In 1989, I went vegan. I jumped into all the “vegan” food you could imagine. The cookies, cakes, veggie burgers, potato chips, French fries—you name it and I chewed on it. And I preached that the downfall of man was due to consuming that dreaded, putrefied animal flesh. I must admit, those were fun days—until I became more enlightened!
Aside from staying away from animal products, being vegan also means you’re allowed to consume tons of mass-manufactured veggie products, laced with chemicals and additives.
You’ve probably never heard of most of them, nor can you buy them at your local grocery store. They’re all legal to use, yet could produce extremely negative results in the long run. For instance, have you ever knowingly cooked with emulsifiers, stabilizers, sequestrants, gelling agents, thickeners, anti-foaming agents, bulking agents, carriers, carrier solvents, emulsifying salts, firming agents, flavor enhancers, flour-treatment agents, foaming agents, glazing agents, humectants, desiccants, propellants, raising agents, flavor carriers and binders?
They’re all used to create sensations and taste experiences for “mass-produced food” that could be labeled “vegan.”
Therefore, I prefer to think of myself as a fresh produce eater. Yes, I eat tidbits of “vegan” food now and then, but it’s not the norm.
The first aisle of the supermarket is where I get most of my sustenance. I prefer to be a whole food plant-based eater or what I might call a “First Aisler.” When you become a First Aisler, you naturally avoid all the aforementioned additives and chemicals and you consume mostly what nature has provided—and nature knows best.
The more percentage of your food that comes from the first aisle, the better you will be!
