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A Journey of Rediscovery Begins with...


minimalistica
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... a swift kick into reality.

 

I'm a former vegan, now vegetarian and also a former martial artist turned couch potato. My goal from this point and beforehand is to become vegan again and take up my old training routine as well as become more healthy in mind, body and spirit.

 

When I began the vegan journey at the age of 14, I never imagined how it would impact my life. My friends grew increasingly turned off at the way I as so obsessive over every minute detail. By the time I was 18 and living in Santa Cruz, CA with two roommates, I had become the master at creating concoctions that were not necessarily good for me but at least good for the planet and all the creatures in it. However, I was not truly healthy. I lived on stir fried tofu and vegan lasagna (my special masterpiece from vegweb.org).

 

I began to degenerate in the year directly following the 9/11 attack in New York City. Perhaps it was the heightened strangeness of the world at that time or a combination of factors, but it turned out that I had an acute breakdown which lead to a discovery of an irreversibly devistating realization: I had a mental health disorder. At first, I was diagnosed schizophrenic, then after years of battling uphill with mental health authorities, I was finally given a more accurate diagnosis of Bipolar I: the acutely extreme version of manic depression.

 

Now I'm on medications that may or may not be considered vegan, but I take them to survive. I cannot save the world if I cannot save myself.

 

My goal now that I'm stable is to make myself into a more compassionate and healthy person. As it turns out, people with bipolar disorder are more likely than other populations to develop heart disease, diabetes and other risky diseases. It's not understood why this occurs, but it would be a good idea to nip it in the bud before it becomes a major health concern. For this and other reasons, I feel it's important to institute my old regimin.

 

So, from this moment forward, I am eliminating all animal foods from my diet. Gradually, I will move away from animal products in clothing and finally as I become more fit and confident, I will take up my sport of choice: martial arts, of any form possible.

 

Thanks for listening if you read through that autobiography. Now come on with the support!

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Welcome to our group and thanks for the great introduction! We're happy to have you here and we're confident you'll find the information and resources you'll need to continue as a vegan athlete.

 

We do have a very supportive group, one of the best around in that department for sure. I've made a lot of friends here, I've had a lot of people listen when I was feeling down or frustrated and I've learned a lot and received a lot of helpful advice.

 

Please explore the forum and visit us anytime. All the best and welcome aboard!

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Welcome, you've found the right place! Less than a year ago, I returned to martial arts after an absence of several years, then became vegan. Since then, the rest of my life has fallen into place to an extent that I didn't think possible, let alone in a few short months.

 

This forum will no doubt provide you with many of the answers you're seeking - it did for me! And it's a cool bunch of people!

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