and I'm one of those people.
I've learnt so much from your channel so thank you!
I was vegan in highschool for a bit and I can honestly say that it totally enabled my eating disorder tendencies. Veganism totally aligns with everything I believe in but I'm not sure I can get back on that horse because food rules fuck with my sense of control. I feel so validated hearing what you have to say about this, and overall I just cant stress enough how much I value your content. ❤
I can strongly agree with you on this, Abbey! tried going vegan and I would fall into the habit of really restricting myself, and now I've been vegetarian for over a year and that's been my golden diet. I feel great, and never ever feel restricted, which has drastically helped my relationship with food.
Kristen so glad
I have binge eating disorder (diagnosed by a medical professional, not by me) and I've been in recovery for about a year. I've had many slip ups, but I've been doing well for a few months. What's helped me is: going to Overeaters Anonymous meetings (binge eating and bulimia ED people go, since they both involve over-eating), since it helped me find a community of people who are supportive and completely understand what I'm going through. It helps me not to feel alone, to be held accountable for my progress, and to have people to turn to when I feel like I want to binge again. Also going to therapy has helped, as has learning to eat intuitively. The biggest things that has helped after OA is learning to accept my body for what it looks like now, instead of thinking of it as temporary, as in: I'm going to lose weight, so I don't need to buy nice clothes/clothes that fit properly. It helped to treat my body with kindness now. To dress well now. Because those things gave me self confidence, which in turn helped with my binge eating.
It can be difficult when you're plus size because people will suggest diets to you without you asking for advice, you'll get messages from people you haven't spoken to in years on social media, where they're trying to sell you weight loss programs, or machines, and I honestly find it really insulting. You're not trying to help me, stop veiling your insults in concern. You're trying to help yourself by making a sale. Also, F you for assuming that I am not happy with who I am now. Because the thing is, 95% of diets fail. Once you've been at a certain weight for 5 years, your body registers it as the new normal, making major weight loss basically impossible. So instead of either binge eating my feelings, or starving myself so I can lose weight and have people like me more (I related to that part of your video - it's disgusting how much praise you get for losing weight an unhealthy way and then it just perpetuates and makes the disorder worse), I've decided to love myself now. I'm no longer over eating, or under eating to try to control my weight. Because I don't want to let my weight control my happiness, confidence, or well-being anymore.
I might never be the size I always wanted to be, but my happiness isn't dependent on that anymore. And that feels really frikin good. I exercise, I'm a good cat mom, a good friend, I treat people with respect, and I think those are way more important than being a certain size.
It is important to be aware of those who can be vegan and those who cannot. I thank you so much for speaking out supporting that eating vegan can indeed be healthy for those without hindrances likes these, and keeping a level head when we often see extremes in one direction or the other. I hope people truly listen to what you are saying rather than blindly using one person's inability to justify their decisions when they face no difficulties swapping their plate.
SprinkleSoup thanks so much
When I went into anaphylactic shock for my peanut allergy it was really hard for me to want to eat anything that wasn't prepackaged and labeled clearly that it was from a nut free facility (admittedly I had a lot of food waste being paranoid that somehow my opened packaged food was open for too long and thus exposed to something dangerous). I was so scared that I struggled to eat whole fresh foods that were perfectly safe for fear that maybe, just maybe somebody at that store touched it with peanut dust on their hands. Each meal going forward definitely felt like a trust exercise. You work through it meal by meal. It helps you to realize 'Hey, I ate this peach and didn't die! Let's try broccoli. Let's try cheese, etc,etc.' and that kind of mind set helped me get back to normal.
I am still very conscious of my food and where it's prepped and how it's made but I find it's helpful to be proactive (get comfortable with your brands, call ahead and add an allergy list to your dinner reservation) so that you can relax later and be able to just sit down and grab something from your fridge or order off the menu assuring that your allergies are known and accommodations in the kitchen are made. It's nice when you do the ground work before you are stuck in a situation so you can just reach out a pick something without stopping and having to do the double checking/ hesitation in the moment.
E Mona Lisa o my gosh I can’t believe how terrifying that must have been. Kudos to you for getting through it!
E Mona Lisa that sounds so traumatising. :(
E Mona Lisa Surprisingly, I know what you mean. I have a tree nut allergy; I had an allergic reaction to pistachios when I was 4. I would not eat anything that was made in a facility or on equipment with tree nuts, I would barely eat outside of my home, I even stopped eating peanuts- You’d be surprised how many times I tell people I have a treenut allergy, and they say “Oh? A peanut allergy?”
Its really stressful, but itll even out. I stopped eating for about 2 years because I was nervous, and whenever I went to the cafeteria or my class had a party, I’d panic and panic more because I thought I was having an allergic reaction. Its just the thought of maybe someone having eaten nutella or some sweet at the table I sat at, and it would then contaminate everything near me.
I dont know about you, but Ive just stopped going to restaurants, haha. Ive had the majority of waiters and waitresses assume I meant a peanut allergy, and even had 3 ask me what an allergy was- one told me he’s never heard of that [referring to a treenut allergy]
@@insertname9098 I thoroughly vet my restaurants. I also go through my allergies clearly when I get there and let The server know it's okay to ask questions, double check with the ingredients with me, double check with the chef and if they are uncomfortable I let them know I have no problem if they would rather I be seated with a server more comfortable with allergies. One place I could recommend is Melting pot. They usually have one or two servers trained for allergies per shift. I have never had a problem there and they've brought me the dressing/ seasonings/ wrappers to things to double check. Yeah, eating out is hard but when you find the places you can go to its nice to have a place you can take friends out to.
You and Pickuplimes are the best!
Thank you for sharing your experience :)
mtERE thanks 🙏
My sis is a big part of my life and is well-known so she's not a mythological creature, just someone with among other things a seriously big website which is the point of this reply. Pickuplimes, Avantgarde Vegan and Abbey Sharp in the last 8 months are the most watched vlogs in this field on the net. What do they have in common? Authority and humility and willingness to learn as well as to help and teach; all good.
What you described, has been me over the past 2 months. For 7 months I have cut out McDonald's and soft drink bc they were my biggest addictions. Along with doing that, I decided to start exercising and eating healthily. I started tracking my macros and calories. However, I was still allowing myself the occasional donut or savoury treat. It wasn't until 2 months ago - when I went on uni break and was isolated for most of the day - that I became OBSESSESIVE over eating things I felt were healthy. I was on MyFitnessPal for hours out of the day, and changing what I would have for lunch and dinner 3/4 times until it perfectly fit my macro breakdown. 2 nights ago I had McDonald's for the first time in 7 months, simply because I knew I needed to bite the bullet and stop restricting myself. And the day after, I had never felt happier or healthier. I'm lucky to have a partner who is incredibly supportive. I've experienced bouts of this before, but the restriction period only lasted a month or so, and was fairly easy to overcome. At the moment I'm trying to find a balance between the healthy lifestyle I was living 4 months ago, and not being scared of food. Thank you for this video ❤
makeupmadness2010 thank you for sharing! I hope you can get back on track
Thank you so much for your channel! I recently was told by my doctor that I had really high cholesterol. I have always grown up in a lower class house that often ate fast food and cheap, unhealthy foods. I had gained some weight and while away at college, was eating worse than ever. I started deciding to try and eat "clean" by cutting out my favorite foods like potatoes, rice, pastas, and pretty much anything other than vegetables and fruits. Your channel helped me so much to teach myself "emotional dieting" where I focus in myself and my mental health along with the food I put into my body and I've never felt better!
I have been watching your videos since a week or so, and it's opened my eyes so much over my own behaviours. A year or so ago, I became extremely weight conscious and started seeking anything and everything to lose weight. For almost 8 months or so, I was obsessed with eating clean, eating within my limit of 1200 calories a day. I would eat the same thing for dinner everyday (which was literally a snack more than a meal), stay empty stomach for 13 hours. I lost the weight and the constant compliments from friends and family just added fuel to the fire. I'd feel terribly guilty if I'd go out with my boyfriend for a meal, and stay empty the rest of the day to 'balance it all out'. Not to mention the health issues in terms of low energy, constipation and irritability.
Since the last 6 months I've been home with my mum and returning to a real diet where I'm eating properly (I'm an Indian so my mother will not have any diet BS at home lmao). I was so scared about 'putting the weight back on', but now I just look back and feel bad at what I was doing to myself back then. Looking at your videos has definitely helped me flag my own disorderly behaviours. I really want to thank you for what you do. ♥️
I went vegan almost two years ago. It has really helped me. I had the opposite problem. I have major textural issues with food, bordering on ARFID. My diet was very limited and only composed of certain textures of food. I went vegan for both ethics and health. It has really helped me incorporate more textures and variety into my diet. I would love to see a video on ARFID.
Never clicked so fast!! can’t wait to watch. Hope you’re not going to get hate for this!
Lutheran Ninja hopefully not! Enjoy
I was literally at the top of the spiral for myself this video came at the perfect time
Thanks for sharing this ❤ I'm coming from a very similar background. But I was vegan for 5 years and had to stop 2 years ago since I noticed that I felt very restricted. Now I've been following a pescetarian diet for 2 years and I'm feeling the best I've ever had - especially mentally.
Thank you for sharing. Nobody except one person in my life knows about my disordered eating past. I was able to hide it so well no one ever questioned my eating habits.My eating disorder in my teens took up so much of my life and social life all because I needed to have power over what I allowed to stay in my body.
I am coming to terms that my past eating disorder evolved into a form of orthorexia. While I am much better now than where I was, I always rationalize my new eating habits as being "good for me", but many times get that food anxiety, or freak out if I have to eat something outside of my eating window.
While I am grateful of myself for making more positive changes, I am still working on my food anxiety and trying to not stress if I have one "bad meal" or two. Stories like yours are so inspiring to me. Thank you again💕
Alexis Rivera thank you for sharing
I’m running around so I’ll bookmark this to watch later, but omg just a quick scroll reading through the comments section filled with wholesomeness and support from every side makes me just breathe a sigh of joyous relief, lol.. Wish the world were more like this ❤️
I know the social aspect of eating out is something that turns off people from veganism. I have gone with my friends to lunch, just sitting there with a drink, because I can’t eat anything on the menu. However, with the increase of vegan restaurants or just having vegan options, people may find it less difficult.
Pennywise The dancing clown there are definitely way more options now
GILBERTO RUBIO VILLAFUERTE I heard Baskin Robbins is coming out with two vegan ice cream flavors next month. Popular chains are coming out with more and more options!!!
I agree with this, im vegetarian but if i was vegan i would be able to literally eat nothing when i go over to family dinners because its so animal-orientated!
Yes! This makes me so happy! I was a strict vegan for two years and it very much impacted my social life. Now I eat vegan at home but when going out I will take the veggie option if there is not vegan available.
Jana I’m still a strict vegan, but I don’t blame you for choosing the vegetarian option. As a goth, I’m used to benign the odd one out, just sitting there doesn’t really bother me. Luckily, now there are more vegan places in my area (I live near a very large city). There is a huge vegan community here, but eating out could be very difficult depending on where you live.
Can you do some plant-based recipe videos that center around beans, lentils legumes, etc.?
This was a great video. I was vegan for a while, but would consider myself more of an intuitive/flexitarian eater. Leaves me much more satisfied and it's a lot less stressful in ANY social situation.
I don't normally read RUclips comments because they are so often antagonistic and hateful, but I love how that couldn't be further from the truth on Abbey's channel! Thank you Abbey and all the commenters for cultivating such a supportive, thoughtful and engaged dialogue. It's nice to see that this is possible on the internet and in these divisive times.
When I realized recently that I was struggling with binge eating disorder, I think it really hit me how eating disorders are so much more common than anyone even realizes. I think a lot of the health "gurus" on this platform are not only suffering from certain EDs unbeknownst to them, but also encouraging others that its whats healthy or "normal". Learning to integrate all different types of foods into my diet (although I'm vegetarian) and being less restrictive has helped me control my binging behaviors. One of the best (but hardest) things I've been doing to beat the binge is to stop classifying foods as strictly "good" or "bad" and just try to eat what I want in moderation. I am so thankful for you and other youtubers who speak out about EDs and promote a balanced lifestyle!!
totally with you. Thank you so much for your comment
What do you think about schools these days policing food and making children throw out whatever their teacher feels is 'unhealthy'? Do you think teaching kids such black and white food rules at such a young age could lead to disordered eating down the road? This might only be a thing in Australia though...
Tina Carroll definitely. I don’t agree with that kind of policing and now I’m thinking i should do a video on that! Thanks for the topic!
@@AbbeysKitchen I heard about something similar that was happening on the east coast in Canada. Parents would get a note if the child didn't have all 5 food groups. Then teachers gave the children the food groups they were missing. That was a few years ago I heard about that on the news. Curious if it still happens though.
Yikes! I’m a teacher and I do NOT want that job! 😳
@@AbbeysKitchen I really enjoyed this video. I find your take on these issues very balanced and thoughtful. I think a video on food policing for children would be interesting.
Carolyn Evans thanks so much 💕
I eat intuitively, whatever I am craving, I craved bologna last week and baby spinach this week. I eat prob somewhere between 75-80 plant-based, and 20-30 fish, ethically gleaned meats. I pay so much for this meat that it controls my consumption of animal products. I tend to lean towards more liver for my health issues. My future plans are to have a circle of life farm, where I eat the veggies and animals that I raise.
스칼렛 민지 thanks for sharing
@@AbbeysKitchen Thanks, I am concerned by "my way or the highway" behavior on the internet. People are once again woefully judging those differently, only what is acceptable to judge has changed.
I tried to be vegan...i felt stressed the whole time, and i felt like my intestines were dissolving, i felt like someone probed acid inside me. I cant do that. And she's right about finding what is best for our bodies and I need to be careful with what I eat.
This video has prompted me to make appointments with my GP, a psychologist and a dietician who specialises in healing from disordered eating and resuming a normal, healthy diet. You’ve made me realise that I have a serious problem with disordered eating and I have a one year old daughter who I don’t want to be impacted by it. For nearly 7 years now I’ve eaten a predominantly vegan diet (I’ve gone through periods where I’ve eaten vegetarian) and it began with clean eating. I was ‘following’ a ‘clean eating guru’ who was popular at the time here in Australia and it has stemmed from there and gotten worse over time. Thank you for making this video.
Ell Cameron I’m so glad I sparked some action
I was a strict whole food plant-based person for 5 years and everyone thought I was so healthy because I was a sz 2 with no cellulite...it was hiding my raging alcohol abuse. Sober now for 7 years and eat what I need to. I'm glad you made this video.
Veganism isn’t about “dietary rules”. It’s about living a lifestyle that reduces animal suffering as much as possible. It of course does involve eliminating corpses and secretions.
As someone who eats a plantbased diet (12 years), I totally respect this!!
I totally agree that you have to prioritize your health. And it’s possible your example of “flexitarianism” may ultimately prevent more carbon emissions / animal deaths / human disease than if you went vegan. Most people won’t go vegan, but I think many will see your approach and be inspired to incorporate more plants into their diet. That’s a huge impact!
Catherine Case i hope so!
Wow, I can’t tell you how similar my story is to yours. I had digestive inflammation (due to stress) and was barely getting by each day as a mom of 3 children 5 and under. I became terrified of food and thought if I could find the “right” foods then I’d be ok. So while I embarked on that journey to attempt healing, I lost about 30 lbs. I was constantly complimented on how good I looked while I was mentally and physically wrecked. I became afraid to leave my house, afraid of germs or anything that might upset my digestion and was barely eating a bowl of rice a day. I have thankfully since recovered and am realizing that food rules and diet labels are not good for me. I recently discovered the concept of intuitive eating and am so glad to see that someone who knows nutrition like yourself believes in its benefits. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your thoughts here! 💛
I’ve been vegetarian for about 13 years and vegan off and on (currently on!) but it wasn’t until I found the WFPB approach that I began to experience my best health and vibrancy, and don’t feel like it’s restrictive at all. In fact, just the opposite! I was raised on the worst possible SAD ( Twinkies anyone?) I started on the journey for the animals, then kept it up to heal my heart disease and get healthy for me.
I really appreciate your sharing your story. YTers are always talking about orthorexia but I never knew what it was. It is very easy to get obsessive about veganism for sure. I loved your “acid test” that if you can’t go out to dinner because you’re panicking that there might be butter on the veggies (because there likely will be) you might be orthorexic.
And we appreciate your focus on vegan foods! 🥳
Great video.
Wendi Froedge thanks so much
I would love to know more about the nutritional value of animal products and how that differs from vegans foods. I hear many vegans claiming that animal products are 100% bad for you, but I have heard from more educated people that there are certain nutrients much more bioavailable in animal products than plants. I eat intuitively but would just love to know the truth behind this.
As a former vegan and someone who wrote a bachelor thesis on the vegan diet related to health I can confirm that from studies it shows that bioavailability in animal foods is often better. Personally I developed health problems after years being vegan although I ate healthy and supplemented, omega3/dha can be a problem. Personally I don't believe anymore that natural non processed animal foods from wild or well raised and fed animals (no factory farming!) is unhealthy, quite the opposite. And also actually beneficial for this planet but that's too complex to explain further here. ;) Nowadays I believe both factory farmed animal foods and plant foods from monocrops etc is bad for you, the best would really be real food meaning wild, organic and non processed food. In the end you just should be conscious about what and where you buy, where you put your money, how the food gets to your plate and how you feel with it.
I also want to add that a lot of the studies on meat giving cancer etc are processed, crappy meats such as hot dogs etc
plantifulalexandra this is an amazing response!! And it definitely aligns with Izzy Davis's opinion after studying physiology & metabolism at UC Berkeley. I would definitely agree 100% and I think that many vegans don't distinguish between factory farming and more sustainable farming & hunting practices, painting them all as bad. Lessening the environmental impact and animal suffering can be achieved without going vegan, as long as you are aware of where your food is coming from and make steps to be more ethical.
@@katereid8992 THIS! I believe when you first go vegan you automatically cut out a lot of crap like processed animal foods and that's why you feel amazing.. I feel that's kinda the thing with every "restricted diet" (yes, veganism is not a diet..), you often cut out a lot of bad foods as well even though you might also cut out good foods.
@@AMbrittni Yes, this! Vegans often say non vegans are detached from their food, now as an ex vegan I can see that I've been detached from food and nature as a vegan myself thinking about common phrases like "the fish wasn't asked if he wants to die".. like what? No, why would I ask the fish? He probably doesn't wanna die but if I wanna eat it well.. it has to die, that's just it. That's not good or bad, that's just nature.
Thank you so much abbey! I've been in recovery for binge eating disorder for years now and your content always is wonderful but this struck me so hard. Thank you for sharing your journey with us!
Also for anyone with disordered eating, over eaters anonymous was helpful for me, as well as learning mindfulness and practicing intentional self kindness.
Suzanne Smith thank you
could not agree more with the points you made! as someone who struggled with eating disorders for years, I briefly went vegan for the "health and ethics" but really it was a method to restrict myself in a more socially acceptable way. in the end it wasn't healthy for me at all. restriction is restriction is restriction and some of us with ED histories just can't do it
Sara Ennis thanks so much for sharing
I agree 100% with you. I was a vegan for 3 years, but it was so restricted and my binge eating disorder became worse. Now I eat everything I want, and guess what I eat vegan/vegetarian for the most time. So no rules or labels, is much healthier for me.
Inez Jacobs yes!! Exactly
Abbey!! You are a BLESSING, a true blessing on this hell of a platform. i'm sure you're helping a lot of young people. eloquent, honest, professional, non-dramatic and to the point. Keep up the good work! Love love love you ❤
aw thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing your story!! I'm glad that you found a way of eating that works for you and kicked orthorexia's butt!
I first went vegan out of my anorexia/binge-purge hell, yes I was concerned for the animals- but in all honesty, I've made the decision so I could cut out even more foods and disguise it as being ethical. Still being in the ED mindset meant that I never managed to be vegan/plant-based the right way, and with that I mean: eating in a way that was not restrictive and getting all the nutrients I needed. I know that it's possible to eat plant-based and actually get all the nutrients needed, but that requires looking more deeply into nutrition itself (at least at the beginning). And trying to get out of an ED mindset and take the focus off of food on one hand, but then having to think about how to get all the nutrients needed from plant-based foods on the other hand, is very counterproductive (at least for me). My therapist encouraged me to incorporate some animal products back into my diet again, but I couldn't do that at the time (last year). I thought it would be against my ethical conscience, but I eventually noticed that the real reason behind it was fear. Because I've labelled animal products "bad" and plant-based foods "good". And because the "bad" foods were linked to a fear of "being unhealthy" and "making me fat" (ED speaking, not my rational belief; also, I don't believe "fat" to be a bad word or bad state of being), I couldn't eat them. That's what kept some parts of my ED alive for all these years. The real problem behind it all was my perfectionist, idealistic, puristic view of eating and health and beauty.
I eventually incorporated some animal products back into my diet this year, like cheeses, and dairy or eggs in sweets. It feels fine for my body, it's a lot easier in social settings and it brought back some normality to my life. I can't follow a diet/lifestyle that is in any way restrictive. It just fucks with my mind and by that risks my mental and also physical health. That being said, it's not easy to eat animal products while knowing about the animals' suffering. It never will be. And it's not easy to have people comment on one's consumption of animal products after having been vegan.
What makes me worry is that I see a lot of people with a history of EDs going/being vegan and still restricting their intake/clearly showing disordered eating habits, but believing it's fine because it's all under the label "vegan/plant-based".
MyinkX yes that’s exactly my concern as well as I see it A LOT in the vegan influencer space
I’m vegan, and I’m not interested in telling other people what to eat because I don’t want to get smacked.
I’m a vegan for moral reasons but that’s just for me. I do t see any reason to push that on anyone else. You’re doing what’s right for you and I love that. I also love that you don’t naysay a vegan diet just cause you don’t eat one. Everyone’s path is their own. Keep up the great work!
What moral reasons? The only reason domesticated animals exist is to feed humans. They don't exist in nature and they couldn't survive in nature. As for wild animals, deer in the wild live for roughly 2 years and die less than pleasant deaths in 'old age', usually succumbing to starvation during the winter. The best death you can give an aging deer is a clean kill.
Macedonicus well those statistics aren’t exactly right and I don’t really have to explain myself to you. I just meant I wasn’t vegan just for the health benefits. I think it is morally reprehensible to keep living creatures in the conditions we keep them in before slaughter or slaughter them the way we do. I believe that all living beings should be treated with kindness. Not as a commodity. Do no harm.
@@archerpren Not an argument.
What are your moral reasons?
@@ArtyCraftZ Problems of suffering in nature is independent of the problems in animal agriculture because humans control life and death in animal agriculture, while animals in nature have more freedom, and humans have less control. That means if we continue business as usual, but stop breeding animals into existence we have a temporary holocaust versus an eternal holocaust. With enough resources, maybe we can do something about suffering in nature as well, if it is practicable. First focus should be to not cause suffering, since it's practicable, just stop.
Thanks for sharing your story. I’ve struggled with disordered eating when I was body builder. I switched to a vegan diet (that includes cooked foods and healthy fats. Big fan of peanut, avocados, pistachios and almond butters) after my chronic illness was getting out of control. Best thing I’ve ever done.
My friends say they could never do what I do but I tell them eating less meat by using it as a garnish or trying meatless Mondays or even eating it as a main dish maybe 3 times a week or so helps reduce animal suffering and strain on the environment too. So I’m really glad you emphasized that for people who maybe interested in becoming more plant based or cleaning up their diet.
I discovered your channel just this year but I am so happy I did. I struggled as ateenager with anorexia and took me several years to recover fully, and I realize now that what I do now is intuitive eating. I stopped following diets, fashion magazines and in general stopped relating to people or started avoiding diet cuture, or conversations and or fit life obsessed individuals and started listening to myself. Challenged myself with foods I was afraid off, and with time was able to eliminate the "good or bad label" in my brain, as well as counting calories and all that. I did needed to follow some structure for the first years because I bounced from anorexia to bulimia and was having a hard time listening to my body, so just meal plans worked for a while till I was able to listen to my body and got rid of the rules in a way. And I am so happy to see your videos, like warning people about diet culture and just being happy to listen to your body and eat a bit of everything and def not feel guilty for eating what your body is asking for (within reason). So yeah, Thank you for these videos.
Would you do a video on "health at every size"? I would appreciate your opinion (as a dietitian) on this concept.
There is no debate about killing animals being humane. Meat as side dish? You dont need to eat dead bodies. Just get it right and accept the fact you just prefer taste over animal lives….
Taste tho dead bodies tho
@Assassin 9958 ok snowflake
@Dylan Boag He's so triggered!
THANK YOU for talking about this. I absolutely hate how moralized food is, and I’m trying to move away from it as much as possible. I think intuitive eating is a really undervalued approach to nutrition
Veganism is not restrictive. I eat more now that i ever did before with out guilt. Of any kind.
I had no idea what orthorexia was until I watched this. When I was 21 I started drinking socially and eating the fast food that comes with 3 am post bar cravings and gained a ton of weight. I decided to make a change which started with calorie cutting but once I reached my "goal weight" turned into a clean eating obsession. I would get anxious going to a restaurant and absolutely had to read the menu before I went. I would scour the internet for nutritional info to calm myself down about the grilled chicken and squash I knew I was going to order while everyone else haphazardly ordered whatever sounded best to them. I'm happy to say I've improved a ton over the last year and am loving your videos so much. They are reinforcing that I dont have to obsess as much and can eat what I feel like when I'm hungry and stop when I'm not. Xoxo.
The world isn't designed for vegans. If you can't go down the path of reading the ingredient list of everything you buy then that's that.
I already have so many food sensitivities that I can't cut out any more so I make an effort to eat plant based but, like you, don't label it and what I need to.
Does your food not have vegan/vegetarian labels?
I was a vegan and I suffered from Orthorexia as well. I stopped being vegan and I am finally healthy because I wasn't so obsessed one what I was eating.
I hope to be able to go fully vegan at some point, but right now I’m just focusing on incorporating more plant based foods into my diet and reducing my consumption of animal products. Thank you for being so open minded to all diets and prioritizing mental health! 💖
Callie thank you
Wow. This story is so similar to mine. As someone who has struggled with orthorexia and not listened to my body for quite a while in the past year, hearing stories like this and watching you videos makes me feel even better about the changes I’ve made and not restricting food anymore. You’re amazing!!❤️
Veganism was really tough for me at first because I also had a history of disordered eating. I ended up making it work for me, but I totally understand that it is restrictive by nature & everyones EDs and health issues are different. Being a good vegan means understanding that there are valid reasons to not be a vegan. Thanks so much for sharing your experience & expertise! I love your work! 💚
So professional and well spoken. I’m a nutrition student and I look up to you as if you’re my mentor and I hope to be as passionate about food as you are
Lovely response from Hench Herbivore, he is ON POINT!
Just like his steroid needles😂
@@Assassin99584 Lol yep. He also deletes all comments that raise legitimate questions about the diet he sells. If he truly believed in what he preaches, he’d be happy to respond to people and answer their questions, rather than delete/block anything that may contradict what he’s saying.
Thank you for discussing the benefits of plant based but for the millionth time... Veganism isn't a diet, it's an ethical stance. An eating disorder is a mental disorder. Diets and specifics foods do not fix eating disorders, it is the mental and behavioral patterns behind the choices people make.
Thank you for sharing! This video hit home for me as an RD who is currently struggling with my recovery from orthorexia. I always enjoy your videos and this is one I will rewatch many times. Nice to know there are others who understand the struggle.
Jennifer LeGrand so glad
My sister is like this. She’ll eat multivitamins on an empty stomach and purposely make herself sick- crawling on the bathroom floor sick, just so she’s not eating! She’s also doing a new diet every month- whole 30? Vegan? She’s been a vegetarian since she was 13 and used to be very bulimic so much that she was hospitalized in high school. Now she’s a yoga instructor and praised for being so thin but it’s an obsession and she can’t really live a fun life at all. Everything revolves around control over food exercise and results in depression isolation and major freak outs about her appearance. She definitely has body dysmorphia. She thinks she’s huge. She even keeps weights by her scale to make sure it’s on caliber. It’s very scary. I love her and it makes me so sad. 💔
This is such a great topic! I also have restrictive patterns regarding to my diet, going from vegan, to keto and carnivore and never felt "in balance" or myself. I do feel my best on a vegetarian/vegan diet, but I also enjoy eating animal foods in moderation once in a while, when my body feels like it. Is hard for me to not be able to commit with a 100% vegan diet, but I also enjoy the freedom to eat whatever my body is craving.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
It's not up to a debate that you can't humanely kill an animal. It's an oxymoron.
Would eating an intuitive vegan diet also trigger your orthorexia? If you don't want to eat as clean as possible, there's no need to have an absolutely clean vegan diet. Just eat what you want. Plant milks, vegan meat replacements, etc. But maybe I don't understand orthorexia correctly. Still, veganism is not a diet. It's basic moral decency. Just like not eating dogs isn't restrictive, not eating cows, pigs, chickens and their secretions isn't restrictive either. It's simply not wanting victims for dinner.
I for example eat anything I want. Fries, burgers, chocolate, ice cream and of course healthier food. Just what I have an appetite for. What I don't want is animals to suffer and die for me. So I don't eat them. There's no restriction or obsession in that. Especially when there's vegan alternatives for basically everything.
Typical vegan cult nonsense
Exactly!
Thank you for posting this video. I have been watching your channel for the last couple of weeks and really enjoy the content but now I understand more fully where you're coming from. There have been times I've been frustrated with your talk of "intuitive eating" but now I understand why. I am a person with a "bigger body" as you say, so a lot of your suggestions just would not work for me. My disordered eating causes me to compulsively overeat and my natural inclination is toward fast food, fried food, heavy sauces, salty meats/cheeses etc and I eat until I'm FULL which is why I have high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. But I really appreciate the way that you call out diet culture because I have been trapped in that vicious cycle (lose/gain/lose/gain) for years now and am really looking for a way to break free for good. My doctor says I need to lose 10% of my body weight and thanks to you instead of going on another diet I'm working with a registered dietitian to put together a eating plan I can sustain long term. Your insights have been invaluable. God bless 😊
Thank you for sharing your story! I’ve been following your videos for a few months and love your approach to food. I’ve never heard the term Orthorexia but have had a similar restrictive relationship with food due to GI distress. You gave me new language for some personal struggles. I also relate to the reality that I too jump between 2 extremes when on restrictive, or all in, diets. I appreciate your willingness to address these issues that are so common in everyday life and social circles.