The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

43| The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,M ay 3,2018 theifp.ca I have moderate gluten and dairy sensitivities and virtually no self-control when it comes to food. Pass the pizza and make it extra cheesy is pretty much my life mantra. I also live to dig in to a good rack of ribs. It's not a pretty sight, but such is life. Last week, I got a little gutsy and did what would likely be a meat and cheese lover's ultimate nightmare: I went vegan and documented it. And I was pleasantly surprised. What I ate Before I went grocery shopping, I consulted a pro. Amanda Li, registered dietitian and chef at Georgetown's Wellness Simplified, says the first step to staying healthy and full when eating a vegan diet is properly pairing your proteins. She says she recommends vegans choose two types of pro- tein from the following categories for each meal: grains, nuts and seeds and legumes. The second aspect, Li says, is to make sure to consume leafy greens, which are high in calcium and iron (among other nu- trients). "Eat at least one per day, and I would recom- mend you eat it cooked, es- pecially if you are a new vegan, because you don't want to have digestive is- sues when it comes to breaking down the food," she added. Li says to also remem- ber to add healthy fats to your diet, and for those eating a vegan diet long- term, it's important to take vitamin B and B-12 supplements, or to drink fortified beverages that have these vitamins add- ed. B vitamins are usually attained through eggs and fatty fish, which aren't part of a vegan diet. I purchased vegetables, legumes, vegan bread, to- fu, veggie burgers and some vegan snacks, and tried different combina- tions throughout the week, always having a bag of nuts and seeds on hand in case I needed to satisfy my second-protein catego- ry. What I wore I had never paid atten- tion to how many silk blouses, wool sweaters and leather bags I owned. This week, I pushed them all aside and opted for cot- ton items and a canvas bag. What products I changed I settled for vegan shampoo, conditioner and body wash, rose-scented spray-on deodorant, a moisturizing face wash, cruelty-free toothpaste and some plant-based lo- tions. I'm wildly impressed by the quality of the vegan products. I normally use purple shampoo with ton- er to keep the blond bits in my hair from turning brassy, but these sulfate- free vegan products also did the trick (and were much less harsh on the hair). Sunday night "Are Doc Martens veg- an?" I call to my brother as I frantically search through my shoe collec- tion for a cool-weather al- ternative to leather or suede. "How should I know?" he called back. So we turned to our most trusted friend, Goo- gle. Turns out, yes, Doc Marten does carry vegan boots, and no, mine are not one of those pairs. Rats. I go into my basement and dig out a pair of knee- high synthetic boots. They are about half a decade old and a little misshapen with tiny holes in the side and scuffed toes. Perfect. Monday I'm in my bathroom staring at my new deodor- ant can. Smells different from what I'm used to. A little more plantlike? I spray it on. And due to an intense fear of smelling really bad all day, I spray on too much. I stand there with my arms raised, waiting for my deodorant to dry. Oh, man. NEWS I went vegan for a week - here's what happened IFP reporter Veronica Appia ends her vegan week by digging into a plate of veal and chicken. Daniel Pereira/photo Last week, I got a little gutsy and did what would likely be a meat and cheese lover's ultimate nightmare: I went vegan and documented it. VERONICA APPIA vappia@metroland.com l See WHAT, page 44