Oh dear, it has happened – I am a self-confessed vegan junk food addict!
Having struggled with my weight all my adult life and always turning to food as a form of comfort and stress-release, my biggest challenge when I turned vegan last year (along with Ruff our dog); was what would I binge on at times when I so badly needed that chocolate, or cheesy snack, or fat-laden pastry? Thankfully with Veganuary in full swing at the start of 2020, so many new companies make the most delicious alternatives.
Vegan vet and family before local park run – note my generous tummy!
I went cold-turkey as a vegan having just been vegetarian for a year as a vet student in the 90’s (after our vet trip to the local abbatoir), but chronic anaemia all my adult life made me ignore any plant-based options. Ruff and I coped fine going cold turkey from one day to the next – I began with home-cooked food for him so he thought every meal was christmas (and still does) as he had been fed dry dog biscuits before then!
I started off choosing very healthy options, but my desire to throw myself into a stress-fuelled binge as the stresses of everyday life caught up with me (and the stresses of worrying about the future health of our planet), has made me turn to vegan junk food as my stress-release!
The healthiest food that is now cooked in our kitchen is Ruff’s dinner and I say that with complete honesty as the protein packs contain non-GMO polenta, organic chickpea flour, ground almonds (that we have occasionally in certain dishes as it is so pricey); and marine phytoplankton that I stopped buying for my daughter and I as the capsules were so expensive!!!
The same goes for his private healthcare – have I insured our children privately – no, I have never even considered it!! We are all the same as pet owners – our pets definitely come first:)
Esther the Wonder Pig
This is a picture of a sixteen year old girl that is under more pressure than any of us can likely even fathom, enjoying a quiet day with a pig she loves, with cupcakes and a smile on their faces
An Emotional Day
As a vet, I experienced an emotional rollercoaster of a day and for the first time in my 25 years as a vet; I crumbled into a crying mess
Shouldn’t we all eat what we feed our chickens?
When it comes to sustainability in our food choices to ensure a future for both ourselves and the animals around us, the proof is out there that a plant-based diet is the healthiest
Get rid of the dog!
The contestants had no idea that the family dog, fed two predominantly animal meat-based meals a day, was contributing to more carbon emissions that either the car or the human family meals!
A message of hope
It’s a reminder for us all that giant leaps often start with small steps
Game Changers Changing Dog Food
FINALLY WE HAVE SCIENCE TO PROVE THAT EATING WHAT WE FEED THESE ANIMALS IS FAR HEALTHIER FOR US THAN FEEDING OFF THEIR MUSCLE!!
Mars petfood said to be developing a meat-free pet food!
I am very excited to read that the multi-national food corporate Mars who own Pedigree and Whiskas pet foods, are finally concerned about the environmental impact of farming and are looking at meat substitutes for pet food!
The life of a dairy cow
This may be one of the hardest posts I will ever write but as a vet, a mother and now a vegan, I feel that everyone has a right to know about the life of a dairy cow
Ruff goes on holiday!
The joy you feel on holiday with your pets who are enjoying themselves is immense
The most delicious date loaf ever
I looked up a recipe online as I was concerned that maybe I wouldn’t be able to enjoy a delicious date loaf again now that I am vegan…..how wrong I was!
Our human food has shaped our dog’s gut microbiome
We tend to feed our pets on the foods that we like – yes we are all guilty of it!
Whatever it takes
My journey to find the ideal balanced plant-based food for our little dog has been fraught with stress as my husband (also a vet but also a complete perfectionist) is in denial with
