After 30 years of eating meat Jas decided to truly live and breathe her morals and ethics. Surviving challenging moments in her life she wanted to live authentically starting with her diet. Making the decision that harming living beings no longer aligned with her purpose and ethics. It was no longer enough to just feel sad about it change was necessary. Meatless Movement recently had a chat with her.
She told Meatless Movement that throughout her journey of self awareness came about a plant based diet, self love and generally raising her vibration to truly align with her purpose to live a more content life.
Please tell us more about yourself
My journey to living more consciously, sustainably and my diet to veganism.
Jas
Hi I’m Jas im born and bred in the U.K. My descent is of Punjab, Northern India which is known to be the bread basket of India and its for its farming. My Grandad migrated to the UK in the 50’s after the war, he’s the reason me and my family are living in England. I’m very appreciative and grateful for his sacrifices to allow his family to have a strong foundation in life which has given me opportunities to have a great start.
I’m one of two siblings. I’m very close to my Mother who is my best friend. I grew up on her Indian cooking which utilises fresh ingredients often vegetables so I’ve always had an interest in food and flavours.
In terms of my career I have been a fashion buyer for most of it. I am a creative at heart so it’s been a very passionate job to have. I have put my all into it and at times it has been very demanding. I have gotten to see first hand the impact of this sector on the environment on such a mass scale globally. Therefore sustainability has always been an interest of mine.
I’ve been taking self love to the extreme even with my diet
Jas
I stopped eating meat in February 2020. Before this time I had attempted to stop eating meat but would often retreat. The main reason I stopped eating meat was because I loved animals and I felt like a hypocrite that I was eating them. I also wanted to do the right thing for my health.
I’m Asthmatic and I wanted to cut down on diary too. I was born into the Sikh religion and not eating meat is something that is part of it so it also helped me feel closer to my faith.
Nourishment… being mindful of what you eat is half the battle
Jas
I often get asked why I stopped eating meat and how I did it. I would say that I did it in a phases. I stopped eating meat first along with replacing cows milk with almond milk. I allowed myself to continue to eat fish and eggs during this time. However the goal was to always go fully plant based but I think it’s really important for people to know that it doesn’t matter how you get there and you shouldn’t be judged for your journey.
Living in England is really great to be vegan now there are so many choices both in supermarkets, takeouts and restaurants. However it is still challenging I have often had to have meals that are really strange such as just ordering bread or fries If the menu doesn’t support plant based options. I think being Indian it has made it easier as there are so many plant-based options I particularly like eating Dosa which is a south Indian savoury pancake with a potato filling and it is also gluten-free so it’s just perfect for me.
Vegans eat good
Jas
I am always recommending delicious vegan versions of what meat eaters adore such as cheeseburgers and hotdogs. Often I find that they are shocked to realise how good the alternatives actually taste. The combination of flavouring from sauces and fillings are often what makes your meal taste great even if it’s not real meat! Which is why vegan alternatives taste almost the same!
One of the first vegan burgers I tried was at a local spot called Huns. It was the first time I had eaten anything like it since not eating meat and it was so delicious pictures attached it includes a plant based southern style gravy which is so good. As I’ve mentioned before I also really enjoy eating a masala Dosa it’s South Indian and it’s just really nice light weight pancake and you can often find various fillings to go with it.
I think what’s been really great has been the journey I have had blogging on Instagram I have now been connecting with so many vegans worldwide it really is powerful.
I often get asked what is in vegan alternatives such as beyond burger for example and my answer to that would be at least no animals have been hurt. I think it is quite easy to start eating more processed food when you are vegan however once you are more familiar with home-made recipes it becomes easier with time. the key is just to be easy on yourself during the transition.
My suggestion would be to be easy on yourself and perhaps go in phases so you aren’t going in Stone cold. Cut down how much you eat in week, ensure that you are prepping your meals in advance so you don’t become frustrated.
Become familiar with recipes online or even if you have to rely on meatless packaged meals for a while. It can also be good to do it with a friend or a family member so you have some motivation. There is a large community of plant based people online that you can interact with and share ideas with.
When you reflect on the decision you made you will feel very proud of yourself and you won’t look back. When you start to associate food with what it truly is it does become less challenging to go meatless.
Do something today that your future self will thank you for
Jas
I am so very proud of myself. I want to leave this world knowing I did my bit and I also feel really close to the universe in someway because I know I’m doing my bit not to harm it.
I hope that being vegan is no longer an exception but the majority since sustainability is such an important factor for the future to maintain the world in which we live. There are so many options out there I often struggle to understand why people are still eating meat. I think it’s more habit than anything.
Sustainability is such an overlooked issue that will impact everyone. If you can’t stop eating meat for the compassionate reasons Of not harming animals ultimately the resources required to maintain the way the world currently operates is not feasible therefore something has to change.
There are so many dietary options now and I would encourage everyone to at least explore the idea even if it’s cutting down less meat than you already do as it’s a great start and every little helps. Everyone evolves at their own pace and I wish you well on your journey. If you are interested please follow my Instagram account where I blog my conscious lifestyle @jaspiration__
Read her follow-up interview below
Jas 🌱🇬🇧🇮🇳
For creative expression.
Self love. Sustainability. Vegan.
British Punjabi in KSA 📍🇸🇦
all images courtesy of Jas