Until I was 27, I ate meat without giving it much thought. I grew up in a typical Austrian household: in the 90s, we had meat a few times a week, and later it seemed to become more and more frequent. Although my mother always placed great value on variety and vegetarian options (and became a vegetarian herself in the early 2000s), my sister and I remained meat-eaters.
Until the turning point in 2018.
As I've mentioned in other videos, in 2016 I was hit by severe health anxiety and the aftermath of an accident. On top of that, I developed irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – a constant cycle of stress, anxiety, and physical discomfort. After numerous doctor's visits and the realization that I was physically healthy, I knew I had to change my diet.
Less caffeine, hardly any alcohol, and above all: more easily digestible foods.
In the year before I completely switched to a plant-based diet, we were already eating very little meat (maybe once a month) and had largely reduced our dairy consumption. And every time we did eat meat, I felt physically awful afterward – heavy, bloated, and constipated. In May 2018, I finally made the decision: all or nothing.
It took a few months for my body and digestive system to adjust to the new, purely plant-based diet. But after that? It was an absolute revelation. My annual blood tests showed drastic improvements, I no longer felt lethargic after eating, and my stomach problems improved dramatically.
If the online calculators are to be believed, I have saved over 3,100 animal lives and millions of liters of water in the last 8 years and 3 months. Even though such figures are estimates, they are motivating.
It all started with health. But the longer you eat a vegan diet, the more your perspective changes. You begin to look behind the scenes of the meat and dairy industries.
You realize how strongly we are taught from childhood, through marketing and even picture books, which animals we love (pets) and which we eat (farm animals). But ultimately, every animal is a sentient being that feels pain, fear, and joy. After these realizations, there was no turning back for me. It became a decision based on empathy.
Veganism is more than just food – it's a lifestyle that involves avoiding animal products, cosmetics tested on animals, or leather in everyday life, wherever good alternatives exist. And these days, there are almost always good alternatives.
I don't want to lecture anyone here. Everyone has to find their own way. But when you consider how much meat production drives climate change (keyword: methane and CO₂), it seems to me the most logical consequence to at least drastically rethink consumption. Even reducing it to just a few days a week makes a massive difference.
I am grateful for this step, even though I sometimes regret not having taken it sooner.
