Veggie Power | Joe Walsh

I clearly remember the moment when I decided to become vegetarian. I was 11. I was walking down the street in Brooklyn, and my brother and I saw some animals near a door. I like animals, so I headed inside, and I saw a goat being held with a knife to his neck, and he was bleating frantically. Chickens were being thrown around roughly. After noticing me, the guys inside that Halal slaughterhouse told me to scram.
When I told my father (who at one time was a butcher’s apprentice), that I wanted to stop eating meat, he replied, “You’ve got to have your protein. You can’t do that.” So at age 19, I exercised some independence and became a vegetarian: At age 29, I went vegan. It wasn’t as easy then as it is now, but it wasn’t really difficult either. I went cold Tofurky and gave up dairy products, eggs, cheese and cow’s milk. It took me two weeks to acclimate. I soon saw positive results from eating plant-strong. I have more endurance as a vegan; my blood pressure is 110/70, and my resting heart rate is low. Soon after adopting a vegan diet, I dropped about 10 pounds, and I was in the best shape I’ve ever been in. People were asking me what I was doing and I’d tell them that I’ve made a slight modification in my diet. I was very pleased with my vital statistics especially since there is a history of heart disease in my family. A few years ago, my brother’s cholesterol was close to 300 and he was advised to go on statins: My cholesterol, on the other hand, is under 150… Even now, after being vegan for so long, I still meet people who ask, “Where do you get your protein? I say “The same place as the silver-backed gorilla gets it — plants.” I also mention that I am a competitive weightlifter. I’ve never met a vegan with a B12 or protein deficiency. I then tell them that I’ve known a lot of people who have had heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and erectile dysfunction, which could be remedied or prevented by a well-balanced vegan diet. To me, it’s easy. If I can get by in life and do well without inflicting suffering on anybody and with the added benefit of being healthy with very little effort, then it’s a no-brainer.