The Vegetarian & Vegan Thread

[AD041919]

Louna I found this article and I thought it might be interesting for you.
http://www.vegetarianteen.com/articles/veganathlete.shtml

 

[utopia]

I'm transitioning into veganism, though not 100% strict. (I know few vegans who are) I've gotten a lot of hardship for it, though. it's hard enough being a vegetarian (I'm shocked at how much prejudice there still is), but to try and explain to people that I don't eat animal by-products is like speaking to a brick wall. people just don't get it. for me it's mainly for health reasons though the ethical reasons are important to me as well. whether it's something all humans should do is not for me to debate...I just know that for me it feels like the right thing to do and I don't miss it really.

one really important thing, which somebody mentioned a couple of pages back, is that it does make you extremely attuned to your body and how it reacts to certain foods. it also makes you extremely aware of how processed so many foods are. now I tend to make everything from scratch and thus buy all of my food fresh. it's all still a bit trial and error regarding getting enough vitamins, etc, and being able to eat enough to get everything I need, but I'll get there.

 

[Meg]

utopia-do you find that it harder in Britain than back home? Granted you are from the south, but still. I find attitudes here a bit harsher and vegetarian/vegan products harder to find but it might be different where you are. I get called a fake vegetarian all the time for still eating poultry and seafood (which I do quite rarely) as aforementioned. I still haven't made any decisions regarding transitioning though I know I should. Still....I agree utopia, lots of prejudgice. I don't know where people get off commenting on the food I eat.

 

[utopia]

^ yeah surprisingly I'm subjected to more criticism/prejudice about being vegan/vegetarian here in the uk than in the states...I wonder why people care so much, really.
at home I know a lot of vegans, so maybe I've just been sheltered. people here act like I must be some really weird fanatic or something...and it is hard to find vegan products here. they only sell one brand of tofu (and the only option is firm) in my town, and quorn is out of the question because it has egg whites in it. fortunately they sell alpro soya products here, but otherwise I'm on my own.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Good luck Utopia!

I wouldn't really know what to compare any 'predjudice' concerning being vegetarian to...but I've never really had much of a problem, perhaps I brush it off, or I'm just used to it now. I do know a couple of vegan people but I think it's lack of understanding mostly that is the barrier. I think one of the first questions is, then what do you have in your tea? perhaps it's the Brit's love of a good ol' cuppa

 

[Meg]

I didn't know quorn had eggwhites in it! Well I haven't eaten beef in over 5 years and I still get criticized. You do just need to ignore it and know that your eating choices are your own and no one elses

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Yeah they do meg and supposedly they at least USED to be battery farmed eggs. tuttut.

I've been vegetarian since I was 9, and I used to always get negative comments when I was younger but I think I was obviously rather strong minded and really didn't care because it was my choice, and I wasn't forcing it upon any of my friends at all. It was completely my own choice, and it was around the time of the BSE outbreak, none of the rest of my family or friends were vegetarian...9 seems so young when I think back but I was obviously a bit of a campaigner

I remember one of my friends mams watching me pick up and eat this mini ham pizza when I was at a party once I was probs about 9/10 at the time (I didnt know it was ham) I remember that really annoyed me, so I spat it out in the bin and walked out of the room. They always used to say 'you'll not grow Amy' haha, when now I'm taller than them all. Oh one of the difficult ones used to be telling people I wouldn't eat products with gelatine or animal fat, parents trying to stuff jelly sweets in my mouth etc My mam and dad were always very supportive about it, and now I don't even notice I'm vegetarian...I do eat gelatine now though hypocrite, 9 year old me would have been disgusted

 

[Meg]

^


gelatine can be hard because it's in a lot of things you wouldn't expect, ie marshmallows. i do try and avoid it though if at all possible. Quite a strong little girl you were!

 

[woodenhouse]

Utopia- I definetly hear you on the prejudice (though I live in the states- New England.) People are so scared and challenged by a lifestyle thats not theirs, they immediately make assumptions in their head to convince themselves that were the wierdos and their way of living is perfectly fine. It's all about fear and the ego. And then, like fab fifties said, it's alot of misunderstanding too. People think that I, as a vegetarian, eat just salads! Most everyone I know eats more salads than me. And then when you mention vegan, they think they just eat grass or something. I try to educate as many people as I can, but theres alot of resistance and I think people tune me out sometimes..

 

[newprincesita]

I´ve been a vegetarian for more than 3 years, and I learned one thing well:to make things easier on yourself you´ve gotta start cooking so you don´t fall into the pizza-pasta-bread-potato trap. Maybe a little course for starters, but I really gets you going and lets you see all the choices besides the boring salads.

So when you solve your meals at home by cooking a little bit, you save those more popular dishes for dining out.

I don´t diet at all, I eat eggs and dairy, and sometimes people look at me as if I was "cheating" because I´m eating pizza or frenchfries. Vegetarianism is not about dieting but about not eating dead animal´s flesh, for many reasons (to each its own). People can look at you or even make comments, but nobody is gonna put a gun to your head to force to eat what you don´t want.

I don´t declare myself a "vegetarian" in public, and I only say that I don´t eat meat when somebody asks me a straight question. Oherwise I don´t mention the issue. When I´m dining at somebody´s who doesn´t know that I don´t eat meat, I stick to the salad or some side stuff like potatoes, etc, and I simply don´t mention my diet at all. You´ll be surprised to see how many times people just don´t notice you haven´t touched the meat.

Anyways, the best thing is when you arrive to that point when you consider "your" food so much better than anybody´s else, and you dont yearn for meat, at all.
So my advice for begginers is: If you still feel the craving, go ahead and eat meat. But if you give it a try for more than 3 or 4 months..... you´ll never go back.

 

[lizloveslife]

A lot of people say things like "Oh I could never give up meat" and comments like that, but once you start, it's actually quite easy. It becomes natural and eventually people stop noticing. Luckily, vegetarianism is much more accepted into society nowadays, when I first gave up meat, I found it so hard to get good meatless choices at restaurants.

 

[Bonchic]

Well now I'm a little more than a vegan.. Because I don't eat meat (steal weaning it out but wow like no pasta, pizza, etc..) no ice cream, etc.. chips, sugary foods.. And you know I've started to notice a big difference in my skin in the last week. It's amazing what cutting out dairy,etc.. and eating more veggies, nuts, salmon can do for your body! I ran out of soy milk the other day and I wanted to eat my morning oats with fresh strawberries so I used cow milk or whatever because I had to have it. Omg I thought it tasted sooo gross. It's amazing how your taste buds adapt. I do admit to missing some desserts, etc.. but I've been a little bad and nibbled on cookies and some jelly beans! Ha so I'm not depriving myself. I just feel like I need to eat a humongous salad afterwards And total since I started walking last year, plus becoming a vegetarian this year (I run now and do other exercises) I've lost more than 15 lbs! Talk about being healthy inside and out! I feel great

 

[Neo_Classic]

^That's wonderful.

 

[Missoni~Heiress]

Im not eating enough veggies

 

[utopia]

And you know I've started to notice a big difference in my skin in the last week. It's amazing what cutting out dairy,etc.. and eating more veggies, nuts, salmon can do for your body!

it's so true, isn't it? my skin is clearer and brighter than it's ever been since going vegan. of course I don't eat salmon/fish, but I do imagine it also would help with complexion. seeing the way your body reacts when it gets what it really needs is amazing - it's like your body's way of thanking you.

 

[LucindaMay]

I am a vegan raw foodist. Since adapting this way of eating my skin is so radient and luminous! I highly recommend it.

 

[twilight fairy]

Most people in my surrounding oppose vegetarianism because they think it's unhealthy for you. They claim meat has substances which nothing else can give you; apparently, it is the best source for protein, etc. They tell me I won't grow, and so on.

Gahhh like they think I haven't done my research before becoming a vegetarian.

 

[Meg]

I actually didn't notice that big of a difference in my skin in cutting out meat. If anything, I eat way less meat now than I ever did before and my skin is at its worst! Why do I have to be the anomaly?!

Some people just really don't understand the facts about meat and tell you crap like that ^. I don't know where people get the idea that you need to eat meat to live. It's such a disgusting idea sometimes.

 

[Kinana]

Some people just really don't understand the facts about meat and tell you crap like that ^. I don't know where people get the idea that you need to eat meat to live. It's such a disgusting idea sometimes.[/QUOTE]

I turned 25 last week and I just realised that I've been a vegetarian for almost 10 years now , and look at me, I'm still alive looking way better than when I was 15 .

 

[rubyredcherrypie]

I am a vegan raw foodist. Since adapting this way of eating my skin is so radient and luminous! I highly recommend it.

I love the idea of Raw food but i was looking through a "cook" book for it and everything was like 'dehydrate for 5 days etc. etc.' How do you find the time for that?