This lifestyle has also shown me that even sweets can be healthy if made from the right ingredients. Thank you!

Please tell us more about yourself

I’m Dóri, I live in Budapest, Hungary. I work in HR, and in addition, I am also a freelance Dutch language teacher and translator. In my free time, I really enjoy baking, cooking, reading, exercising, traveling, spending time with my loved ones and learning about healthy lifestyle and plant-based diet.

In December 2022, I switched to a plant-based diet. It was a long and difficult journey before I encountered this lifestyle, but I can say it was love at first sight/experience, and not to mention, thanks to the plant-based diet, my health problems were also resolved.

Let’s go back to the beginning, to how I got to this lifestyle change. For many years, various health issues had made my daily life difficult: hair, skin, and digestive problems, a constant feeling of abdominal discomfort, often accompanied by severe stomach cramps.

This was further complicated by significant weight loss, despite my appetite growing larger, and sometimes I felt like I was eating all day long. Meanwhile, I was going from doctor to doctor, and after many months and tests, it was discovered that I had problems with digestion and absorption, and I was also sensitive to certain food groups. However, the targeted diets offered as solutions didn’t bring any improvement; in fact, the complaints only intensified.

Then one day, while cooking, I was listening to a podcast where they always approached healthy living from different angles, but one of their main topics was nutrition, digestion, and gut health. As they analyzed the problems in the episode, I recognized myself in them. They clearly recommended a plant-based diet as the best method to heal the body, so I began reading more on the subject, and I also consulted the expert from the podcast.

After a thorough examination, they also recommended a transition to a plant-based diet, at least for a period of three months. By the second week, I knew that for me, this wouldn’t just last for three months but would become my life—a great love that I never want to live without.

As soon as I started a plant-based diet, within just a week, I felt an amount of energy and freshness that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced in my life. At least, I couldn’t remember the last time I had this much energy—it had been so long. Before that, I was constantly battling both mental and physical fatigue. Even after waking up, my limbs felt heavy for hours, and if I tried to do any physical activity during that time, I was guaranteed to feel unwell.

But after switching, I was suddenly filled with energy and strength, even if I hadn’t slept well or had little sleep for some reason. My face smoothed out, the dark circles under my eyes disappeared, and I became more balanced and calm. Then, after a few months, I suddenly noticed that the discomfort in my stomach was gone, my digestion problems had disappeared, my weight gradually returned to normal, and my skin and hair issues also started to improve. I healed thanks to this wonderful lifestyle, and I feel better in my own skin than ever before. I love that I’m always bursting with energy, and I wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything.

In the beginning, it was difficult for my family to get used to the fact that I no longer eat what they do, but they accepted it relatively easily and were fortunately open-minded. For example, my mom is now a real pro at preparing vegan meals, and she always makes something special for me when I visit them. My dad, seeing the positive changes I went through, also switched to a plant-based diet and aside from a few exceptions, he now eats this way about 90-95% of the time.

Since I live in the capital, Budapest, I’m in a lucky position because it’s easy to get the necessary ingredients for home cooking, and it’s also easy when I want to go out and eat. Many restaurants now offer at least one or two vegan options, and more and more exclusively vegan places are opening, offering a wide variety of delicious dishes.

The only time I sometimes face difficulties is during trips or travels. It’s not always easy to find a restaurant that has options for me, and there have been occasions when all I could eat was a plate of fries. Unfortunately, I’ve also had negative experiences with unfriendly servers who, instead of being helpful, reacted rudely to requests like leaving out the cheese or replacing the sauce with a non-dairy option. But aside from these few unpleasant experiences, I think it’s generally becoming easier to be a vegan.

I’ve never felt this good before. The explosive energy I experience day after day is one of the most wonderful feelings. On top of that, I’m eating the most delicious food—I’ve discovered such a range of flavors and ingredients that I can’t even understand how I lived without this culinary experience, or how I was ever satisfied with the way I ate before switching to a plant-based diet.

Looking back, I see how monotonous it was, even though many people think it’s the plant-based diet that’s boring. Everyone’s first question is, ‘But what do you eat? No milk? No eggs? So what do you eat? Isn’t it boring? Do you just eat vegetables by themselves?’ and similar things.

This is the part of being vegan I don’t like. I don’t like that I always get the same judgmental questions, and sometimes there are malicious remarks like, ‘You’ll get sick, you won’t have any energy, just wait and see…’ But this diet is exactly what heals—it’s thanks to this that I got better, do you need more proof?

I don’t like that I feel I constantly have to explain myself, and that I often feel ashamed when I ask somewhere if a dish contains dairy, or if something can be ordered without cheese, or if an ingredient can be replaced with something else.

Often, I see raised eyebrows and strange looks from the other person. In the beginning, everyone asked me how long I intended to keep up this strict diet, this self-denial, because it’s awful to have to live this way. I felt so hurt and attacked at those moments that I could have burst into tears right away. It hurt because they didn’t understand that this is not a fad or some crazy idea, it’s not a strict diet, but my new lifestyle, which has no expiration date, and for me, this is normal.

I don’t plan to return to a lifestyle that is considered normal and accepted by most people just to please others, because I won’t forget that it’s what made me sick in the long run, and I want to stay healthy! This is how I feel good.

I generally only like to make recommendations on this topic when specifically asked, because most people tend to take it as a personal attack, and I want to avoid anyone thinking that I’m trying to convert them. In Hungary, meat consumption is quite high, and traditional Hungarian cuisine is made up of fatty, meat-heavy dishes. So, if someone finds out that you reject these, it’s easy to become the subject of ridicule.

However, if someone is genuinely interested in the topic, I’m more than happy to help, offer advice, and share ideas. First, I’d probably talk a little about why a plant-based diet is beneficial and what positive health effects it has. At the same time, I’d gently point out the dangers of meat consumption.

If they’ve never tried a vegan dish before, I’d recommend a great place that I know could inspire them to incorporate similar meals into their daily life. Additionally, I’d share the websites that helped me when I first transitioned, where they can find simple recipes and tips.

I’d also mention that it’s not as difficult to find the ingredients as they might think, since most supermarkets now stock almost everything—you just have to keep your eyes open.

food

If someone visits Budapest, they can easily find great vegan spots. I would highlight a few of my personal favorites, such as Vegazzi, Vegan Garden, herBar, and Tökmag.

I love Italian cuisine, so that’s mostly what I cook at home, but I also really enjoy various Asian dishes.

Additionally, making raw vegan cakes has become a real passion of mine. I’ve always had a sweet tooth, but I’ve never eaten such delicious desserts until I discovered this world.