Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Veganuary 2026: Elena's Vegan Journey (Originally released 2025)
29 Plays1 hour ago
This January we are re-releasing all eighteen of our 'Going Vegan' series, to shine a spotlight on the huge variety of everyday normal folk who choose to avoid animal expoitation through choosing a vegan lifestyle.
In today's rerun, we hear from the wonderfully inspiring, Elena!
For the original shownotes for this episode, visit Episode 141 directly https://zencastr.com/z/FE1yN_St
****************
Enough of the Falafel is a community of people who love keeping on top of the latest news in the world of veganism & animal rights. With our podcasts, we aim to keep listeners (& ourselves) informed & up-to-date with the latest developments that affect vegans & non-human animals; giving insight, whilst staying balanced; remaining true to our vegan ethics, whilst constantly seeking to grow & develop.
Each week we look through news stories from the past 7 days in the world of veganism & animal rights, as well as picking a 'timeless' vegan or animal rights issue, and discussing it in more depth.
If you spot any news stories that might catch our fancy, or have an idea for a discussion topic, get in touch via enoughofthefalafel@gmail.com.
*******************
Thanks everyone for listening; give us a rating and drop us a message to say "hi"; it'll make our day!
Elena & Ant
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Falafel Collective
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi there, this is Anthony from the Enough of the Falafel Collective. We're a group of just everyday vegans who for the last two and a half years or so have been releasing two podcasts a week bringing you vegan and animal rights news as well as philosophical discussions. And many of the contributors on the show have released a special episode in the past where they've talked about their journey of going vegan.
Elena's Journey to Veganism
00:00:26
Speaker
And for Veganuary 2026, we are re-releasing all of those episodes and the episode you're about to listen to now is one of those so it's been recorded at some point in the last three years and it features one of our contributors we really hope you enjoy it and that you continue to join for other episodes that we release over the course of 2026
00:00:49
Speaker
I'm delighted to have Elena with us today. You're going to get to meet Elena, just like I have a few minutes ago. Really looking forward to hearing this story. Elena, you've been a listener to the show for a little while now, haven't you? Yeah, I think I discovered you last Christmas. or Yeah, I think it was last Christmas when with one of your podcasts about being the only vegan at work. And I truly enjoy it. And I have...
00:01:16
Speaker
listening to you since then. So thank you. But no, thank you. Thank you. We definitely wouldn't do it if people didn't listen. So it's great and brilliant to to be able to learn a bit more about you and your story today. So we'll start as we always do. What's the furthest back you can detect any kind of hint that you might one day be sitting here as a vegan or ah I understand you you were like a lot of people you were vegetarian first what were the first kind of hints that that might be a direction for you? Actually I grew up in a tiny village in rural Spain so I didn't grow up being taught that animals should be treated equally and with respect unfortunately but I remember just being as a child like I i always loved like
00:02:03
Speaker
Animals like i when I saw an animal, it was like really deep inside me that I need to be compassionate to them. I mean, when people like, you know, there's bullfighting in the streets, you know, during the main event.
00:02:18
Speaker
in the summer and I remember like I did not enjoy that. like I knew that animals should not suffer just for us to have a nice evening, quote unquote. or And then I remember since then, that when I was like a teenager, I started like thinking, maybe eating them is even not really nice. So i i knew, I think when I was a teenager, india I knew I was not going to eat animals somehow, but At that point, I was still living with my parents and actually have no idea how to cook or not even knowing the word vegetarian, not even vegan. So I didn't know it was it was a possibility, but for some reason, it still didn't click on my mind.
Pivotal Moments and Challenges
00:03:04
Speaker
And then when I became vegetarian, it was vegetarian at first, it was when I was 19. And I really remember the exact moment when it happened because I have a twin sister and she studied veterinary and I and i was studying industrial design.
00:03:22
Speaker
And I remember she was studying and I just took one of her books because you know veterinarians also study like they to work on the farm in the industry. And I remember taking one of her books and they were talking about the animals the exact same way that in my books they were talking about materials for production.
00:03:41
Speaker
And when I saw that, I was like, but I mean, in my books, they talk about steel or plastic. Why are they using the same words for ah living sent sentient animals?
00:03:53
Speaker
And then it was that moment I said, like, I have, I don't want to be part of this. i stopped eating meat or anything like that straight away. Yeah. So it it sounds like that there was like a bit of a buildup or we might use the word like latent, like there was this latent potential that's kind of like sitting there because you're saying earlier on. like you had at the back of your mind that that one day you you wouldn't consume animals but it was just waiting for like a trigger or something yeah yeah sure I mean I'm pretty sure if if if I were growing up in this area that veganism is well known and there's oat milk and soy milk in every supermarket I'm pretty sure I will go
00:04:38
Speaker
vegetarian or vegans way sooner and i and i i regret not having done that sooner but i mean it was spain in the 90s so i mean i did i mean my path it was the rhythm it was i would love to rush it if i could go back on time but it was it happened when it happened but I'm really glad that today it's easier and not only easier in the in the way that going to the supermarkets, you will find some so there some easy vegan substitutes. Also, it's easier because you know it's possible. Even when you don't know anybody, for example, in in my case, I don't know any other vegan, but at least there are podcastes their are podcasts, there's people on the internet. So I think it's easier in that way. You don't you know it's possible and you know, quote unquote again, people that they are. So yeah, it was a real left thing for me. I think it's, you've raised like two things there, because like there's the the seeing that it's possible, but also people might not even have thought about animal rights before or anything like that, but there there could still be something in them, whether it's compassion, whether it's sensitivity, whether it's a love of animals, whatever it is that makes them
00:05:53
Speaker
sort of vegan ready, if you like. They're ready waiting for a trigger, but actually, if you don't see oat milk in a shop or you don't come across a documentary or meet a vegan at work or whatever, there might not be anything that kind of turns that light on, I guess. Yeah, yeah, that's true. I mean, I think, for example, if you if you... Like, I was living in a village and every time I was passing through the big farms, you you hear them screaming.
00:06:20
Speaker
And even though you're not being... raised in a vegan family or you haven't not watched any documentary you hear those screams and and they are disappointed i mean you don't like them so that sensibility i think everyone has that the thing is if you live in a more animal rights focused environment it's easier for you to make that click and say you know what i i don't want to be part of this i think it's it's easier And yeah, as you said, like many people has that seat inside. The only thing is we we we need to to water it a bit more. Maybe. have the right conditions for it to germinate. Yeah, for sure.
00:07:01
Speaker
So it sounds like you've you've kind of got this motivation that's been slowly building up and then there's this this moment where it's where it's clicked. Was there nonetheless some doubts or some hesitations or some some worries about making that step for yourself at that time? Can you remember? Actually, I don't, i it was not maybe for for my family, they were like, maybe she's gonna, like everyone, all the mothers, for example, life she's gonna miss something, because we all know that maybe
00:07:33
Speaker
soageist They are the most nutritious thing in the world. No, I mean... No, at that point, when when I'm the kind of person that once my mind makes takes a decision, I don't think... of I mean, if there's something come out, I will work it. No, I was not worried. And I just decided that I did not want to to eat meat. I mean, it was even...
00:07:55
Speaker
it's It's funny because at the beginning it I was missing the flavor, but on the other hand I was seeing the the more the animal and less the product. So yeah, it's it's a bit weird at the beginning, especially when you're still craving the flavors, but on the other hand your mind is so already telling you, no, no, no, this is an animal, it's not food, it's a dead animal. So yeah. But no, at the beginning it it was easy. I just took the decision and I just went for it.
Cooking and Family Education
00:08:23
Speaker
Tons of chips because I had no idea how to cook, so a lot of pasta. so But yeah, I made it. I survived. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Fantastic. Can I ask, like you you've got a twin sister that's studying veterinary care, you know, a ah ah profession where you're caring for animals. Like, can I ask what her initial reaction is? Can you remember? Actually, she she was kind of supportive. A few months later, she became vegetarian as well. So, yeah. Yeah, I always say that I became vegetarian because of her and she became vegetarian because of me. So, it's quite funny. love it.
00:09:02
Speaker
ah I love it. Yeah, well, you you became you became that catalyst. Yeah, it was it was her trigger. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So you've you've described um maybe a slightly limited ability to cook um ah vegetarian food in terms of practicalities. Like how did things develop in those first few months of of being vegetarian? Actually, vegetarianism helped me a lot because otherwise I'm pretty sure I would not be able to cook because I had to cook for myself for the first time. I mean, I used to cook when I was a teenager, but let's say, let's be honest, what what teenagers cook? So ah yeah. And then for the first time I had to cook properly for myself, like full meals and I had to cook
00:09:48
Speaker
proof that I could be vegetarian, like especially for my parents. So I had to to start cooking. Actually, my sister, she she gave me my first cooking book. So it was, and then at the beginning, they have the first few pages, like talking about nutrition, where do you get this, where do you get that? And then,
00:10:08
Speaker
That gave me the first clues about nutrition because before that I was like, you're hungry, you eat. That's it. And then I started to cook. I started to look at ingredients at the at the grocery store because at the time it was not like a vegetarian or vegan label anywhere.
00:10:23
Speaker
So you start looking at labels, you start knowing ingredients, you start knowing vegetables. So actually it helped me a lot to to the know how to cook and how to eat because I started to eat more veggies, healthier. So it was great at the beginning. I mean, first three months just pasta and chips and then I was like, okay, I need to i need to start eating properly. yeah, it it actually helped me a lot. So all good. Yeah, yeah. what What a positive, pleasant surprise. That's great.
00:10:57
Speaker
So we're talking now, and you're vegan.
Eating Disorders and Veganism
00:11:00
Speaker
We've focused thus far about you being vegetarian. So how how does your story unfold from from there? Yeah, I went vegetarian when I was 19.
00:11:10
Speaker
And I became vegan like two years ago. I'm 35 now. So it was when I was 32. So I'm just 35 just a couple of months ago. So Yeah, when I was 32. And it took me that long, unfortunately, because I suffer from an eating disorder. That started like when I was 22 or 23. Sorry, I don't remember properly. and It has been quite a quite long time ago.
00:11:38
Speaker
But yeah, I developed it when I when i became like ah like an adult, when I entered adult life. I finished my my studies, my degree, when I was 21. And I moved straight away to the UK. I moved to London.
00:11:53
Speaker
And then I moved out of my parents' house to another country, to another city with and a different language. It was 2011 or 2012. So we were that terrible recession in Spain. So it was quite a stressful time economically. And yeah, i ah my my mind was focused on working, working, working. And unfortunately, one year after that, I started to have like weird...
00:12:21
Speaker
Thinks, thoughts about food. Like I had to to start like counting calories, which I have never done before in my life. Starting counting grams of sugar, grams of fat, grams of all that. And I did not realize that was doing that actually, because i did it was like a coping mechanism for... for adult life i realize now couple of years later when i moved back to spain remember my family was saying why you are so skinny because i dropped a lot of weight on those in those years
00:12:53
Speaker
in in the uk not not blaming the uk sorry but i i have i have nothing but good to say about about london and about the england i i really love my my my stay there but at the beginning people were thinking that i lost weight because i was working two jobs at the beginning then i moved to a I was always on on doing something like having studying, working. i I remember not stopping during those years. And people were thinking that maybe was a stress that made me lose weight because I've i've always been quite thin.
00:13:28
Speaker
But on those days, was super, super skinny. And when I went back to Spain, my sister, God bless her, she realized that I was weighting on my food, like... not cooking with oil, you know, doing all these awful things that nobody should do actually, unless you have like a really bad health condition. But yeah, I was i was fully into anorexia. I started just like a just like counting and trying to be healthier, again, on quotes, but that fully developed a needing disorder in my case.
00:14:03
Speaker
And then my sister, She helped me and she made me go to the to the GP. and that And from there, they sent me to to the specialist in the social security, which is like the NHS. I remember my feelings to the animal rights were, like again, increasing. And I knew I did i did wanted to stop like drinking milk, which I've never done, really, but not eating cheese, not eating eggs.
00:14:30
Speaker
And I wanted it to be vegan. But at that time, when I when i just vocalized it, like, you know what? I'm going vegan. And people were saying, like, do you want to be vegan? Or is the eating disorder that wants you to restrict more? Because in my case, it was a restrictive.
00:14:46
Speaker
it's in eating this disorder. And on that time, unfortunately, I believe them because when you start treating the the illness, the first thing that people tell you is you do not trust your brain.
00:15:00
Speaker
It's not going to tell you that you are skinny. It's not going to tell you that you have not eaten enough. So do not trust your brain. At that time, I believe them. So I did not eat animal anything at home. Like I did not eat eggs. I stopped eating cheese. But if I was going out and there was like, i don't know, like a cake, I was like trying to to make everybody believe that I was doing well by eating that. And I remember like feeling bad after eating. And at that time I did not realize I was feeling bad because of the calories or because of the animal product. But now I know it was because of the animal product. So, yeah. Yeah.
00:15:38
Speaker
that Actually, when when the doctor was telling me, please don't go vegan because it's the illness that is trying to make you restrict more, at that time, it also gave me more clutter in my headspace.
00:15:54
Speaker
So it it was not helpful at all. I mean, and the other thing I wanted to say is that they wanted me to to eat meat and fish again. But i as I told you, once I make a decision, there's no going back. So I did not listen to them on that. So at least I was still vegetarian on those years.
00:16:15
Speaker
And what I wanted to say, and that's why I'm telling my my eating disorder part, is that People still think that veganism is just a diet.
00:16:26
Speaker
And when you're like vegan, they hear like, oh, steamed veggies and salads, you know, they are going to lose weight. And no, when you're vegan, you don't need animal products, but you can have cakes, you can have cheese, you can have fries, you can have you can have a lot of things. The only thing that you...
00:16:45
Speaker
are trying to live your life without hurting others. So when I was on the treatment, actually, I was vegetarian, but for example, I did not buy any cosmetics that were testito-tรกnimos. I did not buy any leather shoes. I did not, I mean, I was already doing all that, but I was not allowed to not eat milk or eggs.
00:17:04
Speaker
all Gosh, i mean i mean, first of all, thank you fit for for putting yourself in a vulnerable position and and and sharing that with us. I mean, hearing stories like this can can be so empowering, but like it it takes a lot from from you to share that. So so thank you. that I mean, i can't imagine how difficult that must be, having a like a personal health challenge at the time, of ah that significant one, and also And it isn't and. It's not it's not a but. The way you're describing it is, no, they're not linked. They're just two things that are happening at the same time.
00:17:43
Speaker
and As well as that that significant health challenge, there is your feelings around a a social justice issue. That's what it is. That's how you're describing it, isn't it? It's it's not about restricting saturated fat or cholesterol or or anything like that. Yeah.
00:18:00
Speaker
but But having having people in in positions of, I don't know, we we could say authority or depending on how you view health professionals or you know older people in society, like it's hard when sort of older, more senior, quite more wise people are are saying something. and
Health Skepticism and Ethics
00:18:20
Speaker
And actually, it's coming from a position of care, isn't it? it sounds like you know people people are saying these things to you because they're caring about your well-being.
00:18:29
Speaker
But it's, I mean, what I've heard could contradict me if i if I'm wrong, but it sounds like it as well meaning as it was in your instance, and we are only talking about you, like it was unhelpful. It was, you said the word cluttering, didn't you? Yeah, actually. I mean, I know eating disorders are like very different from people to people for for person to person, but...
00:18:52
Speaker
The thing is, health professionals, sometimes they don't know that much about everything. I mean, they might know a lot of some things, but for example, if you ask them about veganism, maybe are the kind of people that, oh, I have a vegan for dinner, what am I going to cook them? Because they don't even know what they eat or what they don't or how they live or how they view life. So for some reason, they are like entitled and sorry if I'm not using the word correctly to to give advice to someone who has a lot of mental clutter because as I said, like you are like struggling to to to see the world how it actually is.
00:19:38
Speaker
They are telling you, no no, no, no, what you are going to do, which is part of your personality, is actually the the illness. And then you start having doubts about yourself like, oh, okay, so maybe who I am.
00:19:50
Speaker
Because, for example, in my case, again, this is just personal, but in my case, during those years, I remember like feeling like trapped inside another person. because it was like the sick part of myself and then it was myself trapped inside. So myself, I was vegan. I wanted to to stop contributing to animal abuse. but that the illness, the sickness, it was saying, no, no, no, you you want to restrict. It doesn't matter if it's vegan or not, you don't want to eat.
00:20:23
Speaker
Actually, one of the things I was more scared about it was bread, which is vegan, so it did not make that much sense. And and and and the the good thing about that is now when I think about that, like I was scared about bread, really. which is I mean, it's lovely, it's it has not hurt anybody. So yeah, if someone is listening to this and is also a bit scared about breakfast, go and eat something made of wheat. Please do it for me, for the animals. But yeah, in in in my case, when you are what I also wanted to to say, and that's why I wanted to share this part of my vegan journey, it's because...
00:21:04
Speaker
If someone, it doesn't matter, first of all, if it's a health professional, please, if someone in front of you is saying to you, like, I'm vegan or any other thing that you really don't know that much about, please do some research before giving advice to that person.
00:21:21
Speaker
Because I'm pretty sure in my case, for example, they didn't, I had some bone health issues related to my illness. And the first thing they told me is like, oh, you need calcium, so you need to eat milk. And I was like,
00:21:35
Speaker
But I don't want to eat drink milk. I've never done that. I don't like it. I'm not going eat yogurt because at that point I was still not, I don't call myself vegan on that time, but I i did not want to eat any dairy or egg or animal product.
00:21:49
Speaker
or I didn't want to buy them. And I said to them, where I can get calcium if it's not cow's milk? And they didn't know. They didn't know what tahini was. They didn't know. So the thing is, if you are not an expert, which can happen because nobody knows everything, please, before giving some advice, do some research.
00:22:10
Speaker
Like maybe they should have, say, okay, maybe she wants to be vegan. Maybe, okay, prove that you can be vegan and still recover. I mean, they they could try that. They did not want to, so I had to prove it. So one of my motivations to... to to recover as well just to be a vegan out of the closet if i can say that so yeah so it was also a motivation to veganism in my in my recovery like i did not want to eat any animal products at home and when i when i say like out loud that I'm vegan two years ago it was when I felt like I was fully recovered so yeah it was a motivation as well so not only it was not trying to hide my eating this disorder it was also it it was actually helping me like I can I can be vegan I can be recovered and I don't need to eat animal products in order to be healthy because yeah you don't have to
00:23:07
Speaker
Wow. Wow. Goodness me. You've got me gripped. You've got me gripped. You've got to you've got to you've got to tell us the next step of the story then. So if we can go from if we can go from a ah a state where you've you've got people, well-meaning people, but who are saying that they think that your wish to be vegan is is linked to restrictive eating,
00:23:31
Speaker
Now you're sat here as a vegan and you've described in the recent years being able to say, yes, I am vegan. How did that progression happen? As I said, like the when I knew i wanted to be vegan, and actually this is something that I spoke with my sister when I was in my twenty s in my early 20s. The first time I remember knowing what veganism was, I remember saying to my sister, I know one day I'm going to be vegan.
00:23:58
Speaker
And she was like, I know you will. Because because I'm the kind of... I mean, when I know something, I cannot stop. For example, it's not... For me, part of, I mean, I'm not sure if we'll be on the definition being vegan, that for example, for me, try to stay away from fast fashion because I don't want to contribute to exploiting people. And that, in my in my mind, is iss also related to veganism because it's like you don't want to contribute to other people or other living beings being exploited.
00:24:32
Speaker
And yeah, so once and on my 25, 26, I started like stop buying anything with animal products, like being vegan at home.
00:24:43
Speaker
But because of what I just told, I had to eat like sometimes if you are going to a relative house or you are not going to say you're vegan, they will give you something vegetarian. But when I maybe 28, 29, stopped buying and i stop buyin and maybe twice or three times a year I would have something with animal products in it but not that much and when I said loud I'm going vegan finally happily and now I feel i feel liberated actually like I don't need to hide myself like I'm as I said like I'm I'm out of the closet finally I don't need to I don't feel like I need to
00:25:25
Speaker
to have something with eggs in it to prove people that I'm not sick or what i'm or that I'm doing well. Like now i i I eat way better than I've done in my my entire life because as I said, like veganism was a motivation in my recovery. So I had to prove everyone that I can be healthy, I can gain weight. So, yeah, I'm eating super healthy now. I feel good, not only on the outside. like I mean, I don't look perfectly, but but if but but I mean, I'm feeling I have health. But on the inside, i say like I said, I feel not only good with myself because I know I'm doing the right thing.
00:26:02
Speaker
Also, i feel i feel i feel free. like like I can be myself. I don't want to contribute to... to suffer in the world why do I have to just do others think that I'm normal okay then I prefer to be weird I prefer to be the only one in the only vegan in my in my surroundings if that I mean I would love everyone to go vegan but if they don't want to I'm not going to oblige them Not because I don't know how to, because I will if I could. But yeah, I feel i feel good with myself.
00:26:36
Speaker
I know when I see animal products in other people's plates, I see an animal, i don't see a product. When I read wrote those pages in my sister's book, like they were talking about animals like products.
00:26:50
Speaker
They are not products. They are not materials. They are not things that can be optimized or improved. They are sentient beings. And i I feel happy that I'm not contributing.
00:27:03
Speaker
At least I'm trying not to as much as possible to their suffering. So I feel right, actually. Yeah, that's that's fantastic. That's fantastic. And I i love that parallel of of of you and your sister studying two very different things, and and but having the animals described in that industrious way, that that would stick with me for sure. and when When you um described your transition to becoming vegetarian, you said you remembered, well, it it was that exact point, read reading the books. was there a Was there a similar exact point where you were like, right, this this is it, now why now I I'm vegetarian?
00:27:41
Speaker
vegan or was it just like ah a gradual thing? cause it sounds like there was a long time where you were effectively, by a lot of people's definitions, you were you were basically already vegan, like ah ah a handful of times a year where you're not. i
Misconceptions and Education
00:27:55
Speaker
I don't know. I think most people would say that was vegan, but in your mind anyway, was there a a defining point? No, actually it was not. Even though for veganism, for vegetarianism, it was like, I remember it was even in the afternoon. So I don't know the exact hour, but i know, it and I mean, I don't remember the date, but I remember the exact point, exact time. But no, veganism was like built up over the times, over the years. And the the thing is, because I have the the issue with the eating disorder and people not trying
00:28:27
Speaker
for me not to go vegan, which is funny because it's like when you say that you are going vegan, and pretty sure you don't need to have an eating disorder that everyone around you is like, oh, we're losing them. i mean, you you cannot go vegan. do I mean, i think in in once now that I'm thinking more about that, like,
00:28:45
Speaker
I think now that everyone is saying like veganism is a way to hide an eating disorder is another excuse for trying to make people not go vegan for some reason. It's like if if you say like like I told you, like I don't want to buy anything from fast fashion. Oh, great. That's good what you're doing. I don't want to buy any cosmetics tested on animals. Oh, great. And also I don't want to eat them.
00:29:06
Speaker
then everyone wants to go crazy so they they want as many excuses as possible to try to make people not go vegan for some reason and i think the the eating disorders unfortunately that they're becoming one of them which is a shame because it's also not helping the the people with eating disorder i mean it has nothing to do if you're going vegan because of your ethics because of your moral what has to do with calories or grams of food or fullness. I mean, there are two different things. Veganism has and an important part of your diet, of course, because you eat three times or five times a day, but it goes way beyond that.
00:29:49
Speaker
A way of eating is a way of eating. and Maybe you prefer to eat fried or steamed. That has nothing to do with your morals. So that everyone even if not vegan people, they need to to start understanding that, that one thing is a diet and then another thing is a diet yet because of a moral preference or a moral way of being. I mean, it it strikes me that actually if if somebody was genuinely concerned about somebody,
00:30:19
Speaker
with regards to an eating disorder than actually making a throwaway comment when someone says, oh, I want to be vegan, just saying it in a sort of offhand dismissive way. Oh, you weren't you're only saying that because you you know you want to restrict calories or you you've got an eating disorder. that That's not helpful at all for somebody with an eating disorder. is is it like but it It needs more gravitas and more understanding and more sympathy and more listening, not not just like a throwaway judgment. And i'm you know I'm not saying that that's what anyone has done in in your case, but I've I mean, I've seen it on the the dreadful news outlet that we have in this country, GB News. i've I've seen presenters refer to veganism as an eating disorder in a really dismissive way. And I just kind of think, even if you think that, you need to approach that subject with sensitivity and tact and understanding. Otherwise, you're just making it worse.
00:31:17
Speaker
Yeah, and actually it's not bad because of, I mean, they they're trying to insult veganism, but actually what what ah what they are harming is people with an eating disorder.
00:31:27
Speaker
Because when you have an eating disorder, I'm telling you, your mind, once you realize you have an eating disorder, which is the first point to reach, once you realize that, your mind is full of clutter.
00:31:41
Speaker
you You don't know who to listen to. You don't know who you truly are. You don't know if your your thoughts are truly yours. And when people say, no, no, no, veganism is an eating disorder. What?
00:31:53
Speaker
I mean, it it it only helps to start or keep building that clutter, which is not helpful to the to the people with that they are sick. So if you want to go vegan and you don't have an eating disorder and you're you're perfectly fine. You're going to be go vegan. It doesn't matter what the the TV presenter says or whoever says. I mean, in my case, the the health professionals, I think what they told me that just out of their ignorance about veganism, because I remember when they were when they were trying to make me drink milk, one of the nurses, that she she just told me, you know what? Imagine that you your child
00:32:33
Speaker
needs some blood transfusion, but you are a Mormon and you are not allowed to to give them the blood. Would you would you listen to the Mormons community or would you give your child the blood? And I remember my just just making the comparison just for me to drink milk. And I remember my my answer was straight away like,
00:32:55
Speaker
Do you know that you are taking the blood from someone who didn't give it to you? she was She was just thinking about nutrients or products again, but she was not thinking about where the milk came from. It's like, I needed calcium, not milk. So I got it from another source. But the problem is that they were they did not know or they did not have that connection between the the thing and the living being that that thing came from. Yeah.
00:33:26
Speaker
and and And so much of this, like you say, does come down to education and and and people's knowledge. and And very often it's it's not people's fault if they if they don't know things. I mean, sometimes people can bury their head in the sand and and choose not to listen. Yeah. But but actually, it's it's not necessarily a medical professional's fault or a family member's fault if they don't yet know things. And it's it's why all issues um you know need more education. But if we're just looking from ah a vegan lens and a plant-based nutrition lens, it's why it's so great. I mean, like I don't know whether you have similar organizations in Spain, but we have plant-based health professionals in the UK as as an organization. They do a a great podcast. and And part of that is, well... not just part of it, I think pretty much the whole of it is to is to help educate people so that people who want to help can help and are not
00:34:24
Speaker
and not just needlessly saying, here, have this call class one carcinogen. That's that's what you need for your nutrition. It's like, no no no no, no, no, that's a terrible idea. Like if someone needs, like you say, if someone needs protein, they need protein. They don't need sausage or bacon or or even chickpeas. You know, if if we want to be completely neutral, like what they need is protein. And they're then you can talk about different ways, can't you?
Maintaining Veganism in Social Contexts
00:34:49
Speaker
i have a I have a question in terms of what fuels and sustains your life as a vegan now. I'm hearing like lots of determination and like your your morals and your your kind of ethical standpoint. i'm I'm imagining that's a big, if not the biggest part of what helps keep you going as a vegan because it's it's hard, isn't it you know it It can be a hard thing in non-vegan world to be vegan apart from that sheer bloody-minded determination that you clearly have it's fantastic and it's admirable what what else helps you sort of day-to-day week-to-week just being a being an everyday vegan In my case, the thing is, when I see an animal product, I see an animal. I don't see, I mean, just forget the the word product when it comes to to animals. I mean, yeah people, they might see like, ah I don't know, of any sort of steak or sausage. I see like... a
00:35:48
Speaker
just a dead animal and the fact that people they can put it in their kitchens in their fridge and then in their mouths it's not only sad because all that involves it's also kind of disgusting for me so for me it's just remembering that whatever you you see or maybe you you crave it it was an animal and it's living and you don't need to hurt anybody to to feel yourself to be happy. i mean, for me, it's like if you can live your your life, if you can go to bed without hurting others, why do so? Yes, it really is as simple as that, isn't it? Yeah, no, I like that. I like that. Can I ask the the people in your life, whether it's family, friends, co-workers, things like that, how are they responding to being vegan? Because we all you know We all have ah those who are on side with it, maybe some will follow in our footsteps, and then there are those that just don't and will maybe have make a pointed remark here or there. What's what's your balance like at the moment?
00:36:54
Speaker
Well, at work, it's never been easy. Actually, when when I start the when i start a job or when someone new comes to my to my workplace, I always wait a bit till i till I tell them that I'm vegan. Like, for example, last time a new guy started in my office and i I told him that I was vegan when he was already two months at the office because I want to i want them to see me like a person first and then...
00:37:24
Speaker
they can't put the the vegan label on it. Because unfortunately, there's a ton of prejudice on vegans. So, oh no, she oh she's weird because of she's vegan or she's dressed in black because she's vegan or whatever they they think. I mean, people people, they don't know about veganism. They don't want to look what what is because in the back of their minds, they know they should go vegan as well. So they they don't want to... to do some research. So I prefer them to, to know me first and then wait for that uncomfortable silence when I tell them that I'm vegan. And yeah, but no, when when I, when I say that I'm vegan, they just know, okay, she's the weird one. She doesn't eat animals. And whenever, when people bring things from their birthdays or for Christmas, she's not going to eat anything. And, and that's it with my family.
00:38:20
Speaker
I mean, they know I'm quite black or white, so they knew i was going to be vegan. And when it comes to Christmas,
00:38:31
Speaker
For example, when when we all sit together for for lunch or any Sunday meal, I always try to cook because I know my mom doesn't like to cook. So I always like, I'm going to cook. So I take my chat. I'm not a big cooker during the weekdays, I have to say. it But whenever there's a chance to make people eat vegan, I make my best so they they can have a great lunch without...
00:38:54
Speaker
with without animal products. So yeah, around my around around me, all the people, they they yeah I think they just see me like the weight one, like she she she's a vegan, but they they think it's not something that is has nothing to do with them.
00:39:12
Speaker
I mean, I think most of the people, unfortunately, when they know a vegan, They think, oh, they may, they might think it's good. They might think it's bad, but they don't think it has nothing to do with them, unfortunately. And it's great that every day there's more vegan options in the restaurants. There's more vegan podcasts to, to, to spread the word, to, to let the the world know what, what veganism actually is. And they, everyone can go vegan and everyone should go vegan actually.
00:39:43
Speaker
Yeah, I was going to, you you mentioned um in terms of like there being more more food options and and things like that. Are you still living in a rural environment or like more of ah an urban town city? No, actually, once I moved back to Spain, I started living in cities. But if you go from some parts in Spain, for example, now I'm living in Valencia, which is great because it's a big city and you have plenty of vegan restaurants. But for example, if you go to another city, like for the one I'm from, which is more in the north, it's not that easy. But It's slowly getting easier, or at least if you say to the waiter or waitress, like, can you make me something without animal products? they they They know what you mean. Like, when I remember when I first became vegetarian, when you say, without animal products, oh, with fish.
00:40:35
Speaker
No, no, no, no, no. Fish is an animal. But no, but it it's it's becoming easier. But yeah, I'm living in cities in the in the past, 10 years I've been living in cities and yeah, it's easier. But even even in even in rural areas, for example, in my village, they know I'm vegan. One of the good things about going out of the closet, I said to everyone that I was vegan. And you know, now even in the only shop that is in my village, they sell soy milk. I made my mom to to the to the soy milk team. So yeah, great.
Advice for New Vegans
00:41:10
Speaker
Yay. more seeds germinating that's yeah that's great that's great to finish off with elena what advice would you give to somebody who's starting their vegan journey now at the start of 2025 or is considering it i mean you've already given it a whole load of nuggets that they can take away with them but if you were if you were just with them for 30 seconds what what would you say Well, be kind to yourself.
00:41:37
Speaker
Do not punish yourself too much if you made a mistake or you eat any animal products by mistake. And also just remember why you are doing it. Always remember that you are not doing it for yourself. You are doing it for others that they have no choice. So remember that they have no voice. So you'll have to be theirs. wise words, wise words to add to all the other wise words you've, you've given us that. Thank you again for, for sharing, obviously your, your whole story, but also with those, those specifics with, with regards to those, those challenges with, with your health. I know there's a lot of people who will, will take a lot from that. And I, I guess it's, it's fair to say, you know, we, we've been listening to your story and everybody's story is different. And, you know, I've, I've known people who've,
00:42:29
Speaker
had a disordered eating and have chosen to start consuming animal products again. And, you know, i I don't know anybody who would who would criticize them for doing so. And I don't think that's what you've been saying. It's just just knowing that actually it is possible and that that recovery is possible, isn't it?
00:42:47
Speaker
in In a vegan way. And thankfully, there's more and more educated people who can who can help with that. Is there anything else that you wanted to say on that? Because i I'm wary that I've just put my words on that, but it might be might be better to hear that message from you, Elena. to to all the people that they went back to eat animal products because of an eating disorder well they the good thing about life is not linear so they can always go to veganism again so i mean once you go out of the
00:43:19
Speaker
vegan path don't worry we will welcome you again and more than welcome so yeah and to anyone who's struggling with an eating disorder just remember to to be kind so not only to yourself to to others as well so to contribute to the kindness in the world not to the suffering so stop suffering yourself and stop making others suffer which is the good thing brilliant elena thank you so very much for your time thank you and
00:43:53
Speaker
This has been an Enough of the Falafel production.
Closing and Future Content
00:43:56
Speaker
We're just a normal bunch of everyday vegans putting our voices out there. The show is hosted by Zencaster.
00:44:03
Speaker
We use music and special effects by zapsplap.com. And sometimes, if you're lucky, at the end of an episode, you'll hear a poem by Mr Dominic Berry. Thanks all for listening, and see you next time.
00:44:34
Speaker
This episode may have come to an end, but did you know we've got a whole archive containing all our shows dating back to September 2023? twenty twenty three That is right, Dominic. There's over 100 episodes on there featuring our brilliant range of different guests, people's stories of going vegan, philosophical debates, moral quandaries, and of course, around a dozen news items from around the world each week. So check back on your podcast player, to hear previous episodes. And remember to get an alert for each new episode, simply click like or follow and also subscribe to the show.
00:45:09
Speaker
Thanks for your ongoing support wherever you listen to us from.