The Day That Everything Stopped - Why I Went Vegan
- The Young Vegan
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
A Question That Changed the Way I Eat - and the Way I Live
This week, we have a post from Nathan Gardner, the founder & coach of The Mindful Narrative. He went vegan almost 10 years ago after one traumatic incident made him question the way that he lives and the impact of his actions.
Some mornings begin quietly. A cup of tea, a plate of breakfast, the gentle rhythm of the day beginning to unfold. On this particular morning, it was vegan sausages, beans on toast, and scrambled tofu with spinach. Simple food. Comforting food. And a question.
Why did I become vegan?
The answer isn’t a single moment. It’s a thread that winds its way through pain, reflection, and ultimately, choice.
The Day That Everything Stopped
Nearly ten years ago, my life was interrupted by something sudden and violent.
A lorry hit my car on the motorway. The impact crushed the vehicle around me. There were physical injuries, yes - but the deeper wounds were the ones you can’t see. The kind that linger in the mind long after the body begins to mend.
Trauma has a way of forcing stillness upon you. And in that stillness, questions begin to surface.
Why did this happen?
What does it mean?
What am I meant to do with the life I still have?
During my recovery, I found myself thinking a lot about karma - not in a mystical, dramatic sense, but in a simple and personal one. The idea that our actions ripple outward. That what we put into the world somehow finds its way back to us.
And so another question began to take shape:
How can I put more good into the world?
The Values Beneath the Noise
When life strips things back, you start to see your values more clearly.
I began reflecting on what truly mattered to me.
What did I love?
What kind of world did I want to contribute to?
The answers felt surprisingly simple:
Animals
Compassion
The absence of suffering
At first, veganism wasn’t an obvious conclusion. It wasn’t as though I woke up one morning thinking, "This is about animals and nothing else." It was more gradual than that. A quiet alignment forming between my values and my actions.
If I wanted to contribute positive energy - positive karma - to the world, then perhaps that meant reducing harm where I could.
Food became the most immediate place to start.
The Weight of Culture
Now, here’s the honest part: this wasn’t easy.
I come from a half-Welsh, half-Jamaican background, where meat isn’t just food - it’s tradition. It’s family. It’s culture. It’s what appears on the table at nearly every meal.
Meat with breakfast.
Meat with lunch.
Meat with dinner.
Changing that wasn’t just about diet. It meant unlearning habits that had been part of my life for years. And like most meaningful changes, it didn’t happen overnight.
I moved slowly.
First pescatarian.
Then vegetarian.
And eventually vegan.
It was less of a dramatic leap and more of a steady walk toward alignment.
Letting Go of Perfection
One of the biggest lessons on this journey was learning to release the idea of perfection.
We live in a world where perfection is almost impossible. Trying to be flawless can paralyse you before you even begin. Instead, I focused on progress.
Small choices. Better choices. Intentional choices.
Each step brought me closer to the values I wanted to embody: compassion, awareness, and responsibility.
Nearly Ten Years Later...
Today, nearly a decade on, I can say with complete honesty:
I don’t regret the decision for a single day.
Has it been difficult at times? Yes.
Veganism can feel isolating. There are moments when you’re the only one at the table eating differently, thinking differently.
But there’s also something deeply grounding about knowing that your daily choices reflect what you believe in. And the beautiful irony is this:
The food is still incredible.
Beans on toast with a little butter and black pepper? Delicious.
Scrambled tofu with spinach? Surprisingly satisfying.
Vegan sausages? Honestly… banging.
The joy of food never disappeared. If anything, it expanded.
Being a Voice for the Voiceless
For me, veganism isn’t about moral superiority. It’s about alignment.
It’s about recognising that I care about suffering - and choosing, where possible, not to contribute to it.
And that care doesn’t stop with animals.
In my professional life, I work as a well-being and relationship coach, supporting people through their struggles and helping them build healthier connections with themselves and others.
So when people ask, “But what about humans?”
My answer is simple.
Of course I care about humans.
I care deeply.
Veganism doesn’t replace compassion for people - it expands it.
The Quiet Power of a Choice
Sometimes the most meaningful transformations don’t arrive with fanfare.
They begin with a question.
A moment of reflection.
A decision made quietly over breakfast.
Nearly ten years ago, after a life-changing accident, I asked myself how I could bring more good into the world. For me, veganism became one of those answers.
Not perfect.
Not always easy.
But deeply, undeniably aligned with the kind of life I want to live.
For more content from Nathan, you can follow him on TikTok @theysaynay, on Facebook/Instagram/TikTok: @themindfulnarrativecoach or visit his website, The Mindful Narrative.
Comments