I wouldn’t have thought of being vegan

Enis is from Istanbul and a Health and Social Sciences Vocational School Instructor.

Meatless Movement recently had a chance to chat with him.

Tell us more about yourself, please

My name is Enis Akay. I am 35 years old. I am from İstanbul, Turkey. I am academic personal in Istanbul Vocational School of Health and Social Sciences. I am actively involved in sports. I am especially interested in the sport of running and cycling. I am a trail runner and I run at levels of 10-40 km. My dream is to run an Ultramarathon (100 km, or even 100 miles).

But I realized the things I avoided watching and reading. This is how I became vegan
Enis Akay

I have been vegetarian for almost 5 years and vegan for the last 3 years. Before I became vegan, I was very overweight and sedentary. Due to my liver disease, the doctor suggested that I switch to a Mediterranean cuisine (fish and olive oil weighted) diet.

I had already given up processed products (sausage, salami, hamburger). A very close friend of mine also became vegan with her husband and they recommended me to watch the documentary “What The Health” and read the book “Why Do People Become Vegan- Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton “.

I’m sorry if you are an animal lover too, but you have to watch those videos.

“Why Do People Become Vegan- Gary L. Francione & Anna Charlton”

As I watched the documentary, I decided to go vegan. However, I was able to last 5-6 months. Afterward, it took me 2 years to decide to become vegan again and after all, I have been living a vegan life for the last 3 years.

What are some challenges faced by a vegan?

Not really, but I have a lot of funny questions. For example, don’t you eat fish either? You don’t eat honey either?

When I became vegan, at first I was living in Bursa, which is a smaller city than Istanbul, and I had a hard time finding a vegan place or explaining what veganism was to restaurants. In this way, I learned to cook my own food and started to carry my food with me.

Your decision will be good for you as well as the world. Thanks 🙂
Enis Akay

When I became vegan, I also actively started running. I became more fit and healthy with both. But beyond weakening, my conscience is clear.

As I got to know veganism, I realized that the issue is not just plant-based nutrition, but a deeper one. Such as the use of animals in experiments, industrial animal cruelty, and nature destruction. I prefer to personally oppose these harms by living a vegan life.

The biggest misconception is that vegans don’t get enough protein
Enis Akay

I get asked a lot of questions about this too. The important thing is that legumes should definitely be in your diet. But most importantly, you should provide variety in nutrition. When you eat a regular and balanced diet, you can easily do your sports.

Do not be prejudiced. Realize that you can also eat one’s fill with plant-based foods. For this reason, they should give vegan products a chance. Also, Turkish cuisine is very lucky in this regard. Many of our butter-free, meat-free traditional meals are actually vegan foods.

After moving to Istanbul, I have been luckier in finding a vegan cafe/restaurant.
Enis Akay

My favorite place in Istanbul lately; the “Vegan Masa” restaurant which makes vegan traditional Turkish dishes such as kebab and lahmacun. Another is “Kafe Na Sanat Kafe”, which makes vegan souflé in Beşiktaş, Istanbul. Finally, Vatka Kafe, in Istanbul Kadıköy, where falafel burgers and apple tarts are great.

Take your time, you can start getting meatless by slowly researching and reading plenty of resources. You can follow accounts giving recipes and giving tips about veganism on social media.