Please Vegan/Vegetarians help me!!!!!?

Question

I am 19 yrs. and I live at my parents house. Three months ago I decided to stop eating meat and its byproducts, my sister who is 13yrs. old never really liked meat and she eats from my soy products too and doens't eat meat, eggs or milk. Our parentsare going crazy about it. They have very primitive ideas like.. "If you don't eat meat..you're not gonna be strong enough" .."if you stop eating meat you're gonna collapse one of these days!!"...."I am going to take you to a psychologist!!!" I am tired..I am tired of this situation!!! How do I make them understand???? I've tried giving them books..magazzines..articles..but they say "oh it's all propaganda to sell their green products!!" What can I do? they look at me like if I was a bug in the family!! or like if I'm betraying them!!! I eat healthy and I buy my own food...how to stop it? how do I make them understand????

Answer 1

Personally, i'm vegetarian and it's hard with people asking why I don't eat meat. But thankfully it's not my parents because they are also vegetarians. Being vegetarian was my chose because my sisters still eat meat. I used to eat meat too but I changed. I don't eat meat included chicken and fish. What you can do is show them the benefits of being a vegetarian. I heard that most vegatarians have a better IQ that other mat eaters. being a vegetarian is growing and is a lot of smart kids are turning to their vegatables and soy.

Answer 2

My folks come from the meat and potatoes, and 4 glasses of milk a day generation. He seas vegans as week funny colored people ( pale and gray) who fart really bad and are generaly stoned. Because those were the only vegans he met when he was growing up. He would feel he was abusing his kids if he could not provide meat and milk. While I am not vegan my kid is. When my kid arrived back from college healthy and happy with 4 A's and a B my dad figured she had to be eating meat. My my mom though there must be somthing to this veggie stuff. You Proably can not make them understand because you are trying to tell them something is true that is 100% against what they think is real. The best thing to do is just smile and stop fighting. When your 24 and still have not passed out they may think there is something to this vegie stuff.

Answer 3

www.vegsource.com has streaming video of doctors promoting vegetarian/vegan diets. The China Study is a great book. It sounds like they don't want to hear anything at all. Try getting a booklet from www.veganoutreach.org. They also have the best information about veg nutrition for your own personal use. Subscribe to VegNews. It has tons of articles featuring healthy vegetarian people who aren't collapsing. Scott Jurek won the badwater marathon four times, it's 100 miles through the desert. He set a new record for time and he's a vegan. Best of luck.

Answer 4

Give them articles from scientific journals and accredited institutions. These aren't about "selling" any product, but are about actual research. Every week it seems like there is a new study coming out talking about how great a vegetarian diet is, when you see an article like this, cut it out and give it to them. Until then, start searching the net for a resource that they can't deny.

And if they fear for your health and safety, logic is the best argument. Tell them how Stella McCartney has never eaten meat yet is a top fashion designer. Tell them how Joaquin Phoenix has been vegetarian (and possibly vegan) since birth, and he's not "faling down".

Unfortunately, you can't convince those who have been fully deceived by tradition and propaganda. So, it may mean biding your time until you can get out of there.

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/nutrition_8053_ENU_HTML.htm

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=257&topic_id=1359&placement_default=0

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vegetarianism.html

http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/vegetarian.html

Just some places to start. : )

Answer 5

Go to a nutritionist and show them that your diet is OK.
Get a chart with GDAs of all of the vitamins and minerals and other things and show them that you are getting everything that you need.

If they still don't agree, then TELL them that their ideas are old-fashioned, and that their argument had no gounds. The best way to resolve a conflict is to talk about it.

My parents used to worry that I wasn't getting enough protein, but we went to a nutritionist and I was getting plenty. They don't worry as much any more.

Answer 6

If you don't have a wt or estrogen problem- soy is fine- just make sure you are getting enough protein and iron from a mix of lentils - beans etc- and iron from raisins-and dark greens is great- you make a great impact on your little sis- the parents will adjust- this is just so different to them- take care -D

Answer 7

well first of all to be a vegetarian you can drink milk!Because you're not killing anything when you drink that liquid,the liquid coes out of the cow not from it!
and second of all I dont eat meat or eggs,and I've never fainted in my life because of that! Tell youre parents that most Hindus dont eat meat and eggs and they survive!
~TIP~: its okay to drink milk! you're not killing the animal by drinking it

Answer 8

1: Get a nice supportiong job for 2 or 1
2: Get a house/ apartment
3: as long as your sister is over 12 and has a sibing or parent that is over 18 -- they get to choose who to live with. So if she wants to she could move in with you. You just have to deal with the Judiary Branch of Law. And sign a paper. Your parents really don't have a choice since your 19 and she's 13. If she doesn't want to or your parents rebel...then only do steps 1-2- & 4
4: Do whatever you want with your sister. Just don't make her feel excluded.

Answer 9

Actually, it is very common to be a vegetarian and your strength has nothing to do with meat. You can still gain strength by eating veggies because they have Calcium and protein as well.

Answer 10

your of age, so they can't controll what you eat and what you don't eat. your sister on the other hand, they have a say. stand up for her as well as yourself. they can't coltroll you now that your over 18.