As promised, I will be sharing my recent experience of being a Vegan for 10 consecutive days. Now, the first reaction I get whenever I tell anyone about my vegan diet is surprise/shock/amazement and the common question “Why? Is it for religious or health reasons?” naturally pops up.

If you have known me for some time, you would most likely express the same sentiment. I was what you would consider a “carnivore”. I hated vegetables and would painstakingly pick them out from my food before I start eating. So you can imagine the look on my friends' faces when I told them about the vegan diet!

My dramatic change came about due to a combination of compelling reasons. As mentioned previously, I was introduced to the Health Wealth Paradox and it was a wake-up call. I realized that in the pursuit of my financial goals, I was neglecting my health and subjecting my body to overwhelming stress and abuse. “You don't love yourself!” my good friend, Jimmy said to me one day, after yet another gastric attack. That was when it hit me.

It was time for me to take massive corrective action.

I went online to do research on vegan diets, juicing and detoxification and decided there and then to embark on a new diet free of meat, eggs and dairy products for at least 10 days.

The first 3 days were all right. I had different fruit and vegetable juices in place of my usual meals and even started an exercise routine. Temptation kicked in on the 4th day, which was also the day I met the beautiful girl at the ice-skating rink. I met up with Jimmy for dinner and found out the food court we were at did not serve vegetarian food. Reframing the experience, I told myself, “Great, there is a HUGE opportunity here!”

We went ice-skating and I forgot all about my hunger (Maybe it was because of the chance encounter with Miss Ice Skating – yes, I still don't know her name yet). Then as Jimmy and I were leaving, we walked past two fast-food restaurants. There they were – KFC on the left and McDonald's on the right. The smell of fried chicken and burgers filled the air and it was just so tempting. That was really a test of my perseverance. “Resist!” I walked quickly towards the exit as I imagined myself having a healthy bowl of salad with ice-skating gal.

My Good Friend, Jimmy. Why didn't I snap a pic of the ice-skating girl?

By the 7th day, I was more or less used to my vegan diet. I met up with Ashley and her hubby in Sentosa to walk their two lovely dogs. They invited me over to their cosy home in Pasir Ris and we had dinner by the beach with 2 more friends. Ashley, being the darling that she is, cooked me a delicious vegetarian meal (celery + carrots) after our official dinner at the western food restaurant, where I couldn't touch most of the food except a small plate of vegetarian spring roll. It was great to have supportive friends like Ashley around, who helped me stick to my self-imposed vegan diet.

Ashley and her two lovely dogs, Emmie and Louis at Sentosa

On the 9th day, I was faced with another challenge. I had dinner with my parents and they ordered some tantalizing food I couldn't take. The popcorn chicken and seafood spread were really, really tempting. It was another test. Thankfully, my parents were very understanding as well and we managed to get some vegetarian dishes to be shared.

On the last day, I kept reminding myself that I did it, I was so proud of myself. It was really an accomplishment for me.

Reflecting on my 10-day Vegan Diet experience, I realized that I am so blessed because I have such supportive people around me, who helped me stay true to my goal. It was also a tough test of my endurance and perseverance and I now know that my will-power is stronger than ever before. I am going to pay more attention to my health now so that I can lead a richer, better and balanced life.

If you would like to internalize what I have just shared, here's my challenge to you: Start on your own 10-day Vegan Diet and discover the magic for yourself!

You might also be interested in…

• Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet
• Living Vegan For Dummies
• The Vegan Lifestyle: Your Guide To Eating, Living, And Adapting To A Healthy Vegan Diet And Lifestyle
• Juice Fasting and Detoxification: Use the Healing Power of Fresh Juice to Feel Young and Look Great
• The Raw Food Detox Diet: The Five-Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Maximum Weight Loss
• Addictive Health Program

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