Is It Vegan, and Is It Delicious? Kailey on Finding Freedom Through Veganism

Kailey

Happy Monday, CR readers!

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post on D.C. dining, today is my first day of orientation for my post-bacc program. With any luck, it’s going well; at the very least, I wont get lost on campus. Since I anticipate a busy day, I asked my friend Kailey to stop by and share a few words on a topic I’m very passionate about: the positive link between ED recovery and vegan or vegetarian diets.

I believe that veganism played a very crucial role in my own recovery from disordered eating. It—along with therapy—is what helped me to ultimately leave my disordered patterns of thought and behavior behind. These habits and ways of thinking infused every single meal for about ten years, and in retrospect it still shocks me that I now live without them.

There are plenty of reasons why I believe that veganism was the ultimate healing decision for me. For one thing, it helped me to feed myself better and more nourishing food, but also helped me to avoid foods that made me feel lousy (read: dairy, processed food, sugary convenience foods). This in turn helped me to avoid a lot of the actual food triggers that were prone to setting off restrictive eating. Relatedly, veganism gave me a sense of pride and confidence in the foods I did eat. It had been years since food gave me any feeling but guilt, and the sudden conviction that I was eating in such a way as to feel proud was a huge, huge change.

Most of all, veganism taught me that the act of eating was bigger and more important than me and my little obsessive habits, worries, and body fears. Entering the vegan community and coming into contact with men and women who cared about animal rights—as well as the environment, food politics, and labor practices in farming—taught me that my food choices had the power to either contribute to or combat suffering in the world. This was a major revelation, and I’ve never eaten in the same way since. Once upon a time, the dinner table was a battleground for my own fears about weight gain, hunger, and self-worth; today, when I sit down to a meal, I’m focused less on myself and far more on what my food choices mean for animals, for the planet, and for the people I’m sharing my meal with (more on that soon). Eating is no longer all about me.

I think that many women who have had anorexia or bulimia, or even women who have restricted food routinely, can never again bring themselves to make any food off limits. In that sense, I realize that veganism isn’t right for some ED veterans. My much stronger conviction, though, is that vegan or mostly vegan diets might actually be an unexplored and undervalued solution to eating disorders of all varieties, and that it’s worth dieticians, doctors, and therapists taken them seriously as a mode of healing.

I hope to write more about this, but for now, I’m going to let young Kailey take over. Kailey is one of the most hilarious and outgoing bloggers I know; she’s also an ED warrior and a former VegNews intern. Last summer, Kailey and I compared notes about our food journeys, and we realized that we’d both been set free from the crazy by veg*nism. So it’s with great happiness that I welcome Kailey here to talk about her recovery and the positive influence that working at VegNews had on her.

Kailey, thanks!

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Hello, fabulous Choosing Raw readers! This is Kailey from SnackFace and I am honored to do a guest post for the extremely intelligent, wildly witty and, most importantly, highly passionate Gena. Can we all just pause for a second and give the woman mad props for her bold choice to go back to school to pursue her passions? That is what life is all about.

Anyway, if you’ve read my blog for a hefty chunk of the time its been alive, you’ve seen me go through a plethora of food phases. When I started SnackFace in February of 2009, I hadn’t admitted to myself that I wasn’t over my food struggles. Only when I look back now do I think, “Oh honey, that wasn’t good.” From my senior year of high school through my junior year of college, I practiced a heavily-ruled game of “How Little Can I Eat”— like so many other women.

Every morning, I woke up, thought about everything I’d eaten the day before, and thought about how I could eat “better” (which really meant “less”) that day. I worked on a system of tens. I allowed myself to eat 10 things each day, with each item equal to or less than 200 calories. This was in addition to an elliptical addiction. In case you don’t know, I’m 5’10”. My body requires much more nourishment and loving. After admitting to myself I had a problem (I throw this out as though admittance happened overnight– it did not), I battled myself for three years, constantly in and out of denial. It wasn’t until the summer after my junior year of college that everything changed.

On June 1st of 2009, I set out for a summer-long adventure in San Francisco working for a vegan lifestyle magazine, VegNews. For a young, yogurt-loving, suburbanite woman from Ohio, this was a life overhaul. Knowing that the VegNews office was entirely vegan, I thought, “Why not!” and vowed that I, too, would be vegan for the summer.

This might give one who is aware of eating disorders’ controlling nature pause. A popular misconception is that a vegan diet is the gateway diet to, or a disguise for, an eating disorder. Like Gena, I am proof that it is anything but.

During my summer living the vegan lifestyle, I found more freedom than I had ever known within my diet. How could that be possible considering vegans don’t eat animal flesh, dairy, honey, anything that comes from an animal? I’ll tell you how it’s possible. I was surrounded by gracious, vivacious people who cared about only two things when eating:

1. Is it vegan?
2. Is it delicious?

The questions in their heads regarding food had nothing to do with numbers. Numbers had been ruling my life, and eating with vegans who paid no mind to the should-be innocuous numbers of calories, fat, fiber, sugar was challenging at first, but overwhelmingly freeing in the end. It took a month or so to adjust to freeing my mind to think of only, “Is it vegan and is it delicious,” but when it all fell into place, true change within me finally took hold. My eating went from scrupulous and calculating to excited and carefree. Within the vegan diet, I had given myself permission to eat anything my heart desired. This ranged from beautiful kale and avocado salads to Fritos. If it was vegan, I was eating it and loving it.

Being around people who were simply food lovers (and animal lovers, of course) wasn’t the only thing that carried me to a healed self, though. That summer in San Francisco pushed me to fill my time with whatever made me happy. I made friends that I will have for my whole life (Brooke, if you’re reading, I love you!). I stopped going to the gym and went on run/walks (yes, run/walks: run when I want, walk when I want) along the beach. I tried bikram, heavy brews, Earth Balance-filled baked goods. I spent my days writing, editing and brainstorm– the very things with which I am very much in love. I wore sweaters in July. (So maybe it was the coldest summer of my life…) Maybe I kissed an Irishman or two as well.

It was the summer that changed me and delivered me directly to the free Kailey I had been years before. (Um, minus the kissing-Irishmen thing.)

Veganism was the catalyst for the overhaul, but it was the people I worked with at VegNews who truly helped me. Unbeknownst to them, the VegNews crew didn’t talk about the very things that had been running my life: calories, fat, calories burned, thinness. That, beyond anything, is what helped me. A total removal of body and food negativity is and was the absolute cure. My coworkers ate and lived with gusto, something that had been severely missing in my life.

Though I didn’t take full veganism with me back to Ohio, I did take the freedom, the vigor for life. When I think of a vegan diet, I think of anything but restriction. I think of exploration, discovery and ultimately, deliciousness.

How could I not with food like this?

Avocado and Strawberry Breakfast

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My First Quinoa Dish

first-quinoia (500x375)

Brown Rice Pasta

br-rice-pasta-lunch-close (500x375)

Vegan Burrito

el-burrito-express (500x375)

Fruit Pie

pie (500x375)

Thank you all for reading!

Much love,

Kailey

Editor’s note: Thank YOU, Kailey! What a fab post. And if you guys are curious, the VegNews staff post their delicious lunches each and every day on the Cafe VegNews blog. Go get inspired!

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    59 Comments
  1. While it’s been some time since this was posted, I just read it- and i loved it. So heartfelt and true!
    Thank you for sharing, Kailey!
    *pops over to Kailey’s blog, too*
    🙂

  2. Hi everyone,

    I love this blog post! Thanks for much for sharing your beautiful stories.

    I am currently a student in art school, and I am looking to create a zine about how animal rights activism and veganism can be a tool for self empowerment for girls and young women looking for outlets for self expression, and distractions from negative body image.

    If I may have your permission to quote you or use some of your stories in my zine, I would find that so helpful! Please contact me.

    If you would like to take part in the zine, e-mail me at govegan.erica@gmail.com. Please include, your name, age (if you wish), a photo or yourself (optional), a description of how you are involved with vegan activism (do you volunteer, leaflet, run a blog or organization, work in rescue?) and your personal story! Responses can be 50-150 words about. You can tell me more if you like, but I won’t be able to include everything in the actual zine. Thank-you!

    Cheers to health and a fulfilling life!

    Warmly,

    Erica

    P.S. Are there any organizations or health care professionals already supporting veganism as a tool for recovery for people with ED? Where can I find this info? Thanks!

  3. Really interesting discussion/conundrum. When I was anorexic, I was also certainly vegan. As I decided most animal products must be laden with fat, while my raw spinach was not, the choice was clear. I think you can obviously run into a situation here where veganism perpetuates a spiral and maintenance of disordered eating. For me, vegan was safe. There were very few vegan foods I considered “scary” (namely the obvious: avocados, nuts, fried things, etc), but in general vegan foods felt comfortable to me. I think it is this comfort zone that is the soft spot. This is the “teaching moment,” if you will. Because from these few safe foods I began to learn more about the lifestyle and more about the big picture, much like Kailey. For me, veganism begs the exploration of WHY. Why am I so picky about the origins of my food, and my food itself? It is no longer because I am fearful of how I might lose control and become (gasp) FAT–although I think any former-ED who says this doesnt still tug at their brain is lying. Those thoughts become simple to squelch. When I was recovering, I tried to think more about what my body had to accomplish—care for others, and propelling me through the rigors of medical school. Now, on my surgery clerkship and at the hospital 16h/day, sometimes more but never less (get ready Gena…), there is NO WAY I could survive on what I once did; I’d pass out in the sterile field and look like a fool. Is my recovery 100% due to my shift in eating? Hard to say. I am no longer 100% vegan, though all the food I keep in my home is vegan. When I go out I will eat cheese and eggs–because I LIKE those things. I think if anything, being vegan made me more closely investigate what and why I ate. Shifting my hyperawareness to the good side of food vs the “scary” side made a big difference.

  4. Hope you had a great orientation day, Gena! Awesome to be introduced to Kailey, and thank you so much for both of your perspectives on this. I love that you were so well-balanced in your intro, mentioning the danger of any kind of restriction in ED recovery, but I think you have a very valid point and would so love it if that could be put out there to the mainstream recovery world!

    I loved Kailey’s mention of the change of focus in what eating is ‘for:’ I think that is crucial. And that both of you emphasize that you have to keep it very real. I am cautious, somewhat, because I insisted that I was ‘in recovery,’ or ‘completely recovered,’ when I was high-fruit all-raw for about 5 or 6 years, maintaining around 90lbs. I didn’t (usually) think I was fat, but I did restrict _all the time_, in denial, and when I finally changed to a less restrictive way of eating and gained some muscle, my thyroid and adrenals were so messed up that the fat that came with it has been the bane of my life ever since and has planted my face in the realization that I was not at all recovered that whole time!

    So, kudos to you both for all of this: I think you’re right on and am inspired by you.
    love
    Ela

  5. Great post and very thoughtful and intelligent comments all round.
    I found veganism helped me to manage an ED of 10 years standing, by placing the emphasis on the quality and ethical quality of the food I was preparing and eating rather than whether the food was “perfect” (i.e. low calorie, low fat, low sugar etc) for my body. By shifting this focus, releasing all the restrictions I had been placing on my body, and reorienting my entire approach to food, my body had the freedom to begin to “speak” to me, (if that doesn’t sound too weird) and let me know which foods helped it function best. Heavily processed foods like crisps, cakes, biscuits even when eaten vegan style still made me feel physically way below par, while a balanced range of vegan whole foods incorporating protein, carbs and healthy fats made me feel like bouncing around Tigger style. My slightly clumsy point is that only once I removed the burden of ED driven, mental restrictions towards eating, was I able to feel on a basic physical level which foods really worked with my body to make me feel vibrant and alive. The mind is an incredibly powerful entity, isn’t it?
    I still think the inherent control and perfectionism issues within EDs can create a strong desire to find the “perfect” diet within the context of any nutritional approach from omni through to veganism, and that this will always be a risk for recovering ED sufferers in whichever dietary persuasion they choose. But, perhaps the shift from perfect nutrition to perfect ethics, while creating wider, less personally focused (and I do not mean that in any judgemental way at all) forms of guilt will allow greater dietary freedom and subsequently better health.
    Good luck with orientation, Gena. Hope it’s all going well.

  6. you constantly inspire me with your vigor for life and your beautiful way of reaching out to help others who have faced similar problems. in other words, i am honored to call you a friend.

  7. hmm…well, this made me think.

    it’s funny, really, because i fell into veganism in the middle of disordered eating phase (something i am still attempting to shift out of). at the beginning of my vegan journey i felt empowered and healthy and good. but it quickly spiraled into “oh *good*, i can’t eat that *anyway* so i won’t!” i’ve since become a little looser in my veganism (eating fish and eggs every once in a while. i still avoid dairy simply because i hate it) and in turn have become less controlling. obviously adopting a vegan diet affects everyone differently. i just wish it helped me heal like it did for all these other wonderful women. veganism is something i love and something i aspire to get back into but i need to learn how to do it without hidden motives. i really, truly hope i can get there one day…

  8. This actually made me laugh, this comment is so out-of-place among this intelligent, serious, mature, adult, respectful conversation…

  9. This was such a beautifully written and powerful post. Thank you BOTH for sharing your experiences… so glad you shed light on veganism to those who thought (or still think) it’s restrictive!!! Kudos to y’all!!

  10. Wow! This has got to be one of the best posts I’ve read in awhile. I love all of your perspectives, and you echoed so many things I’ve often thought about. Especially the part that there is SOOOOO much more going on in this world that goes beyond obsessive things that we sometimes set up upon ourselves. I think it’s wonderful that veganism has changed each of your mentalities, and that it can be a positive influence not just on animal rights and the environment, but that it can shape a mentality despite the things this world seems to throw at us. I get sense of both of these ladies’ strengths through their realizations and profound sense of well-being.

    Hats off to the both of you 🙂

  11. Awesome post! I don’t believe a vegan or even primarily plant-based died “works” for everyone, especially if recovering from disordered eating, but when it does it is absolutely life-changing. There is a surprising freedom when you choose foods that nourish and fuel you rather than obsessing over things that have the least calories and fat. There comes a sort of joy and pride in eating that I never had before – I am choosing this lifestyle and it effects more than just me. It’s incredibly empowering. Thank you, Kailey and Gina, for sharing your stories.

  12. This was so beautiful. I’ve struggled with disordered eating since eighth grade, and I found health and happiness through veganism as well! Great choice of guest blogger, Gena:) I hope your “first day of school” was a blast, and I can’t wait to hear all about it!

  13. I have very mixed feelings about this, although I suppose “each to her own” could be said here. I have to be honest, I think it’s very rare that a vegan diet is truly healing to an ED sufferer, but it is an interesting concept nonetheless. I think for the majority of people in this situation (ED –> vegan) it is a great way to live comfortably in restriction. No, that person may not be starving herself. Yes, she may be able to eat a wider variety of food than before. But no, it does not truly heal, in my opinion. If you believe that no one is ever totally rid of ED thoughts, then it is a way to live with them without restricting yourself like you would otherwise.

    • Great and interesting comment!

      To each her/his own is a good motto for recovery, bc what worked for me certainly failed on other women I knew, and vice versa.

      I don’t think that an ED veteran is ever *totally* free of even the faintest ED thought, no: I think that EDs are the result of certain dispositions we have, rather than the cause of behaviors that we can easily eliminate. Don’t get me wrong: I have very strong and positive feelings about the possibility of full recoveries: I’ve lived one, and so do many others. But I do think it’s unrealistic to say that any woman or man who had a serious bout of anorexia should never, ever again have a disordered habit or tendency if she or he is to be considered “recovered.”

      I’m more inclined to think that certain ways of thinking will linger, even faintly, and that we simply find effective ways of coping with them and banishing them quickly, rather than indulging them.

      Now, I *don’t* think that veganism is a simply a way of validating restriction and fear. If it were, I wouldn’t have written this post for my many readers who are suffering from EDs or have moved past them. But I do think that it can offer special advantages to those who are prone to food guilt. And on a more philosophical level, I think it can be eye opening for those of us for whom food is personally fraught, and help us to focus energy on food issues that are bigger and, frankly, more urgent than our own personal battles.

      That’s a bit all over the map, but it’s my best tired thought after a long day 🙂

    • I think it depends too on how you define recovery. If you define it, as many do, as the ability to maintain a “normal” weight by eating a “normal” diet, then you’re right, veganism would appear to perpetuate the disorder (as the person may indeed remain very slender and would have eating habits far from the norm!). However, if you define it, as I do, by a transformed relationship with food, so that the act of eating, which used to be torture, has become a pleasure – I eat today with more pleasure and less guilt than most “normal” women in my realm of acquaintances – and my ed wasn’t a summer thing, it was almost a decade of my life – that to me is recovery, and well, if it isn’t, it’s a pretty damn good place to be vis a vis food.

      • Congratulations on your success with recovery; it’s certainly admirable no matter the path to get there.

        I definitely agree that recovery could mean different things. I think that a person can be ‘recovered’ from behaviors, but I believe that the underlying emotions will always be present (of course, this is my personal opinion based on my own experiences). I think veganism can help people recover from the most unpleasant of behaviors, so in that regard I think it can be successful. What I should have stressed in my original comment was that I don’t believe it’s shameful or fake or anything like that if you still have “ED” feelings or thoughts. My issue is when a person (not directed at Kailey’s guest post, but just based on what I have seen throughout blogs) can’t or doesn’t want to admit that their veganism or vegetarianism is, like Gena said in her response to my comment, a coping mechanism. I think it’s a healthy coping mechanism for those women that would not find any other way, but I don’t think it’s the same as saying, “I’m recovered! I’ll eat anything! I never feel guilty!”.

        I suffered from an eating disorder for two years (although had many early signs and symptoms for years before that) and veganism has certainly become my “coping mechanism”. It helps me live my life, nourish myself with food, and relieve some food stress. It certainly does not mean that I never feel badly about food, or never worry. It just means that I’m not prepared to fight needlessly against negative thoughts, when veganism automatically, and pleasurably, limits them for me. It means that I can and will enjoy a healthy and delicious lunch at work, but it eliminates the mental anguish of whether or not to partake in the office cupcakes, or whatever it might be that day. It’s not that I want to eat those cupcakes and that I’m denying myself, but just taking it completely out of my mind brings me a lot of peace and ease in my life.

        I would say that I’m “recovered” in the sense that I no longer act on certain impulses. I eat (a lot), I exercise (I just ran a marathon), and I do truly love this vegan diet, but I would never pretend that it just magically cured me and that it doesn’t at least relieve SOME of my food stress for me.

        • Danielle,

          It sounds as though we feel some very similar things. I wouldn’t say that vegan diets are some sort of panacea for EDs. I also wouldn’t say that they’re a mask for EDs (though I do agree that some women use them as one).

          I think that they can be particularly well suited to women who have ED tendencies, because of the quality of foods involved (that is, if you don’t subsist on Tofurkey and vegan cupcakes), and because they have many kinds of real world contributions to offer: less waste, less environmental destruction, less cruelty. This all can combat guilt, and even if that’s an aknowledgement that the person eating vegan is still guilt prone, it is, in my mind, a HUGE good.

          With all that said, I know a lot of women who would not find freedom through veganism, and that’s understandable. I also think that the men and women who seek them out have to do it carefully and honestly.

          Thanks for this great convo 🙂

      • Such a genius point. I too am relatively slender, and don’t eat in a way that is conventional, and I am very open about the fact that I live with some of the underlying predispositions that led to my ED (though I also think I cope with them effectively and positively). With all of that said, I eat more, and more frequently, and with so much more relish than many conventionally eating women I know.

      • My experience corroborates entirely with both of your perspectives. And, Danielle – your thesis too has much merit in my view. For several years early in my journey towards recovery, I did adopt veganism as a sanctioned form of restriction. But, that was a mere stepping stone necessary at the time. I’ve moved very far past that stage to form a joyful relationship with food and a loving relationship with my self and my body. Yet, as Gena suggests, natural predispositions don’t disappear entirely for the vast majority of us. In addition to my own personal growth and maturity, veganism was the single most important tool in my own transformed (perfect term, Elizabeth) relationship with food and my body.

        • At the risk of discrediting this real and profound discussion, I thought I’d recommend the new (unexpectedly) insightful and well written memoir by Portia DeRossi detailing in very raw terms her own ED battle. Not so coincidentally, like many of us, she too ultimately arrived at a place of healing and self-love, and now manages her own predispositions peacefully through a vegan lifestyle. (For those of you interested, the title: Unbearable Lightness.)

  14. Great post!! We are so glad we have found both your blogs, because you both inspire us everyday.

    I agree that not everything that is vegan is healthy. Just as things that are gluten free or sugar free are healthy, when they are not. But I guess every has their own definition of healthy, and that is their right, just as it if they wish to be vegan or not. We were vegan for awhile, although do not feel comfortable calling ourselves one because we were never 100%. We support everyone that follows a vegan diet, it is a great way of life as Gena portrays here.

  15. I really enjoyed this post and the comments. I think there are so many reasons for people to become vegan, and they all have their merit. I’ve also seen the reasons morph for me, and if I had to prioritize my motives, I’m not even sure I could anymore. Luckily, I don’t have to. It’d be like trying to pick my favorite blog in a world full of Genas and Kaileys (and Ashleys and Aimees and so on and so forth). I’m blessed to be vegan and I’m blessed to be a blogger.

  16. Hope registration is going smoothly, Gena!

    Kailey, wonderful post, thanks! So true that veganism hasn’t restricted me, but opened the doors to amazing fresh flavors while lifting many of the food restriction stresses I had placed on myself.

  17. Holla Kailey!!! Great post girl!

    I used to think of vegans as very restrictive, but from reading blogs like Peas & Thank You and Choosing Raw, I’ve learned that veganism is anything but. When I’ve dabbled in veganism/vegetarianism over the years, I’ve discovered more foods in a few months than I had during years as an omnivore. I still go back & forth in the vegetarian/omnivore world, but I feel so empowered to make better food choices from my experiences without meat and dairy.

  18. This is why I love your blog, Gena: I always walk away with some new insights to ponder. In fact, I tend to feel a bit smarter.

    Terrific job on this team effort, Gena and Kailey!

    • So as I ponder (and everyone’s smart and riveting contributions relative to their personal experiences) the connection appears to be related to true and complete nourishment of body, mind and spirit. There’s tons of evidence that these are so tightly intertwined and the health of each sphere effects our behavior (and in turn our behavior can reset our neural pathways that affect future decisions) so maybe that is, in the most simple terms, why so many of us have found such a high measure of healing through choosing veganism or a whole foods diet.

      It seems to me that this has the potential for representing profound and inportant dialogue. Gena…I’d love to see you explore it further.

  19. Most vegans I know love their food that’s vegan but don’t even view non-vegan food as food. Because you need to invest a little more time and effort into your food via reading labels and so making food, it can make you more invested in the quality of food.

    The attitude of “if it’s vegan it’s ok” works for awhile, but I think in general isn’t a good way to make sure food is healthy. It probably is good for a person recovering from ED, but maybe not for others who are prone to the opposite overeating or indulging in too much junk food.

    I am curious about the rest of your story, Snackface. I went to your site but need to prowl around a bit more. I am curious if you left veganism because it was too restrictive? If you are still vegetarian? Love to know more.

  20. While I am not a vegan, and in principle I don’t consider any food off-limits, I do believe it was a transformed relationship to food (not, ironically, to myself, or to my body – those things came later) that set me firmly on the path to wellness after a prolonged struggle with anorexia. I do think vegan diets can play a role in the recovery from eating disorders in so far as becoming vegan, usually, results in a transformed relationship to food. In my case, this was the point at which I considered myself healed (though I was still underweight) – when I began eating foods that made me feel not guilty, weak, and much as i hate to admit it, ordinary – but proud. Food was too highly charged for me to ever achieve a neutral “take it or leave it” attitude towards it. So healing involved not relegating food to “just food” but elevating it to spiritual sustenance – a shift I think embracing “veganism” could have facilitated. (Though in my case, maybe because I’m Swiss, I have no problems at all with dairy – I digest it well, it’s never been a trigger food, I’ve never over-eaten it or craved it or felt I had to put limits around my consumption – while wheat has always, in any significant quantity, made me feel pretty lousy.) I also think becoming vegan – just because vegans tend also to care deeply about health and environmental issues as well as animal rights – could have helped me go directly from a low-calore yet extremely healthy and vegetable-centric diet to the high-calore, healthy, vegetable centric diet I eat today, without an intervening decade in which, just to prove I was recovered, I often ate foods – like pasta – that left me feeling fatigued and which challenged my sensitive digestion unnecessarily.

    One question that I’m intrigued with lately is not the role of veganism in ed recovery but rather, in ed prevention. I am seeing so many young girls (preteens and teens) becoming vegetarian (I think veganism requires a more nuanced understanding of the food system – the cruelty is not immediately obvious to a nine-year-old – and so it’s usually not til highschool that kids become vegan without vegan parents) and I see my younger self in so many of them (perfectionists, world-weary at a tender age, etc.) and I can’t help but wonder if rather than triggering eds, veg*nism, which involves entering into a positive relationship with food in one’s youth, making choices that allow one to feel good about eating, to eat with pleasure not guilt, etc., doesn’t actually prevent them.

    • I have to disagree with your comment about cruelty not being apparent to a 9 year old. I taught 4th graders for several years and their ability to have compassion for animals is amazing. It is not uncommon for them to go vegetarian at that time if they have adequate support at home.

      • Bitt, I guess I wasn’t clear, I know many fourth graders (and even younger) who have become vegetarian because of their compassion for animals (just an intuitive sense that eating animals is wrong – yes that killing = cruelty is obvious) but they don’t generally become vegan until they’re educated about factory farming. Sorry, I should proofread my posts here!

    • This is of course a topic we’ve discussed quite a lot! I think you’re right that adopting veg*n diets in the tender years can prevent a lot of imbalance and grief, and it isn’t quite so fraught as adopting those diets post recovery, when they might trigger feelings of deprivation for some women and men who once had EDs.

  21. That’s a really interesting thought about the connection between ED and veganism. I would have just assumed that any kind of food restriction just fuels the fire, but the sense of pride and confidence about what you are eating, I hadn’t thought about that.

    I do like that you point out that it isn’t necessarily great for everyone. I kind of feel like veganism may, for some people with ED tendencies, be an excuse to swing towards orothorexia as well.

    • Definitely an orthorexia risk, Katie! No doubt about it. Anyone who experiments with vegnanism post-ED recovery simply has to do it with wide open eyes, and a tough mindset, lest he or she start to delude oneself or justify old habits.

  22. I cannot impress enough how a vegan diet can also mean freedom for someone who is the opposite of anorexic, but rather one who is a compulsive overeater. There are similarities (obsessively thinking about food) and differences (restriction vs. guilty indulgence) between the two, but somehow the answer for both problems can be found in veganism. I am a former compulsive overeater. After becoming vegan I can finally express my love of great tasting food and the food loves me back! Yes, FREEDOM! I just wish there were more people talking about how veganism could impact the huge and continually growing number of overweight and obese people in our society!

  23. Kailey and Gena…two wonderful ladies, teaming up…thank you for this!

    Kailey I am sooo happy that your internship and your summer in San Fran was such a pivotal thing in your life…freeing you from much of what had been controlling you and running your life. That is just awesome!

    The first time I was in San Fran, maybe about 10 years ago? I was struck by the women as a whole there…they cared about good food, real food, living an active lifestyle (yes walks and hikes outdoors, not stairmasters and elipticals) and their whole aura was just…different. I always say if it wasnt for the colder temps, I’d live in San Fran not San Diego, but I need my So Cal weather…:) I love that your experience there paralled what I have always felt about the Bay Area.

    Gena very interesting points in your opening paragraphs..I am going to ponder that for the rest of the day.

    Good luck on your 1st day!
    🙂

  24. OH! And (I’m thinking about this lots :p) veganism has helped me respect myself – I’m proud of my ethics and my eating habits, and it makes me like myself more as a person, for that reason.
    Wow, I jsut agree soo much with this post..I wish I’d written it!

  25. I LOVE this post!
    I’ve heard a lot of people diss the vegan/ED link, but I have found it so so helpful. I became vegan during ED recovery, as I learnt more about healthy eating, what made me feel GOOd, good fats, carbs, wholegrains. Veganism helped me to explore healthy fats (I never touched flaxseed before I became vegan and realised I needed omegas!) and varied my carbs. It helped me RELAX around food! I don’t how..but it did. Veganism has been a lifesaver to me, it rescued me from my ED, made me more passionate about food and cooking and eating – I love it 🙂

    • I agree – it becomes more about nourishing and loving and giving your body what it deserves. I think some people are more prone to a plant-based lifestyle anyway, and if something positive can come out of disordered eating, it can come from making that connection.

  26. LOVE THIS SO MUCH!! I’ve gotten so many raised eyebrows for my near-veganism due to my history with ED, but in reality it’s exactly as Kailey says- I eat whatever I want if it’s vegan. That’s not to say that all vegan foods are healthy or that I don’t have to tell myself to put DOWN the chocolate every once in awhile, but it’s opened my eyes to such a huge world of foods and encouraged me to try the calorie-dense stuff I used to shun. A thick smear of PB in a hearty whole-wheat sanwich? No problem. 40-calorie-per-serving sliced deli meat on low-carb bread? No thanks. Words cannot express how much I relate to this post. Thank you, both Kailey and Gena!!

  27. I have complicated and mixed feelings about veganism as a means of healing from an ED, but I definitely think it can work for lots of ED veterans!

    Wonderful post, Kailey! I enjoy reading your blog so much 🙂