So I'm a Vegan...

....temporarily. That's right. This dairy and meat lover has cut both things out of her life. But NOT forever. So let's get down to when and WHY I did such a thing.

On July 7th I decided to be Vegan for a week. WHY?!?!?! Well, I have some vegan friends here in Hanoi and love eating with them. It's always an adventure of where we are gonna go and what we are gonna eat. I always let them pick the restaurants because of course I can eat anywhere, they cannot. So, I decided to see what life was like in their world.

Week 1 - week 1 was pretty exciting. I was eating at different restaurants, eating new dishes, and of course getting lots of recommendations from other vegans and vegetarians. I was told that the first week I'd be tired and cranky. Well, that got me worried because I was only going to do it for a week! So, I decided to do a month of being Vegan (or so I thought). My body felt lighter, I was sleeping well, and I was actually in a great mood instead of being tired and cranky.

1st Vegan Meal - Ba Chi Em (normal Tuesday lunch with Anna)

Was running late - so grabbed this on the way to work

Yup - DOUBLE CHOC VEGAN ICE CREAM! @ Italiano Gelato

Field of Dreams Burger @ Republic (mushroom burger minus the cheese)

Week 2 - well, the newness and excitement of trying a new thing is wearing off. I've now been to BBQ's, meat streets, etc. where I've not had any meat and dairy. My body is a little more tired this week, I think the "stored protein" has evaporated and my body isn't getting any new protein from daily meat sources. I've been eating my nuts and berries, but it's just not the same.

100k vnd ($5) Vegan Buffet @ Loving Hut

I figured the meat would be the hard part of this, as I LOVE my crispy pork, bbq chicken, and smoked duck breast. However, those things didn't really bother me too much. The hard part was dairy. I knew not having milk in my coffee, or eggs for breakfast would be hard. But I didn't realize how much dairy products add flavor to BURRITOS! Yes, that's right. I can no longer be vegan due to Mexican food. For the past 2 nights I have gone to SaltnLime (which will be my next door neighbor in about 2 weeks) and gotten a burrito, and then a burrito bowl. Of course I ordered the veggie one, with no cheese and no sour cream. My mouth kept wondering what was going on. Then it realized the travesty of what I was doing by leaving out the good parts. So it's been decided. I will end being vegan at the end of week 2. BUT I will continue on with the vegetarianism until the end of the month. I think that's a good compromise for my taste buds.

Stay tuned for how I will feel at the end of the month....and how I'll feel after my reunion with meat.

Xin Chao,
Apes