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I've always been one of those people who eats what they want, whenever they want without really thinking about what's in the food I'm eating.
But according to Health24, "a non-vegan diet contributes to global food shortages and perpetuates poor farming practices that hit the poorest hardest."
So I had to reconsider my eating habits (even if just for a week) and I decided to try out veganism. Soon it became apparent that figuring out what to eat became a task more tedious than transcribing a 45-minute long interview.
It was a tedious task because being a vegan requires a constant level of consciousness about any animal products which may be present in anything you consume.
I'll be honest, I wanted to quit a couple of times. Not because I don't see the value in being vegan, but because vegan meal options also seem counterintuitive to someone like me who's trying to gain weight. I need my dairy, okay.
I really underestimated how much I would have to cut out of my diet - no more full cream milk, no toasted cheese sarmies, no yoghurt, no chicken, no cake...
And this is why I have a new found respect for the level of self-control vegans have. Moreover, I respect them for being relentless about what Health24 said is one of the "most profound statements you can make against what you know to be intrinsically wrong."
Read more: Study shows why you're not losing weight on that popular diet
During my short vegan stint, I also started following a vegan account on Twitter called @veganvexation, which responds to all your vegan related questions and engages actively with people about it.
And from this account I found that a recurring argument within the vegan community is not necessarily that whole "if you eat meat, you're evil," rhetoric, but rather it's based on a "least harm done" principle, which entails a holistic lifestyle change.
So what this means is that even products tested on animals are out of the question.
I may have managed not to wear leather shoes during the week, but I know I failed the cosmetic product component of veganism because I actually didn't check until the second last day of the week and an article I found on Cruelty-free Kitty pretty much deemed my entire makeup bag hazardous to animals.
And while it definitely is tragic that so many cosmetic products are tested on animals, I don't know enough cruelty-free skin products and makeup alternatives besides Lush Cosmetics, who stock a 'veganese' hair conditioner by the way.
Read more: What’s the deal with gluten-free and vegan beauty products?
Anyway, you're probably wondering what I ate so I'll tell you, but I must admit that none of it was glamorous.
So here's a quick overview of my meals:
Monday
- Cappucino (yes, I wasn't meant to)
- 'Vivacious vegan' salad from Food Lovers Market: butternut, chickpeas, onion, basil leaves, sugar
- A bean dish, which reminded me of those last few days before you get your allowance as a student
Tuesday
- My colleague offered me cake and I didn't decline. Sometimes the craving is bigger than us, hey.
- Avo, olives, lettuce and cucumber salad. Not filling. At all.
- Bean dish again.
Wednesday
Only had one meal because I woke up with a throat infection and could only really swallow anything at around 7pm, so I had fries.
Thursday
- Cappucino (I know... again)
- Couscous and roasted veggies, which I actually enjoyed.
- I forgot I was vegan for a second and ate non-vegan finger snacks, of which some had beef and I'm not proud.
Friday
- Banana. And that was the last vegan thing I ate.
Going vegan was actually much harder than I thought and while I fully respect the cause, I don't think it's a lifestyle choice I will be able to keep up.
If you're a vegan newbie, you should try out these delish-looking recipe suggestions from Food24. And maybe you'll be more disciplined than I was.
