The last time I made a resolute attempt to cut meat out of my diet was about a decade ago, during a four-month trip to India.
Before my departure, advice from fellow travellers warned the best way to avoid a bout of the infamous Delhi belly was to steer clear of all things meaty. In a country known around the world for appetizing vegetarian dishes and where at least 31 per cent of the country’s 1.1 billion people consider themselves “pure vegetarians,” I figured sticking to vegetables, rice and potatoes shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Though I saw and heard plenty of gut-wrenching evidence of Delhi belly along the backpackers’ trail, the plan worked and I survived unscathed.
Until I returned home.
That’s when my stomach nearly turned when presented with an enormous T-bone steak grilling away on my folks’ barbecue. It was supposed to be a welcome-home party, but the ensuing night had me writhing in turmoil, thinking Delhi belly might be a more pleasant alternative.
The cramps and cold sweats were short lived and it was only a matter of time before I’d reverted to my cheesy carnivore diet and regained the five kilograms I’d shed without even noticing while abroad.
These days, much of the vegetarian cuisine I eat is early in the morning, when I’m still too tired, too dazed or too lazy to whip together an omelette or fry up some sausages.
One morning, while cooking one of those greasy old breakfasts, my wife and I heard a news item about November being vegan month. After a few years on the West Coast, we’d both grown intrigued by the vegetarian and vegan wonders we often came across in stores, restaurants and especially at potluck dinners. We’d always sought to incorporate more vegetarian foods into our diet, but our busy schedules always saw us fall back on the convenience of old habits more than we’d hoped. The prospect of a vegan month was all it took to seal the deal.
Besides, I figured at the time, November was still ages away, giving us lots of time to prepare ourselves or even back out of the proposition altogether.
Part of those preparations — which really began about a week ago — involved an interview with Luba Nikitina, the owner of Salt Spring Raw Foods. Nikitina prides herself on the use of nothing but the freshest and most natural vegetarian products in all of her recipes. She began to incorporate raw and vegetarian foods into her diet based on a suggestion made by her daughter.
Three years later, Nikitina and her raw treats a regular fixture at the Saturday Market in Ganges. In the meantime, Nikitina said she’s never felt better.
“When you let go of those foods that are mostly empty calories, and I’ve heard many people repeat the same thing, you have a sense of lightness, like there’s a sense of clarity in your head, a purity,” she said.
“I found you just have to give it a try. As soon as you kind of get into the flow of it, it becomes second nature.”
That sounded pretty curious and I too heard variations of those same statements repeated in conversations with others I spoke with.
Over the next month, Vegan Diary columns in the Driftwood will strive to provide readers with more than just an update on how the cabbage stew and tofu steaks I ate for dinner last night turned out. It will seek to explore the movement’s growing popularity and merits while taking time to illustrate all the pitfalls, frustrations and other learning experiences along the way.
Regular updates, interviews and recipes will be posted on a new blog, accessed by clicking on the “blog” tab at www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com. Reader comments and advice are welcome.
That’s all for now, I’ve got to go soak my beans.

A copy of this article was published in the Driftwood’s Nov. 2 edition.