By: Leilani Gómez
I decided to be a vegetarian in the summer of 2011 before joining the LDS Church. I had already given up red meat because of all the information I had heard and read about it being bad for our health. As I slowly began being exposed to more information on the meat industry, I decided to give up chicken as well. I decided I would eat fish and shrimp on occasion, but then I stopped eating that too.
Prior to becoming vegetarian, my family and I began making changes in our diets, such as not buying cookies and other processed foods, not buying sugar, not drinking soda or sugary fruit juices, and not drinking coffee, etc. Being vegetarian was part of my newfound interest in being healthy. I was still not eating an ideal diet, though, and I found myself constantly lacking energy and not feeling my best.
When I started investigating the Church a few months after becoming vegetarian, I felt great about the Word of Wisdom and the way it seemed to perfectly support my ideas about an ideal diet (including not drinking coffee and vegetarianism).
After joining the Church, I had lots of up and downs with my diet. I struggled because I didn’t always replace meat with nutrient-rich foods. I’ve been through phases of eating lots of meat and dairy substitutions, junk-food binging periods, and even periods of skipping meals because of lack of hunger (I need to gain, not lose weight). The Word of Wisdom and the Church’s emphasis on physical health (and how it affects our spiritual health) has kept me happily struggling through it all, though, and I am making changes as I go.
Now, in 2014, I feel like I have finally reached a stable point in my diet and my lifestyle in general. I strive to eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables. I avoid processed foods, and I try to make sure that I am meeting my daily nutritional requirements as well as eating enough calories. I had been eating cheese and eggs occasionally since going vegetarian, but I’ve recently decided to become fully vegan. I was starting to develop some kind of allergy to eggs and dairy, which is another reason why I went vegan. Not eating those has definitely eliminated discomfort and itchiness.
It makes so much sense to me to live this way. I want to live the Gospel fully, and in order to do that I need to take care of my overall health, and it’s also important for me to honor the gifts God has given us. For this reason, I do not wish to support unnecessary animal cruelty. I understand that there might come a time when eating meat will be necessary, and it will be done with much gratitude and sacrifice, but until then, I am happy and healthy eating plant-based and living in a way that I feel is in line with my Father’s will.
Physically, I feel much better when I eat more veggies and fruit. My energy is up, I am in a better mood, and I feel lighter. I never feel bloated after a good meal (unless I eat too much, of course), and I digest very well. After becoming vegetarian I have also noticed that menstrual cramps are no longer a problem. There have been spiritual blessings as well— I think there comes a certain spiritual confidence with knowing that you are doing your body good, and also becoming familiar with how it works and what it needs. Having mental clarity is very important in being able to receive personal revelation and noticing promptings from the Spirit, and eating a whole foods plant-based diet has truly helped me with that.
Just about a month or two ago I got a cold and I wasn’t able to attend Stake Conference. I watched the satellite transmission in my local church building instead and when I got home, I realized how grateful I was to have a body that could heal itself. I knew that I needed to help it do its job by treating it well, and I felt truly in tune with the Spirit and my purpose in life in that moment. I know I probably wouldn’t have felt that way had it not been for the decisions I’ve made along the way since becoming a vegetarian and making better decisions about my health.
I had a special experience recently while reading the Word of Wisdom. In the past I’ve thought, “Oh, it’s too bad everyone ignores the part about eating meat sparingly.” But this time I just felt like the counsel in the Word of Wisdom was directly personal, and that Heavenly Father is pleased that I am trying to live better. I felt invigorated and grateful. I know that we learn line upon line and that once we apply God’s word in our life, He will give us more: more understanding and more blessings. My experience with the Word of Wisdom has really fortified my testimony of that.
I understand some people are working on other aspects of their lives, such as gaining more patience or getting rid of an addiction, so when they read the Word of Wisdom they truly don’t see what I see or feel what I feel, but the day that they do I want to be someone they can come to for help and support. I’m also excited for my future generations. I’m investing time now in learning good health habits (and learning the Gospel) so that I will be able to pass that down as a beautiful heritage to my children and their children. It thrills me just thinking about it!
Leilani Gómez is a 20-year-old Mexican Californian and a recent convert to the Church. She became a vegetarian in 2011 and fully-vegan just recently. She shoots photography in her free time and plans on studying something in the visual arts in the near future.
Podcast interview on Mormon Vegetarian
What an inspirational story you have Leilani. I can totally relate to much of what you are saying about your health improving and the need for mental clarity.
I even awoke this morning and said a prayer of gratitude for the increased sharpness of memory I’ve been experiencing over the past few years. I’ve been fully plant based or vegan for 5 years and wish I’d started earlier at your age.
Your story was a great start to my day : )
Thank you so much! People who have been on this journey for years inspire me immensely. I am excited for the blessings to come.
My husband and I occasionally eat dinner at the temple. As i have been pondering becoming vegatarian I now wonder why meals served there do include meat, mostly fish or chicken. Why wouldn’t the temple serve as a model of how and what we should be eating?
My husband and I are currently trying to find vegetarian meals that do not take much more time to fix and also a huge investment of money to change the way we have been eating. Spices alone cost a lot. We have never used spices before. In addition, I do not like spicy food, and I have never really liked beans, but I see that most recipes consist of beans.
My husband does most of the grocery shopping and a great deal of cooking. It looks like I am going to have to take over both. While I would like to quickly change our way of eating, I realize that this is going to take more time than I expected.
Do you have any suggestions on the above comments? Thanks for any suggestions you can give me.
Beatrice, I suggest you change more slowly if you are having trouble. You will find foods to add that are healthier for you and depending on where you live, vegetables can be more inexpensive to eat. I live in California in the mountains surrounding the Central Valley where so many vegetables are being grown to feed the whole country, so going to farms in the area, we can get foods more cheaply. I know when I lived in Connecticut, there was a hefty price tag associated with the “grown in California” veggies, but local farms produced other suitable vegetables available at farmer’s markets everywhere in the countryside there, too. Find things you enjoy and add them to your regular meals until you can truly convert over. If you are trying to change overnight, it will be more difficult, but can be done. My suggestion — listen to what Leilani said… know that what you are doing is what the Lord’s plan is for your family. He will guide you and inspire you as you take this major step in your lives. Cooking together can be a lot of fun, too. Spices should highlight flavors, not mask them. As you get more used to the new flavors, the spice use will probably decrease, also. I know that the use of salt in foods has changed a lot for us. you start to realize that some vegetables have enough natural salt to satisfy your appetite and others only need a little help to make them more palatable for your taste. You will change and after a bit, you’ll be so grateful for the change as you begin to lose any chronic problems you may have had in the past and start enjoying a greater, healthier, more energetic life. God bless you in your adventure, Beatrice.
Beatrice: Grocery stores like Winco sell spices in bulk, so they are VERY cheap (under a dollar to get all you need for most spices). But you don’t necessarily need a lot of spices or beans. Focus on what you enjoy eating. Check out the sites with WFPB recipes: http://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/wfpb-guidelines/links-to-recipes/. You may want to go more slowly at first until you find a few recipes you like and get rid of food in your kitchen that is not healthy. Contact me if you’d like to connect with others or get more support! Bless you!
When I cook for non-veggies, I like to make familiar foods that use mushrooms in place of meat. Portabellos are wonderful for this and very inexpensive at Costco.
Hi Beatrice, sorry for responding so late!
The suggestions you’ve been given are great. I don’t really think there is one way for all of us to eat. Just focus on whole, plant foods and discover what you like best. I personally don’t use very many spices in my meals. I actually tend to eat very simply. For example, I don’t mind eating brown rice plain, so I don’t worry about adding spices too much. But that’s just my personal preference.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with recipes and ingredients, but I think it’s best to sometimes step back and find out what you truly like in a meal. Experiment a little, take dishes you already love and change and adjust them to fit this new model of eating. 🙂
Hi Beatrice,
I am just starting out eating vegetarian with my daughter. Both of us have high cholesterol. We have stopped eating meat, but we do sprinkle cheddar cheese or Parmesan on some things and today we had an egg in our pancakes because I can’t figure out how to stop the pancakes from sticking yet. We have been doing this for 2 months. Our budget for food hasn’t gone up. It has actually gone down because we aren’t eating meats or eggs. Whole grain flours and fresh vegetables are great. We don’t really eat organic stuff unless it’s on sale and we do eat canned veggies in soups etc. The best way to save time is to stir fry. You can do it with olive oil or even water, and the veggies come out nicely. Pick a starch, like sweet potato, white potato, a flour or corn tortilla, or rice and combine it with your stir fried veggies. Serve a salad on the side and/or some fruit for dessert. Try out some bread recipes and see what you like. Bread can be sliced and frozen and thawed out as needed. Rice milk and almond milk are good with hot and cold cereals. Some people like soy milk, or coconut milk.
We are going to be completely vegan at some point but we are taking our time. We still sometimes eat white flour and a little sugar, but we are doing way better than we were before and we have both lost about seven pounds. First of all don’t be too hard on yourself, ease into it if you need to. You will figure out a way to cook that you enjoy, and it will be lots of fun. We don’t eat a lot of beans yet. We do eat green beans, and vegan chile. Nuts have protein, and they are yummy. I make up my own recipes from stuff I have around the house. If something doesn’t come out the way I like, I tweak it next time. Experience is the best teacher, and I tailor my shopping to our new lifestyle. My husband and other kids still eat the regular standard American diet, and even with them still eating meat we spend less on food. I make things vegetarian/vegan and serve the meat on the side in case they want meat. Sometimes they actually prefer the vegan meal! The bottom line is don’t stress, have fun, and enjoy!
Good work, Marie! Great attitude!!
How inspiring you information is. I have been a vegetarian (sometimes eating yogurt or Wild Alaskan Salmon) since I was in my mid 30’s (I am now 88 years old as of April 2014 and in good health). The things that are being put in our food (like GMO) and so called Natural Flavorings and other chemicals are very unhealthy, as they will accumulate in our bodies and eventually cause harm. I stick to Organic foods and would like to see others doing a lot of research on different foods so they will know just what they are eating. Changing one’s diet is always an ongoing process but well worth the time spent doing this.
It’s definitely an ongoing process. I am inspired each time I see more and more organic food available locally. One day, all food will be organic as it should be, and I agree that making such adjustments it is time well spent. Thank you for your comment!
I like your compassion concerning people at different places on the path to righteousness. Glad you found the gospel and have a testimony of the word of wisdom. Life is simply one big learning experience.
Thank you so much! I am ever grateful to have these things in my life. The Gospel has breathed life into everything that I do now. I am really loving this big learning experience, especially because so many others are here with me so we can learn together. 🙂
“The Gospel has breathed life into everything that I do now.” Leilani, this is the most beautiful line for me. Imagine that kind of love! Our Heavenly Father is only interested in our happiness…which involves every aspect of our progress. Thank you.
Leilani, I think one of the important things you have said here is, “I understand some people are working on other aspects of their lives, such as gaining more patience or getting rid of an addiction, so when they read the Word of Wisdom they truly don’t see what I see or feel what I feel, but the day that they do I want to be someone they can come to for help and support. I’m also excited for my future generations. I’m investing time now in learning good health habits (and learning the Gospel) so that I will be able to pass that down as a beautiful heritage to my children and their children. It thrills me just thinking about it!” It is like everything else in the gospel, we are all on our own paths and the Lord will guide us accordingly. I had to come up against tremendous chronic illness to “wake up” to the Word of Wisdom. The Lord did not scold me, but He led me in His ways to a greater understanding. I am glad you have this open attitude and understanding for others. I know it is hard when we see others who profess to live the Word of Wisdom, but they do not understand it in the way you have been shown. We need to remember that all things in the gospel require us to be as Christ, Our Savior. He picks us all up many times before we learn truth. We are humans and we are subject to temptations and deceptions. That is why we need to cleave unto Him and listen and evaluate what we hear and study and make our own choices as to which voice we will listen to. There is always something we need to learn and understand. We will never reach perfection in this life, but we must be striving towards it. As we listen to the spirit’s voice, we will gain wisdom and knowledge. It is for us. One day we will know all things — but at this time, we are all learning step-by-step. Each of us is an individual, but bearing our testimony of what the Lord has done for us through diet is something that can help others who are struggling. They may not listen, but then again they may. It’s like the missionaries who go out to preach the word of God. Some fall on the hard rock, other words fall on prepared ground and grow. If you keep up your good attitude towards others and do not judge them, you will be a great instrument in His hands in your family and among friends. Thank you for your inspiring story, Leilani.
Thank you! You are right. It’s best to be Christ-like in all things.
Making dietary changes has been simpler for me than it probably is for others, maybe because I just haven’t had enough time to really get attached to a certain way of eating. But I’ve found lately that more and more people are asking me for suggestions and questions about how to eat healthier. I’ll just continue having patience and I know God will use me as an instrument to help His children, with just the little bit that I know and have experience. 🙂
Leilani, I really admire how you have made very positive changes in your eating and as a result your health has improved. I do have one suggestion to make and that is that you consider eating some grains each day, and if you chose to do as I do you will have grains at each of your meals. As most likely you have already read in verse 14 of Section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants that grains have been “ordained as the staff of life by the Lord.” By much personal experience in eating the Word of Wisdom diet these past three years I eat various grains at each of my three meals each day. At least in my case my consumption of grains really gives me much strength and ability to endure easily my fifty minute daily very challenging exercise sessions!
I’m going on eighty three years of age and I exercise as vigorously if not more so as do each of the much younger men I see at the Murray City, (Utah) Recreation Center who work out on the identical machine which is is located right next to the one I always use. I’ve observed that I go much longer during my exercise sessions than each of the others; men who are each a good number of years younger than me. Perhaps in some of their cases, they have to get back to work while I’m fully retired! By the way I’m very glad you have become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I’m sure you are a very faithful member and that you have many blessings to count each day because of that!
You have an inspiring testimony, thank you for sharing it with me. 🙂
I’ve actually had this conversation with Jane too, about getting plenty of grains in my diet. I was telling Jane that I was actually considering going raw vegan for some time, so I maybe some of my thought process from that translated into my story. Oops! I do eat plenty of grains and starches. Growing up I’ve always eaten things like rice, potatoes, beans, and lentils, so including those in my diet now hasn’t been a problem. I’ve gained a testimony of this too, and I feel more satisfied with a meals than before when I was going toward a different path. This is one of the reasons I’m so grateful for section 89. It keeps me on the best path!
Hi Leilani, I think this is really great that you have made changes in your life to better your health, and using the Word of Wisdom is a great guideline! However, I just wanted to say that while being a vegetarian or a vegan is a personal choice (and kudos to you, honestly!), the Word of Wisdom doesn’t tell us to give up meat completely. It tells us to eat it sparingly, mainly in times of winter or in famine. This was because at the time of the revelation, the saints were living in a time period where refrigeration was not possible, and meat would only be wasted if it was eaten too often during warmer seasons. The Lord has “ordained” “flesh…of beasts and of the fowls of the air” for man to eat. I’m not saying your choice was wrong, I just noticed that some commentors indicated that they thought the church was against meat, which it isn’t 🙂 that’s why in the temple they serve fish or other meats when the temple workers eat their meals.
Thanks, Kaylee! I haven’t really seen any comments that seem to propose that the Church is against meat. I know it would not be wise nor truthful of me to ever say such a thing.
This matter touches an even deeper cord in me that goes beyond my diet, and I’ve given a lot of thought and prayer on it. While I know that it is not “wrong” to eat meat, I do think that each member would be wise in evaluating whether it’s worth eating it just because it’s not forbidden. This is considering the negative impact meat, dairy, and eggs have on our health, what the meat industry is doing to the environment, our own compassion and spiritual growth, etc. Jane’s article and other writings have touched on this topic beautifully. 🙂
I hope my message is not misunderstood. I share it because I consider it to be a message of great value and because, unfortunately, it’s not very well know even among the most faithful of Latter-day Saints.
Hi Kaylee: You make some interesting points! It is very true that the Lord never tells us we have to give up meat, so it is served in the temple and many righteous saints eat meat. The Lord ordains meat for our use, but only does He ask us to use it sparingly, He also tells us it is pleasing to Him if we only use it in times of need: winter, cold or famine. I’ve personally studied the question of whether that is because the early saints did not have refrigeration, and discovered there is no basis for that interpretation. If you are interested, you can read my analysis here: http://discoveringthewordofwisdom.com/about/the-word-of-wisdom/wow-faqs/refrigeration-theory/
Leilani: You have a beautiful spirit and a way with words. I can tell you have the right spirit for sharing this message in a kind and gentle way. You will be able to influence many people for good. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with all of us!
Thank you, Jane! I’ve been feeling overwhelmed a bit today and your comment has been really encouraging for me. Sometimes it is emotionally draining being so “awake” to certain realities. But that is okay, that just means I am alive and working! ^-^
Leilani,
I’m glad we recently became online friends! I had not known until tonight that you have a story on this website. I agree with Jane about your beautiful spirit and your way with words. Thanks for talking about the joy of eating plant foods.
Leilani
I am so impressed when I see young people like you embracing the whole food plant based way of life and also young mothers who are wanting to feed their children in the healthiest way possible. My thoughts are how wise you are. I wish that I had known what I know now when I was your age. It would have saved me a lot of grief. Many of us who are older have searched for answers to challenging health problems before finding the answer in the Word of Wisdom that have been under our noses and within our reach but somehow we missed it for so long. You will be blessed as you continue forward in your life as a healthy individual.