Sassy Alert! I woke up on the sassy part of the bed today (it happens sometimes) and my ardent animal activist is out in full force today. I am usually quite a mellow little vegan, but not today! You've been warned.

Getting back in the swing of things after my unfortunate week off has been tough. I had a spectacular cookie recipe all lined up, but I forgot to edit and upload the photos! So, it'll have to be saved for tomorrow instead I suppose. But that's okay because I have a different sort of post for today.

Photo by the exceptionally talented Todd.

It's been a little over one year since I became vegan and it's honestly been one of the happiest decisions of my life. It's brought Todd and me so much joy and peace with regards to our health and mental wellness. I thought I'd share some changes in my life since going plant-based.

Changes I've noticed since becoming vegan.

Some occurred instantaneously and some took some time to notice.

- There's been some concern with relation to my excessive consumption of nutritional yeast. I've been encouraged to research if one can consume too much of the stuff (conclusion...no). NOOCH BELONGS ON EVERYTHING! No joke. It's cheesy, a complete protein, packed with B-12, and I'm fairly certain they put crack in it. Todd told me I should just contact the distributor so I can get it in super bulk quantities.

- I now find animal meat completely repulsive. Physically it grosses me out. Having grown up in Alaska, I wasn't sure that would ever happen to me, but it has. The connection has been made... it's really been made. Seriously, I imagine that a particular chicken once stood, afraid, and cramped in shockingly horrendous conditions before being slaughtered every time I see a cooked chicken leg.

- I used to cough in the mornings. Every morning. For years and years. Since I've been vegan that's gone away. I now know the culprit was dairy. So, bye-bye apocalypse size bottle of Zyrtec. Unfortunately, my allergies to Bobbledore haven't gone away....I still have my eye drops for that!

- My friends and family eat more vegan products and less animal products (at least when I'm around), woot woot! Eating more fruits and vegetables? Words patients have been ignoring from their doctors and/or nutritionists for a long time now. Now you should be able to say, "Yes!"

- If a friend or family member mentions a recipe or dish that they made or enjoyed that contains animal products, I don't fake it any longer and go "Ooo, that sounds so good!" Because it doesn't. I'm not cool with having an animal die simply because I want beef tacos (lentil tacos are way better anyways, fo real). There's nothing good about milk and if you people don't believe me then they should march down to the commercial dairy farm where that milk they bought was produced. Seriously...this isn't the 1950's anymore. We know there's really nothing good about cow's milk, in fact quite the opposite. Be an informed consumer and see the research here at NutritionFacts.org

- I seriously haven't had to see my primary care doctor since I've been vegan. I was a frequent flyer before. I was always sick. Colds, flus, bronchitis, strep, pneumonia....straight up. You should know that my place of employment is a hospital. I am constantly around plaque monkeys. Last week a little girl coughed in my face at point blank range. Yep. Still not sick though! I'm invincible!! Okay, maybe not...there was a visit to the Urgent Care, but that was non-food related as you may know if you follow me on social media. Don't worry, I know I'll get sick eventually...but I'll be damned if I've not had a single cough for over a year now.

- My hair isn't straw-like anymore. For real. It wasn't pretty. Plus, it seems to have been growing faster too. I attribute this to lots of avocado, nuts, and seeds.

- I don't count calories anymore. I just eat healthily (most of the time). Calories, fat, and carbs no longer linger on my brain. Plus, I've lost a cool 10-15 lbs. and ain't nothing wrong with that.

- Our pantry is full of all kinds of things I would have never tried if I hadn't become vegan. Nutritional yeast, millet, adzuki beans, kombu, etc. Playing with new food sure can be fun, and hey, variety is the spice of life! Red quinoa, TVP, and millet...oh my!

- I experiment with fermenting and sprouting, something I might not have done before becoming vegan. Almond milk kefir, lacto-fermented veggies, water kefir, mung bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts..some have been more successful than others. I can't wait to try my hand at plant-based yogurt and cheese!

- I feel inclusive and welcomed into a community of like minded people who share the same values and ethics. There's not a lot that feels better than being accepted. Even for an awkward, antisocial little monster like myself.

- I care more. I'm more compassionate and my decisions are more thought-out. Instead of thinking how something will impact only me, I think about how it will impact animals, people, and the planet. It's important to think beyond yourself. We are all connected to this earth and everything on it. We all need to work on being less egocentric.

- I'm an animal advocate. People are curious about me being vegan and they want to know more. This provides a great opportunity to speak up for animals and boast the joys and gratification not contributing to animal abuse!

- My mind is clear and my conscious is free from the guilt of contributing to the harm of animals and of our planet as well. You vote for the kind of world you want every time you lift a fork. I want to be happier, healthier, and for no animals to be harmed and I'm voting for that everyday!

- I'm happier, healthier, and more at peace. It's as plain and simple as that. Try it!

Hi! Since I've not been cooking at all due to the move (trust me...we had pasta with microwaved spinach and jarred sauce yesterday okay?) I thought it would be a good time to share a few fun photos from our Boston trip! This was taken from the convention center in downtown Boston. Big city for a country girl! #cityformiles

A gift from Todd's family for my birthday. They know my hoarding tendencies obsession with local grocery store bags. This one is from the Westside Market in Cleveland, where I've been several times. #givemeallthebags

In the Commons in downtown Boston. Apparently I was telling a very interesting story. I'm pretty sure I was ranting about how people shouldn't feed ducks bread because it's bad for them. #whatanag #savetheducks