Member-only story
Why I stopped eating meat and started loving my life
I’m the last person you’d expect to give up meat and animal products. I grew up on a sheep farm in New Zealand — a country who’s economy relies on animal agriculture. It’s no surprise then, that eating plenty of meat, and drinking a lot of milk are common place.
For me it was no different. My favourite foods were derived from animals. That means plenty of steak, lamb, seafood, eggs, and dairy milk. I was a ‘healthy’ omnivore however. I ate vegetables, fruits, and whole-grains. I also exercised, drank water, had smoothies for breakfast, and avoided processed food. Trouble is: I felt sick all the time. Add to that, even though I was walking 1.5 hours everyday and doing high intensity training, I gained weight every year.
If it wasn’t for waning health, I might never have considered a dietary change. In an effort to experience more energy though, I did some research.
I discovered the Blue Zones: areas in the world where people live the longest. Blue Zoners eat a predominantly plant-based diet, further some of them are completely vegan. In these regions people have low rates of obesity, Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease and stroke. In Ikaria, for example, people live eight to ten years longer than in the United States and have a 50% lower rate of heart disease, less cancer, and almost no cases of dementia.
