“It’s vegan!”

Some people just don’t get it. Listen, if you don’t like the way I have chosen to eat, then keep your mouth shut unless you have something constructive to add. Don’t stand there and tell me what I am doing is wrong or I am not getting enough of some nutrient. Why? Because chances are high you have no idea the details as to what I am doing. When I try to detail what and why, I am quickly labeled “vegan” and they walk away.

There continues to be a sticking point with oil. Why, I am not quite sure. One tablespoon of oil is 14 gram or 140 calories. From Jeff Novick, “It has no protein or essential amino acids (which we need), it has no carbohydrates, or sugars (which we need), it has no fiber (which we need), it has no minerals (which we need) and has virtually no vitamins (which we need) except for a small amount of Vit E and some phytosterols” (source). So why would I want to keep this junk food in my diet?

Recently I was at a gathering of friends and was offered some food. It didn’t look all that healthy and my first assumption was it contained oil. After eating it, I know it did as I could taste it. I asked the person serving me, for the contents of this dish and they replied, “It’s vegan.” Okay, so I pushed the oil question on them. “I said it was vegan.” Great it’s a vegan dish, I am glad to hear, but if it has oil, then I must decline.

A few minutes passed and that same individual confronted me and said, “You know you need fat in your diet, about 30% a day. Oil is good, as it has nutrients for brain development.” Okay, to a degree I can accept that some, like Omega 3 DHA fatty acid is needed for brain and eye tissue development, but stand there and chastise me because I passed on a dish I knew contained oil.

Again, it comes down to labeling me or those who follow this way of eating. It’s not for everyone and maybe look at me different because of what I don’t eat. That is fine with me, I look better than I have in months, I feel good and I am now in control of my health. So please, don’t try to bullshit me with what you THINK you know about how I eat or nutrition, especially as it relates to olive oil. Respect my decision to eat what I want.