Chocolate!!!...and Rules, I Guess

So I accidentally bought some non-vegan chocolate spread the other day, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to explain the rules of my new diet.  These rules will eventually be posted in the "About" section, when I get them finalized:

1. This is a gradual process for me.  My first priority is food.  From 1 Jan 2011, I have not (knowingly) eaten any animal products.  This includes meat, eggs, dairy products and by-products, slaughter by-products like gelatin and processed sugar, and honey (despite debate to the contrary, honey is not vegan).

2. Once I have the food thing settled, I will be moving on to other areas of my life.  I have already started on clothing and accessories, and will eventually be working with cosmetics, bath/body and household products, and finally, medicine.  At the moment, I have committed to label-reading for all future purchases, but I won't be getting rid of some of items I currently own until I can find suitable replacements.  My goal is to have this accomplished before the end of the year, if not sooner.

3. Although I am committed to a mostly-vegan lifestyle, I purposely titled this blog, "Vegan(ish)."  The "ish" is because I have decided I won't endanger my health if I truly need something that can only be obtained from animal sources.  One example would be vaccinations, which frequently contain porcine gelatin and/or egg protein.  And should I happen to survive a plane crash, I also won't be starving because I refuse to kill and eat any woodland creatures.  Although I will make every effort to find alternate versions of items I need, I will not do without a necessary item solely because it is animal-sourced.  I will, however, be doing without items that exist purely for pleasure or convenience.

4. My final caveat to the "ish" portion of this blog concerns my job--I'm Active Duty military, and there are certain items I'm not confident of finding in vegan versions.  One of these is my uniform footwear, which I have so far been unsuccessful in sourcing, although I will continue to try.  Another issue that might arise is the non-availability of vegan food in deployed locations.  Having recently returned from a relatively austere desert environment, I know that I might face the choice between eating pasta that may be made with milk or eggs, and not eating anything at all.  Again, while I will make every effort to prevent such situations, I will not starve when no other options are available.

These are the rules I have lived by for the past twelve days.  It hasn't been difficult; it's actually felt really good.  Like I said, this is a gradual process for me, but I look forward to what the future may bring.

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P.S. Chocolate CAN be vegan.  Most big brands aren't, either because they contain milk products, or because they use processed sugar.  I was super-excited to find the spread I purchased was sweetened with evaporated cane juice, and somehow didn't notice the milk fat until the next day.  I gave the spread away, but have already ordered truffles and chocolate sauce from the vegan grocery store, Food Fight!  I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that Newman-Os are free of animal products and by-products, and they taste amazing.