Vegetarians ( and Vegans ) Thread!!!

[dolphinlvr4]

Hi Dolphinlvr4 !
I've been veggie as a child, and the became vegan in my twenties. My children are vegan & husband veggie (has dairy in some things & eats eggs). We have only seen doctors for sports injuries, because we had to, to get a note to return.
I think most people end up being sick or having issues when they are not eating healthy. Being vegan you can eat oreos & fritos, and of course some prepackaged meals, all of which contain things that aren't really good for you. Processed foods in general cause health issues.
If you are thinking about changing your diet, I would do it slowly and just by adding a few changes daily. Any change can make you feel blaa until your body is able to be free of the toxins. That's why most people feel really crappy during the second to fourth day of a cleanse. Veggies clean your body out and it can even make some people depressed for a week or two.
This is a good site with info on how and why it's best to be veggie/vegan:

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html

If you'd like someone that has recipes and random info posted, Elena's site is great !!
http://www.vega-licious.com/

 

[dolphinlvr4]

Ty, I'll check it out. I still think I'm to spineless to walk away from a filet! But I know I could do it for a week on week off.

 

[nuchickontheblock]

I had been a "vegetarian" for many years, which in my mind meant I didn't eat beef or pork, but ate everything and anything else. I felt horrible - fibromyalgia for 25 years, lots of gastrointestinal issues, bloating, depressed, no energy, terrible periods, headaches and achy all over. After menopause some of my symptoms improved, but I still had plenty of days when I didn't feel well. When we got chickens 3 years ago, I stopped eating chicken, but still ate fish a couple of times a week. Then my doctor suggested that I try gluten free to see if that would help some of my symptoms.
So I did, and after a while felt pretty good. Then I wondered how I'd do if I cut out the dairy (I was a huge cheese and yogurt eater). I felt even better. Then I quit the fish -- better still. Then about a year ago, I took a raw vegan class with a woman I know and have been a raw vegan since. I very occasionally will eat cooked vegetables or rice and beans if I am in a situation where raw food is not that available. I have done this a handful of times in the past year. The food item I miss the most are fresh eggs, but my hen don't lay very many any more, so it's ok. I lost weight, have a ton of energy, occasional aches and pains, but no headaches or GI issues anymore. My skin is clear and when I recently retired, folks were surprised that I am in my mid 60's.

I always recommend that folks gradually make changes in their diet. I think that worked best for me. At each point that I dropped something out of my regular food intake, I felt a little crummy for a few days, as my body detoxed and adjusted to the change. My DH, however went from his regular steak, cheese, white bread diet directly to raw vegan and felt so bad that he quit in about 10 days.

You might want to think about why you want to change your lifestyle. What is your purpose? Originally I did it for health reasons, but the longer I am in a vegan lifestyle, the more I believe the ethical and environmental reasons are so compelling, that I know I'll never go back to eating anything that ever had a mother.
Like every aspect of living. . .it's all a journey.

 

[silkiemomma9]

http://www.livevegan.org/meatout-mondays
This is a site for meat out Mondays! I agree it's a journey and we all make our own. For our own reasons, even if it's just to try different ways to make veggies.
Have you ever been to meet up? It's a place to meet up with other people who do/like similar things. We post our monthly veggie potlucks on there. Good way to find maybe a potluck near you where you could just bring some fresh fruit or veggies with a dip and try some recipes

 

[nuchickontheblock]

Yes, we have lots of meet-up groups in Maine. I try to go a raw vegan one that they have monthly. I have been to others as well, which have been fun. Usually they go to restaurants that have vegetarian options and it is a great way to give those places extra business and introduce folks to their vegetarian menus.

 

[ElleLovesDucks]

I'm new to BYC and I'm a vegetarian! I love buying eggs from my neighbors but they recently got rid of their chickens and I decided it was time to get some of my own. I do a lot of organic gardening too, and I try to be fairly self sufficient. We're getting ducks and chickens. I eat eggs and dairy, but I was a vegan for a year so I understand both sides.

Happy to join the group here!

 

[ClucksAndPeeps]

I am a vegan; I believe eating and using animal products obtained in a cruel way is inhumane. People ask why I have chickens and I say "because they are pets and I know at least 9 chickens in the world are being treated in a humane and kind way".

 

[cassie]

I am a vegan; I believe eating and using animal products obtained in a cruel way is inhumane. People ask why I have chickens and I say "because they are pets and I know at least 9 chickens in the world are being treated in a humane and kind way".

If you want to be vegan, fine. That said, cruelty is not necessary in order to to obtain animal products. The livestock with which I am familiar, and it's a lot because I have spent most of my life in the middlle of large agricultural areas, have all been treated decently. Just sayin'.

 

[ClucksAndPeeps]

If you want to be vegan, fine. That said, cruelty is not necessary in order to to obtain animal products. The livestock with which I am familiar, and it's a lot because I have spent most of my life in the middlle of large agricultural areas, have all been treated decently. Just sayin'.

Is a newborn calf being pulled away from it's momma humane to you, so the milk that rightfully belongs to the calf can be harvested for human consumption? That's decent? I'm not trying to start a fight. Just sayin' myself.

 

[ClucksAndPeeps]

To add to above post, I said that I believe animal products obtained in a CRUEL way is inhumane. That being said, all animals raised for meat, however how well they lived, die in violent ways whether it be a shot to the head or slit of the throat.