The 28 day Vegan

Lets get this straight from the kick off... I like meat, I like cheese, I like milk, I like eggs, I like these things combined and I like them in fairly large quantities.

So why would a man who is a committed omnivore decide to go Vegan for 28 days. I have long been a member of the Facebook group "For every animal you don't eat, I am going to eat three", I am hardly a prime candidate for Veganism.

This started back in mid December. I noted that things have been so crazy at work recently, and that with the run up to Christmas I had gained a lot of weight. We have an annual charity weight loss in January, and somebody suggested that as I was going to do that, I should follow the latest celeb diet. " Oprah is raving about it. Go Vegan! Get sponsored to do it!"
Foolishly I said why not and committed myself to what, I have no doubt, is going to be 28 days of hell, but it's for the NSPCC and Cancer Research so probably worth while.From midday on January 9th until midday on February 6th nothing that can be classed as an animal product will knowingly pass my lips. I say knowingly - which seems a nice get out - because you wouldn't believe what you can hide animal derivatives in.

Below is a short list of things that I can and cannot consume:
OUT

• Meat & Fish (I was shocked to find this came from animals!);
• Dairy: Yoghurt, Cheese, Milk, Eggs etc.;
• Condoms: Latex ones at least as these use dairy produce in their production;
• Various beer/wine due to the way it's filtered when fermenting;
• Quorn - contains Milk and Egg powder.

...and of course anything that contains any combination of the above. Thus, sadly, my preferred dinner of Chicken a la Durex is out.

IN

• Lentils, Chick Peas, Barley, Pulses and other bean type ingredients;

• Textured Vegeable Protine (it's like an even more unappetising Quorn);
• All alcoholic spirits;
• Soya - in milk, block, whey and all other forms possible.

IN (but really pure vegans would debate this)

• Refined sugar - bleached using small amounts of animal bone ash. This will be out in granulated form - but where it is included in things it wont prevent me from eating it.
• Honey.

So there we go - check back for regular updates, and no doubt after 4 days of lentils for every meal amusing flatulence stories, and go and sponsor me!

http://www.justgiving.com/nickvarney