9 year Vegan Anniversary

I remember having shrimp for the first time and feeling disgusted with my decision to eat animal flesh after understanding the cruelty. That day, the first Sunday in April, I stopped eating animal flesh and became vegetarian. I am certain that I was vegetarian for several days to a week before Veganism.
After several days of vegetarianism, I realized I was contradicting my beliefs by continuing to have a milk and eggs in my diet with Ranch dressings, ice creams, and such. So towards the middle of April I stopped eating animal derived foods completely.
I also stopped using non vegan Shampoo, lotions, cleaners, detergents, cosmetics and many other products.

Looking back on what I ate the first few months of Veganism, I realize how uneducated and misinformed I must have been. Perhaps I was not given the proper foods because I was young and did not have much choice in the groceries. All in all I thank my Grandmother for helping me stick to my values through foods that allowed me to feel sustained.
Back in 2005 I was a Freshmen in High school, having to take my Breakfast and Lunch to school everyday. I ate bagels and Boca chicken patties for breakfast. Sometimes I would eat icing-less Pop Tarts, bananas and oranges and apples for breakfast. For Lunch I would eat peanut butter sandwiches, chips, Soy Turkey sandwiches. I think I had lots of salads at night and boxed Vegan meals.

I learned through my Grandmother how to eat healthy, whole, and much cheaper. My grandparents grew a large garden with lots of corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and that's exactly what I ate everyday. I ate fresh vegetables that were lightly cooked or not cooked at all from the garden. My Grandma was used to making dairy-free desserts and breads due to my Aunt's allergies, so my Grandma made me dinner every night with fresh vegetables, Vegan breads, with Vegan desserts and fruits after our dinner meals.
Overall, I thank my Grandmother for teaching me how to eat. Actually I thank my Grandparents for influencing me to grow food and eat healthy! I remember I would eat several plates full of potatoes, carrots, peas, and other vegetables till I felt stuffed. Without my Grandparent's guidance teaching me to eat High Carbohydrate, I may have continued to eat high fat processed foods. Without my Grandparent's teaching me how to feel satiated with fruits and vegetables alone, I may have been unsuccessful.

Protein Myth Debunked ("Where do you get your protein!?")

"The story of protein is part science, part culture and a good dose of mythology" says Dr T Colin Campbell. In Campbell's book "The China Study" he states he worked in the Philippines to analyze foods contaminated with Aflatoxin (one of the most dangerous carcinogens), and also research who was most susceptible to the carcinogen. Campbell found that two areas in the Philippines, Manila and Cebu, had the highest rates of liver cancer due to the high levels of this carcinogen found in jarred peanut butter and corn. Manila consumed the most jarred peanut butter where Cebu consumed the most contaminated corn. Campbell goes on to note, "Namely,the children who got liver cancer were from the best-fed families. The families with the most money ate what we thought were the healthiest diets, the diets most like our own meaty American diets. They consumed more protein than anyone else in the country (high quality animal protein, at that), and yet they were the ones getting liver cancer!" (pg 36).
I really enjoyed an article "Why is plant protein better than animal protein" by OneGreenPlanet that outlined the Protein requirements, and how Protein deficiency is practically unheard of (unless you're anorexic). Not only that, but as mentioned above, the average American gets TOO much protein and fat in their diet which fuels heart and vascular issues, thyroid, mental fog, cancer/disease. 
Of course Freelee the Banana Girl always outlines her videos with a great message and information which you can watch in the video below:

For the sake of argument, vegans (at least myself) get triple the amount of protein every day or every other day than the recommended amount from calories (3% from calories.) The best sources of protein on a vegetarian and vegan diet are greens, beans, nuts, seeds, rice, oats, and wheat. All planted based sources of protein are LOW FAT, so there are lower risks of gaining of weight.

I would recommend you obtain your protein from fruits, vegetables, beans (boiled), and rice (boiled not fried.) Because nuts and seeds are high in fat, I do not eat them often (except for harvesting them off the tree during Fall and Winter month). 

It's true meat and eggs contain a high amount of protein -- but that's it! And this "precious Protein" in the form of Animal protein comes with a cost: leaching calcium from your bones to neutralize the acidity of these foods. 

Above all, and putting "nutrition" aside, does eating animal flesh and their secretions justify the slaughter and inhumane treatment of other beings? Veganism is an ethical decision with the health perks.