What made you Vegan/Vegetarian?

Hi Catherine!

I'm vegan and I think the hardest thing about it is dealing with others sometimes...! I make a point to NOT go out of my way to shove my beliefs in other people's faces, but people get really defensive and touchy about veganism. My theory is that meat/dairy etc are, as silly as it sounds, really personal and emotional triggers for people. It's the food most of us grew up eating as children and there's a lot of emotional attachment to it...holidays, birthdays, etc. That's why I tread the waters carefully and never judge anyone for their eating habits. That's one issue I have with veganism is the idea that people are "evil" for eating meat and dairy, when in fact most of the people are just misinformed or emotionally attached. Love is always the answer! If people get defensive or angry, respond with love, always.

I chose this lifestyle for health and ethical reasons. I'm currently working on a cardiac floor at the hospital and am shocked by how often (almost always) heart disease is a product of preventable lifestyle choices. Gary Yourofsky's speech you mentioned (one of my faves!) explains it all there so I don't need to go into that. And I've always been an animal lover...it just felt wrong to eat animals like chickens and cows when I love my pets. And I omit dairy because even if you avoid meat, you are still supporting those industries that cause that harm and pain Not to mention the environmental impact! I digress.

My tips are stick to whole foods (treats like nondairy ice cream and vegan pizza is fine in moderation!) like fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc. A big one is don't go overboard on the fats from nuts/seeds/avo etc...a lot of people do that first coming to veganism to compensate for the taste. I personally eat around 70-80% carbs, 10-20% protein, and <10% fat. And for those saying carbs alone make you fat, I'm losing weight quite easily and that is a fallacy However for those who want more protein, I'd go easy on the soy. Sunwarrior and Now Sports make great vegan protein powders! And as I mentioned previously, remember that you are coming to this lifestyle out of love so make sure you give love to everyone who challenges or supports your lifestyle.

There's my novel for the day. Good luck with your journey and welcome! I'm glad you made this choice for yourself. Feel free to friend me for some support!

Love & Light,
Olivia

some really good responses thank you guys,
I remember over the years if people found out I was vegetarian it was like they thought I was gonna steal their meat and got very defensive then insisted on listing every meat they enjoy. Also found that even though horrified theyd be a little comforted that I wasn't vegan, well now I am so they'll have to deal with that too lol

I always say.... You eating meat does not offend or bother me, so please don't be offended or bothered by the fact that I don't!

Just the thought of eating an living thing repulses me, always has done. Maybe it is because my Mum is a vegetarian, so I was brought up not eating meat. I never drank cows milk when I was young, I actually have a phobia of it, so I just ended up being vegan without even knowing that is what I was for a long time.

I became a vegan a year ago after being diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer called angiosarcoma. It was caused by radiation treatments I received fifteen years ago for breast cancer. I began studying nutrition and the effects of food on the body. I learned about the importance of avoiding acidic foods that can create inflammation in the body. Two of the biggest offenders include meat and dairy. For many years I had thought about becoming a vegan for humanitarian reasons. I love animals and deep down I always knew I would feel better about myself as a human being if I did not consume animal products. People do sometimes question me about my vegan choices, but when I tell them it is for health reasons, they don't usually give me any grief which is a relief because I have little patience for people who get worked up over issues that are not their business in the first place. The cancer diagnosis has been scary (with a survival rate of only 30% after five years), but I feel at peace in my heart and a deep appreciation and love for animals.

Kudo's to y'all but your missing on quite some nutrtitions

I go with the flow, animals are made to be eaten, I mean even animals eat animals... lol it's a way of life and survival.
What would happen if we would not eat animals? Overpopulation, you'd seriously be walking on a chicken every step you take as there are about 20 billion chickens on earth today and that's with the consuming of chicken

Although I do agree that there are people who mistreat animals before they die and that it should stop, but for me that's not a reason to stop eating meat although I wouldn't buy meat from such persons. Besides cruality can differ from person to person, let's bring back the animal example; lions freakin' slash scrath and suffocate and animal to death, one would say it's cruel because they compare it to humans and the other would say that's their way of slaughtering.

Last but not least I'd join the crew if I only hard front teeth, but I also have canine teeth to slice me up some meat and teeth in the back to chew it up :happy: