feature: black vegans rock – jamila anahata of the soulful veganista talks unlearning nutrition misconceptions

My name is Jamila Anahata and I have been a super happy vegan for three years now! It all started when I went on a corny health kick, one that resembled the ever-so-popular starvation diets where my staples were “lean proteins” and “healthy” TV dinners. Although I was losing the weight and seeing somewhat of a difference in my body, I just knew that something was not right about my diet. I always had constipation, acne, weight fluctuation, borderline insomnia, poor digestion, and other nasty ailments for as long as I could remember, so I tried to make a connection with these health issues and my dietary habits. Lo and behold, the extensive research I did completely supported that theory which prompted me to look deeper into what I was putting on my plate.

What I discovered shocked me. “You mean, meat and dairy aren’t healthy? But that goes against everything I’ve ever learned!,” I thought to myself as I clicked through site after site telling me of the detriment of animal flesh and their secretions. This is when I made the most important connection: that I was eating someone who was once alive and wanted to live. Shortly after that, I followed my gut to watch slaughterhouse videos so I would no longer remain ignorant about the consequences of animal agriculture. Obviously, I couldn’t stomach what I was unconsciously supporting and knew that enough was enough; My options were: continue to eat animals, feel like crud, contribute to animal suffering, and destroy the planet or do the opposite and receive a clean conscience and a possible clear bill of health.

I’m sure you know what path I chose! And the journey was a cinch; knowing what meat, dairy, and eggs truly were was enough for me to quit cold Tofurky with no cravings at all. It was difficult to be social and explain to people about my new lifestyle, but it was worth the inconvenience to support a positive cause. It’s not always easy to transition, but doing a bunch of research helped motivate me to stay away from animal products and exploitations at all costs. Now, I dedicate my time to speaking out against animal cruelty and other social injustices on my blog and other social media networks because it’s the least I can do in a backwards world. Going vegan was the best thing I’ve ever done, and if I can do it, you can do it! SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
My blog: www.thesoulfulveganista.com
Instagram:instagram.com/thesoulfulveganista
Tumblr: thesoulfulveganista.tumblr.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thesoulfulveganista
Snapchat: jamila_anahata”

*In partnership with Black Vegans Rock.