Veganism & How It Almost Destroyed My Best Friend’s Life

Considering two of my best friends were vegan for over a year, I should know how vegans live and what they eat. Yet, I am still surprised how a vegan can live how they do. This is not a story of how veganism can save lives, but one of how it almost destroyed my friend’s.

My friend Caitlin had eaten meat all her life. She was known for her love of chicken nuggets. One day, right before freshman year, Caitlin announced that she had decided to go vegan. Her reasoning? She had accidentally stumbled upon a video on YouTube about how burgers were made. That did it for her. Caitlin began her vegan career strong and happy. Along our other friend, Lauren, Caitlin thrived on tofu and veggies for months. She was the happiest she could be.

Then, cross country season started. Caitlin was known in our friend group for being the most athletic. She would go from sport to sport when we were younger, resting out which one worked for her. I remember when it was soccer then volleyball then lacrosse for a little while. Going into high school, she decided running would be her sport. She was excited for the season to start and at the same time, she wasn’t killing any animals.

The season started and very quickly, Caitlin began to notice some differences. After races, she began to feel more tired than usual. Doing the simplest of tasks would make her feel like she had just run a marathon. Caitlin soon decided that it was time for her to see a doctor. As an athlete, that doctor probably delivered the worst news to her. She was anemic. And when I say anemic, I mean really anemic. This put her out of some races, which devastated her. Throughout the whole period, she still ate vegan.

To put a long story short, Caitlin eventually had to give up veganism in order to keep running. It was a tough decision, but in the end her health and her love for running won.

David Foster Wallace asked in “Consider The Lobster” if it was “right to boil a sentient creature alive for our gustatory pleasure” (Wallace) and destroy an animal’s life for our own pleasure. But in Caitlin’s case, is it okay to give up our own health to abide to society’s pressure to not eat animals? Veganism has risen in trends over the past decade but has it done more harm than good?

It’s the same incentive as Wallace’s piece. We must think about the choices we make and examine what’s best for us. If anyone was wondering, Caitlin is still running and this time, she has iron pills and chicken to help her stay healthy.