Calling all Vegans and Vegetarians...etc...

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Replies

  • BlutAura
    BlutAura Posts: 97
    You know, I'm sorry to not be agreeable, but I find that SO many people say vegans are "facist" and "fanatical" and while I have met a couple of vegans I generally found to be unpleasant people, you kind of have to ask yourself, aren't there unpleasant people from all beliefs and walks of life? I do not think it directly relates to their veganism, not in anyone I've ever met, anyway. Also, I've found that 90% of vegan/vegetarian people I've met are very nice and wonderful people. I think most people tend come up with this facist view of vegans as just another way to hate someone who is different in some way. I say its 2011; its time we all finally start respecting each other, no matter what our differences.

    If your referring to my post you will also see I mentioned religion, politics and pretty much everything in life people try to force around :) If you have a look at my profile I think you would see I'm very much in the "its 2011; its time we all finally start respecting each other, no matter what our differences." club :).
  • kippit
    kippit Posts: 78
    My aunt and uncle had a cow named Bumper. And I was 7.

    I had never really been around cows before. They would let us go see the cow, pet the cow etc...

    Then the cow was gone. They said the cow ran into the woods and got lost.

    Later that night, I heard my mom say (after Easter dinner) "wow, Bumper was really tender."

    To my mom's credit- she didn't know I was in the room.

    However, I have not ate meat since.

    True story

    Oh WOW....that is traumatic for a kid!!!!
  • babs24
    babs24 Posts: 13 Member
    Honestly, it sounds like you're already following a diet that's natural to you. Why label it or try to eat by certain rules?
  • kippit
    kippit Posts: 78
    I buy from free range and local sources where I can and I've previously been a member of animal rights organisations like Stop huntingdon life sciences (before they went psycho). I try to do my part I just enjoy meat and cheese too much! :)

    I think that is above and beyond what most people do....good for you for trying to do something to help the planet while you still enjoy the food you love. While I wish more people wouldn't eat meat...I REALLY wish more people would do what you try to do....the world might be a different place.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    I went vegetarian for the first time when I was about 17, after watching some PETA videos online and deciding that if I wanted to truly say "I love animals" I should probably stop eating them.

    I went back to meat eating a couple of years later anyway, mostly because I wasn't being a healthy vegetarian and had gone anemic (I substituted meat with chips and twinkies...).

    In my early twenties, I decided to go vegetarian again, and tried out veganism as well, but still went back to meat.

    After reading The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone in March of 2010, I went vegan. I had finally found a way to go vegan in steps and found my true reasons for doing it. It was for the animals, and for my own health.
  • Melinda91
    Melinda91 Posts: 51 Member
    I guess i've always been a vegetarian, although im what they consider an ovo-lacto vegetarian because i eat eggs and dairy products. I really dont like alot of vegetables, but i eat just about every fruit there is lol. I adore animals and the thought of eating them just kills me! I do get tired of the vegetarian jokes, and holidays are hard because im the only vegetarian on both sides of my family, but overall i love it!!
  • dreaasha
    dreaasha Posts: 31
    I've been a vegetarian since I was 17 years old. First did it to be different, but as I researched the subject, I came across animal rights, as one would. I also had the opportunity to visit a chicken slaughterhouse, and it made my so sick-I can still remember the smell of blood in the air. It takes a special kind of "person" to kill things for a living. But I digress.

    I couldn't imagine my life including meat in my diet. Kindness is so much easier to live with.
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
    BlueAura,

    While my response was inspired by your reference of vegans as facist an fanaticals, I realized from the start that you specifically do not fall under that category of intolerant and close minded people since you yourself were raised in a vegetarian home. I only meant that I believe the poor opinions toward vegans and vegetarians and the general hostility toward them is usually inspired by ignorance and close mindedness rather than truth of how most of us are. Again, I'm referring to most people, but not you. :)
  • monkeysmum
    monkeysmum Posts: 522 Member
    i stopped eating pork products when i was around 12 we went to a farm that bred pigs for slaughter and the farmer thinking he wa sbeing nice showed us where they went after the nice stys etc to fatten them up before going to abbatoir OMG it was horrible i stopped eating it and then as i got older 16 i just stopped all meats i feel mean thinking a sheep is looking for its baby or a calf its mum silly i know and fish i just dont like the taste so i dont eat it
  • batalina
    batalina Posts: 209 Member
    i went vegetarian on June 11th, 2008, and vegan sometime in mid-march of 2009.

    my decision to go vegetarian was kind of sudden, and basically came down to the realization that i couldn't be upset at SOME animal cruelty without being upset at ALL of it. a coworker i had at the time was telling us all about some cruelty she seemed to be proud of, concerning a snake she had seen in her yard. i went off on her for having been so unkind to an innocent creature.
    the next day, i found myself unable to eat the chicken soup i'd brought for lunch. i felt nauseous at the thought of eating it -- it just reminded me of the poor snake. so i decided to go vegetarian.

    my change to veganism came when i learned that rennet, used to make cheese, is made from the lining of calves' stomachs. and even when i ate meat, i never ate veal because i didn't want to eat babies... so to find out i was eating babies all along was kind of... crushing. and then i learned of the things that happen in the egg industry. dairy and eggs are so interwoven with the meat industry, and i realized that just cutting out meat was an incomplete sort of thing.

    my husband went vegan a few months after i did. i think we're both happier this way.
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
    i watched a movie (last week? the week before?) called "Earthlings". i was horrified to the point of tears and sickened - i cried through the entire thing. after that, i decided i just couldn't live that kind of lifestyle. that being said, if i was stuck on a desert island or something with only wild boar to hunt and eat to survive, would i eat it? yes.

    it's a transition for me - i was in fact aware of how animals were treated on factory farms, etc. but seeing those images sorta burned a hole in my mind. my body already feels better, as well.
  • HappyHealthyHolly
    HappyHealthyHolly Posts: 84 Member
    Well, in May of this year (2011) I had been hearing things on television about a vegan diet & how it was something to consider if you wanted to drastically improve all kinds of health conditions. It was interesting, because actually my Mother was the main one considering the vegan diet because of her diabetes but I was thinking more of just sticking to my lean healthy diet. Well, around that same time, I also read Alicia Silverstone's book "The Kind Diet" & from that day on my mind was made up. I gave away anything in my home that wasn't vegan & I was off! I didn't start out being vegetarian, I just jumped right into veganism.

    I'm a huge animal lover & I truly hate hearing about anything that is done to any animal unkindly, but my main decision to become vegan was for my health. I was hearing about so much good that came from a vegan diet (regarding health) that I was hooked! I'm over weight, I've got rheumatoid arthritis & some family history that I don't want to make mine, so I became instantly interested! Also, in her book, Alicia mentioned the human body & evolution as compared to animals, like tigers. She compared our intestinal structure, our teeth, etc. & it made very much sense to me that I'm just not meant to eat meat. When I read that it takes a human 72 hours to digest a piece of meat & that it basically sits in my stomach & rots while it waits, totally grossed me out! I instantly thought, no wonder I feel like crap!

    So, from then on I've been completely vegan, with a few minor accidents here & there. Each & every day I find new reasons why I love being vegan & it makes me so happy & I feel great! My body feels so much more energetic, clean & things just work so much smoother!

    Like some others, I've also had people tell me that I couldn't succeed in being vegan. I've had very little support. I live in a location where it can be difficult to buy vegan items. But, I am vegan anyway! By sticking to my new ideals I've gained supporters & proven myself as well as gotten a firmer stance in my beliefs. I've also learned a lot more about food, what's really in it, where it comes from, how to use it to better my body, etc. I've even learned about a lot of places to purchase items that I never knew about! I've entered a whole new world that I love & will live in forever!

    I became vegan for my health, but I'm vegan for so much more than that now! It's nothing I'm interested in pushing on anyone, but it's definitely what works for me! And along the way, if others see my example & become interested, (which is what's been happening) I'll share anything they wanna know!
  • MamaKatel
    MamaKatel Posts: 180
    Well, in May of this year (2011) I had been hearing things on television about a vegan diet & how it was something to consider if you wanted to drastically improve all kinds of health conditions. It was interesting, because actually my Mother was the main one considering the vegan diet because of her diabetes but I was thinking more of just sticking to my lean healthy diet. Well, around that same time, I also read Alicia Silverstone's book "The Kind Diet" & from that day on my mind was made up. I gave away anything in my home that wasn't vegan & I was off! I didn't start out being vegetarian, I just jumped right into veganism.

    I'm a huge animal lover & I truly hate hearing about anything that is done to any animal unkindly, but my main decision to become vegan was for my health. I was hearing about so much good that came from a vegan diet (regarding health) that I was hooked! I'm over weight, I've got rheumatoid arthritis & some family history that I don't want to make mine, so I became instantly interested! Also, in her book, Alicia mentioned the human body & evolution as compared to animals, like tigers. She compared our intestinal structure, our teeth, etc. & it made very much sense to me that I'm just not meant to eat meat. When I read that it takes a human 72 hours to digest a piece of meat & that it basically sits in my stomach & rots while it waits, totally grossed me out! I instantly thought, no wonder I feel like crap!

    So, from then on I've been completely vegan, with a few minor accidents here & there. Each & every day I find new reasons why I love being vegan & it makes me so happy & I feel great! My body feels so much more energetic, clean & things just work so much smoother!

    Like some others, I've also had people tell me that I couldn't succeed in being vegan. I've had very little support. I live in a location where it can be difficult to buy vegan items. But, I am vegan anyway! By sticking to my new ideals I've gained supporters & proven myself as well as gotten a firmer stance in my beliefs. I've also learned a lot more about food, what's really in it, where it comes from, how to use it to better my body, etc. I've even learned about a lot of places to purchase items that I never knew about! I've entered a whole new world that I love & will live in forever!

    I became vegan for my health, but I'm vegan for so much more than that now! It's nothing I'm interested in pushing on anyone, but it's definitely what works for me! And along the way, if others see my example & become interested, (which is what's been happening) I'll share anything they wanna know!




    I've been thinking about reading "The Kind Diet"! I heard its a great book.
  • digitalchique
    digitalchique Posts: 24 Member
    For me it started out with some super funky tasting chicken. When I checked the package it said "chicken with rib meat" and I was curious as to what exactly that was. So I looked it up. That was gross. Then I started seeking more and more knowledge about the food I was eating, and it didn't take long before I decided that vegetarian was the way to go. That was 6 years ago, and since then I've read countless books on the issues surrounding modern food and watched a lot of documentaries. I learned about issues with animal treatment at slaughter houses, on dairy farms, political issues surrounding those industries, GMO food companies trying to take over the world with their franken-foods and all of the health issues too. Even now, I'm constantly reading about this stuff and learning new things.

    For a while now I've felt that I would eventually become vegan, but only recently did I finally decide I want to transition to a 100% vegan lifestyle. I'm not perfect at it yet, but the majority of the time I eat vegan, and I try to include as many raw foods as possible, especially greens. I've even started learning how to garden (I have a brown thumb so this is a really big deal for me!). I do it out of compassion for animals, as a vote against poor industry practices that harm workers and ignore the health of the general public, as a vote against political leaders that make decisions about public health based on who is lining their pocket book, to support more ecological and sustainable ways of life, and to reconnect with the Earth by listening to my instincts instead of listening to cultural norms about food. For me, i'm probably doing it for almost every reason any one has thought of before. =)
  • jiggs31
    jiggs31 Posts: 117
    I became veggie at the age of 11.

    I had seen a programme on battery hens and slaughterhouses and decided that I didn't want any part of killing animals.

    So at the dinner table one Sunday I refused to eat the meat. I was told that I had to sit there until I had eaten it.
    8 hours later I was still sat at the table.

    Thankfully my parents got the hint and after much discussion cooked me veggie grills and I would have a veggie product when they had a meat or fish one.

    I think having a visiting uncle that was a vegan Buddhist monk helped as it meant that my mother could ask her brother about his diet in order to get mine right. Otherwise it would have just been a precocious 11 year old refusing to eat her 'little lambs'

    I'm 32 now and apart from in my early-to-mid teens (if you went out to eat it would be chips or nothing), I have found it is fine to be veggie and most places are accommodating.

    Good luck!
  • emma1488
    emma1488 Posts: 175
    I was deeply appalled by the annual dolphin slaughter that goes on in Taiji, Japan every year. When i got researching on it, i found a lot of 'pro dolphin and whale meat people' would say 'it's just like you eating pig, chicken, cow etc..'. So i decided that I couldn't be a hypocrite any longer and gave up meat. I've always been passionate about animal welfare and finally grew up and took responsibility. A few months later i was exposed to the cruelty behind the dairy industry and cut out dairy. I don't eat anything with eggs in it either. It's almost been a year since giving up meat. Do NOT miss it in the slightest. I feel fit, clean and guilt free :)
  • littlemiss837
    littlemiss837 Posts: 5
    Sure, I've been vegan for over a year and a half now, and I was vegetarian for about 9 months prior.
    It basically stemmed from my curiosity- I love animals and I'd heard of people being vegan and vegetarian and I wanted to find out why. So, I went online, watched various videos and read information about how animals are really treated when producing animal products and I was absolutely disgusted to say the least. There was no way I could ever go on eating animal products knowing what I'd be supporting, so from that day on, I worked towards adopting a vegan lifestyle.
    I went vegan for ethical reasons, but the health benefits don't hurt ;)
    It's not hard to follow a vegan diet, it just takes practise and experimentation- besides, it's not hard to resist foods you know cause cruelty and suffering. That's the way I see it anyway :) You should totally look into a vegan or veggie diet and lifestyle, you might be pleasantly surprised!
  • MamaKatel
    MamaKatel Posts: 180
    I was deeply appalled by the annual dolphin slaughter that goes on in Taiji, Japan every year. When i got researching on it, i found a lot of 'pro dolphin and whale meat people' would say 'it's just like you eating pig, chicken, cow etc..'. So i decided that I couldn't be a hypocrite any longer and gave up meat. I've always been passionate about animal welfare and finally grew up and took responsibility. A few months later i was exposed to the cruelty behind the dairy industry and cut out dairy. I don't eat anything with eggs in it either. It's almost been a year since giving up meat. Do NOT miss it in the slightest. I feel fit, clean and guilt free :)



    That's awful! I had no idea that occured :(
  • Soulbird81
    Soulbird81 Posts: 86
    Initially in my teens I became a vegetarian because I was that rebel activist who didn't like what was happening to the animals that we were consuming rather than because I didn't enjoy the taste of it. However being a teenager and having parents who figured it was a phase they did not do anything to accomodate my desires so I basically lived on junk food :(

    Now that I am 30 I have gone back to being a vegetarian because I no longer like the taste (plus because I don't like the unethical treatment of these animals). However I am only a vegetarian....I still consume cheese, eggs, and honey. I do not drink cows milk though (prefer water or herbal tea and I get tons of calcium from veggies). Because I do the shopping I have no problems like before and junk food isn't an issue because I greatly limit my sweets (they're my down fall but my body is intolerant to the GINORMOUS amount of sugar).

    Newly back in the fold, I should add here :0D....Any fellow veggies/vegans feel free to friend me! I'd love to get some new recipes!!!
  • Soulbird81
    Soulbird81 Posts: 86
    Honestly, I was at an Hr block office, and there was a PETA magazine. It was learning about factory farming that did it. I'm probably the only vegetarian I know that was converted by PETA. My husband and I did it together, came home, gave our meat away and never looked back.

    In hindsight, I could see events leading up to it. I was getting slowly grossed out by certain meats.

    Now you know another!! PETA is what got me when I was a teenager. Now I keep up on this "knowledge" of abuse by checking out documentaries on Netflix and HuluPlus
  • pandabear_
    pandabear_ Posts: 487 Member
    I didn't like the taste of meat either. I went vegetarian 6 years ago, but before that I would only eat chicken and tuna. I hated the taste of all other meat.

    I also believed that it was better for the environment and I was doing my bit. And I felt very strongly about animal rights.
  • digitalchique
    digitalchique Posts: 24 Member
    My aunt and uncle had a cow named Bumper. And I was 7.

    I had never really been around cows before. They would let us go see the cow, pet the cow etc...

    Then the cow was gone. They said the cow ran into the woods and got lost.

    Later that night, I heard my mom say (after Easter dinner) "wow, Bumper was really tender."

    To my mom's credit- she didn't know I was in the room.

    However, I have not ate meat since.

    True story

    When I was little, my grandparents had a pig named Annie. They bought her to eat her. But her personality turned out to be so charming that no one could slaughter her and she lived to a ripe old age, and when she finally passed on naturally, our whole family came to her burial. She was smart, and liked to play with people, especially little kids. She used to even make jokes in her own pig way and laugh at them!
  • scs143
    scs143 Posts: 2,190 Member
    My aunt and uncle had a cow named Bumper. And I was 7.

    I had never really been around cows before. They would let us go see the cow, pet the cow etc...

    Then the cow was gone. They said the cow ran into the woods and got lost.

    Later that night, I heard my mom say (after Easter dinner) "wow, Bumper was really tender."

    To my mom's credit- she didn't know I was in the room.

    However, I have not ate meat since.

    True story

    When I was little, my grandparents had a pig named Annie. They bought her to eat her. But her personality turned out to be so charming that no one could slaughter her and she lived to a ripe old age, and when she finally passed on naturally, our whole family came to her burial. She was smart, and liked to play with people, especially little kids. She used to even make jokes in her own pig way and laugh at them!


    Sadly, it didn't end that way for Bumper. They too bought the cow to raise it for meat, but no one explained it to me. So it was quite a shock! I am glad Annie got to be part of the family!
  • digitalchique
    digitalchique Posts: 24 Member


    When I was little, my grandparents had a pig named Annie. They bought her to eat her. But her personality turned out to be so charming that no one could slaughter her and she lived to a ripe old age, and when she finally passed on naturally, our whole family came to her burial. She was smart, and liked to play with people, especially little kids. She used to even make jokes in her own pig way and laugh at them!


    Sadly, it didn't end that way for Bumper. They too bought the cow to raise it for meat, but no one explained it to me. So it was quite a shock! I am glad Annie got to be part of the family!

    ME TOO. I'm sorry Bumper didn't have the same fate =(
  • cowboydan43
    cowboydan43 Posts: 306 Member
    I've been vegetarian since I was a kid (10ish) and have never looked back. I want to be vegan someday but for the short- term I'm going to try to give up cheese because I am a total cheese addict & like a previous poster said I'm pretty sure its making me fat. I've always hated all fish& all dark meat. I did like chicken but it was not hard to give up and now I couldn't imagine eating an animal.
    I strongly encourage you to do research and see all the benefits of becoming vegetarian. I can't think of a single person I know who regrets becoming one and sticking with it.
  • batalina
    batalina Posts: 209 Member
    I was deeply appalled by the annual dolphin slaughter that goes on in Taiji, Japan every year. When i got researching on it, i found a lot of 'pro dolphin and whale meat people' would say 'it's just like you eating pig, chicken, cow etc..'. So i decided that I couldn't be a hypocrite any longer and gave up meat. I've always been passionate about animal welfare and finally grew up and took responsibility. A few months later i was exposed to the cruelty behind the dairy industry and cut out dairy. I don't eat anything with eggs in it either. It's almost been a year since giving up meat. Do NOT miss it in the slightest. I feel fit, clean and guilt free :)




    That's awful! I had no idea that occured :(

    MamaKatel, there's a documentary about the dolphin thing that you might want to watch (though it is very difficult to), called The Cove. http://www.thecovemovie.com
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