The things that I do for Eastside… Last year: an appearance makeover. This year: an appetite makeover. For three weeks, I immersed myself into being a vegan—a task that offered me quite a change in perspective.

Although I have been a vegetarian for four-and-a-half years, being vegan, I realized, is completely different. In addition to not eating meat, poultry or fish, veganism expands into the prohibition of dairy products and eggs. I did not realize the extent to which these restrictions meant. They meant more expensive grocery store trips, more reading of ingredients than ever before, more having my life revolve around food than to my liking.

While before the experiment I thought veganism was a little ridiculous, at least now I have gained the experience to know what it is like to live as a vegan. Part of what justified my prior thoughts is the fact that despite veganism’s efforts to live au naturel, many of the products offered in grocery stores that were marketed as vegan-friendly included many chemicals in the ingredients that sort of defeated the purpose of being a more natural lifestyle.

Overall, I’m glad I participated, but one thing’s for sure: I sure missed cheese.