Before I dive into the story of how I transitioned from being a heavy meat eater to becoming vegan, let me first share my personal definition of what it means to be human: I believe a human being has the ability to think and reflect. We are created by nature, but our behavior isn’t dictated solely by it. Instead, we shape ourselves and our environment to an extent that seems unfathomable for any other species on this planet.
In other words, humans hold power—the power to control our circumstances (at least to a point), the power to control other species, and most importantly, the power to control our own thoughts and actions.
Life Before the Change
In early 2017, I became a bit obsessed with fitness. I was tired of carrying extra weight and wanted to lose the excess fat on my body. I found a workout plan and decided to make daily exercise a habit. I also planned to overhaul my diet.
One of the most common recommendations I found was to consume 200 grams of protein each day. So my diet looked like this:
- Morning: 1 scoop of whey protein
- Breakfast: 6 whole eggs, sometimes more in the evening
- Lunch: 200 g of chicken
- Evening: 1 more scoop of whey protein
There were other foods as well, but you can already see how many animals (and animal products) I was consuming every single day. By the end of 2017, I reached my fitness goals and slightly reduced my protein intake. Still, I loved non-vegetarian food and ate out quite often. I’d have tandoori chicken at least once a week!
Beginning of the Change
Because of my ongoing “fitness fever,” I never stopped reading about health and nutrition. In January 2020, I picked up the book How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger. Around that time, news of COVID-19 was just beginning to spread.
Early in the book, there was a section explaining how the domestication of various animals led to many human diseases:
- Tuberculosis: Goats
- Measles and Smallpox: Cattle
- Whooping cough: Pigs
- Typhoid fever: Chickens
- Influenza: Ducks
- Leprosy: Water buffalo
- Common cold: Horses
I remember thinking that maybe I’d have been spared the common cold—which hit me twice a year—if humans had never decided to ride horses in the first place. As I read on, I saw example after example of how consuming animals can come with serious health risks.
So, I decided to quit all forms of animal meat and eggs, officially becoming a vegetarian. But that resolve lasted only until a friend’s birthday at a barbecue place—I gave in to (peer pressure) and broke my resolve. However, that turned out to be the last time I ever consumed meat. Since then, I’ve had no eggs and no meat.
Giving Up Dairy
I became a father in June 2024, and during my wife’s pregnancy, we stocked up on plenty of organic milk. Yogurt, ghee, and butter were part of almost every meal. Paneer became my “chicken replacement,” and my whey protein consumption continued as usual.
My wife decided to breastfeed our baby. Sometime in August 2024, while she was feeding our child, I happened to watch a video that briefly mentioned how cows are exploited for milk production, and how their calves are taken away from them.
Two realizations hit me at once:
- My Ignorance: I had no idea how milk was actually produced. I thought cows were these magical creatures that produced milk endlessly. I figured it was a fair deal: we give them shelter, food, and care, and in return they give us milk. I was totally wrong. It took me becoming a parent myself to finally understand how the process truly works.
- Putting Myself in Their Place: How would I feel if someone took my daughter’s food away from her? Or separated her from her mother? I couldn’t even imagine it.
The more I read about it, the more I hated my own ignorance. Now that I knew what happens to dairy cows, I couldn’t keep contributing to their suffering. That moment marked the last time we bought any animal products.
Looking Ahead
Giving up meat turned out to be fairly easy. Being Indian, you have countless delicious vegetarian options. Plus, my wife is a dedicated cook and never let me feel like I was missing something on my plate.
Dairy, however, has been the real challenge. I’ve been meticulously checking the ingredients of everything I buy, only to find milk hiding in countless products. Ordering food also became trickier—sometimes a dish is entirely plant-based, but then it comes topped with a sauce that contains dairy.
So for now, my strategy is:
- Never purchase anything that contains animal products.
- If ingredients aren’t clearly labeled, I ask. If it contains animal products, I pass.
I’m still not sure how this will play out once we visit friends and family in India. I hope people will understand and not pressure us too much.
Concluding Thoughts
My decision to give up meat was driven primarily by health considerations, while my decision to give up dairy was fueled by emotion. Of course, there are many other reasons—like the impact on climate change and ecology—that you can research further on your own.
In the end, since you’re a human reading this, I simply request that you pause and think. We have the power to reflect, to learn, and to decide. May we all use that power wisely.
(edited by AI)