What is it like being a vegan?

Question

I might go vegan

Answer 1

It feels good. Health wise, and Mind wise. I mean, really, who doesn't wanna do something good for themselves AND the environment AND animals? The answer is... no one!

My mother's cholesterol has gone down to 154 (it was 220 before!), and my father's has gone down to 163 (it was 223!). They have turned vegan, and have never felt better.

Also, when you turn vegan, you are helping the animals AND the environment.

A pretty awesome deal, huh? You bet.

That's why I'm vegan!

I hope this helps you in your decision. Here are some sites that might help.

Goveg.com
Peta2.com
Peta.com

If you want any info on veganism (including vegan recipes!), just email me anytime. ;) :)

Answer 2

I am a 30yr old vegan, an exceptionaly healthy one : )
However I would recommend to anyone that before considering a vegan diet that you should read up on some nutritional facts. It is really important to be aware of all the products available to you. Some still believe that vegans live off of tofu, and pulses, thay are of course included, but are only a small part of what can be an incredibly healthy and balanced diet. Veganism is not bad for you,as some would like you to believe. Consider this before becoming a vegan, I was obese, with high cholesterol, blood pressure, and emotional and hormonal imbalances. I am now very slim, very fit and healthy, have low cholesterol and perfect blood pressure, and my emotional and physical well being has never been better. I am not saying that this would be the case for everyone as every one is different. However I will say that there are many many delicious vegan alternatives to many foods that people think that it would be too hard to give up. Infact there are just about alternatives to everything. This was not the case when I first became a vegan 13yrs ago but the market has become much more vegan friendly. Vegan Ice cream for example is absolutely delicious and my kids prefer it to dairy (they have the choice) The plus sides to such products is unlike their dairy counterpart they contain no cholesterol. However many people are under the miscoception that you can eat more as a vegan and stay slim, this is not the case, and I still recommend everything in moderation. There are some amazing vegan recipes books and on-line recipies for everyday quick cooking to delicious special occasion meals and desserts. Veganism has tremendous health benfits for humans and the animals will thank you : ) and for all those doubting Thomas' out there that say you will be lacking in all sorts of vitamins and minerals this is not he case. I eat plenty of fruit and loads of vegetables, I get all my essential fats, calcium from tofu and enriched soya milk, B vitamins from cereals etc, I take seaweed for hormonal/thyroid balance (which can be affected by veganism due to lack of zinc- which btw is in prune juice : ) Omega 3 and 6 in plain soya yoghurt, and if you still feel you may be lacking in anything then there are plenty of vegan friendly suppliments on the market. I am (and this is medically verified) in exceptional health. So if you do decide to go ahead then good on you, but do not feel any negativity if you try and feel it's not for you : ) which ever way you decide do your research and good luck!

Answer 3

Once upon a time when I was a vegetarian a few years ago, I was accused of being veg because someone else told me to. I said no, I decided, no one else decided for me. Why on Earth would that make sense to someone, that a veggie does it for someone else? It was weird.

To answer your question, it feels great! Veganism is more known about now, and most people aren't so freaked out over it. I recently was asked the STUPIDEST question by someone at work, which was "Do you eat oatmeal?" I wanted to say, A-duhhhhhHHHH!!! Oats are a plant, hello!!

Seriously though, knowing that you are doing such a good thing for yourself, for animals, and for the entire planet, is a GREAT feeling!

As for food and the practicality of being vegan - practicality, or lack thereof - it can sometimes be a challenge, but it's not impossible. If you go out to eat, everywhere will have veggies and rice or veggies and pasta, and most places will have marinara, so it's really not that hard. You can even order off the menu, so if the menu has lots of meat & cheese stuff, don't be discouraged. Most places will say it's fine, especially since veggies and some sort of starch (potatoes, noodles, rice, beans, etc) are pretty simple to make, and they always have those ingredients.

Sometimes you wanna tell the WORLD about the wonderful lifeatyle you've chosen! I know I feel like that, and have told lots of people, whether in person, on the phone, or in email. Easy does it though, not everyone wants to hear the nitty gritty truth. So, if you wanna be vegan, and you wanna tell people about it, rather than scare them away with the scary stuff, talk about all the GOOD things about veganism. You know, the healthy diet, the fact that you consume zero cholesterol, the vitality you feel from eating more greens, etc.

Being vegan feels good, really good. : ^ )


EDIT: I read the entry above about the chocolate dilemma. True true, this is absolutely true. Vegans can't just walk down to the liquor store and buy the cheap chocolate, not even the dark chocolate. In fact, we can't even walk to the candy isle in the grocery store, look at the finer chocolates (the ones with the cocoa percentage on them), and find something for us. Even THOSE are polluted with milkfat, or skim milk, or powedered milk, or milk protein, or SOMETHING. It's true, we have to either order online, or get chocolate at the health food store where it's vegan.

However, if you want hot chocolate, get plain cocoa powder, soy milk, and raw sugar. Blend everything in a sauce pan and voilà, hot cocoa! Mmm.

Answer 4

People who become vegans/vegetarians are very admirable. However, make sure you get all the facts straight before making a decision. Organizations like PETA often show horrifying and biased pictures that are nothing like real industry and animal management practices. Believe me, if producers treated animals terribly no one would buy meat because it would be very poor quality. Producers try to reduce stress in animals because it makes more sense. The animal is happier and the end products are better as well. Every professional I have spoken with that has a science based background discounts PETA as an unbiased and honest source of information. If you are thinking of being vegan because you think animals are suffering, I suggest taking a tour of an animal management or producing facility. Except in instances where contamination might be an issue, most producers are happy to give tours or talk about what they do. I am not anti-vegan or anything, I just want you to know all the facts so you can make an informed decision based on your own opinions.

Answer 5

It IS great. I feel healthier than I did as an omnivore (and I performed better on my school's cross-country team last season) and I feel less guilty about the animals. It's just so inconvenient.

Take chocolate for instance. If the US government or whoever defined these things just allowed vegetable fat in chocolate, we'd have all kinds of cheap, delicious, unhealthy vegan candy bars. As it is, though, whenever I want chocolate I have to go down to the health food store and pay three bucks for not a lot of it.

Yep. People put animal products in the stupidest places. And people are intolerant of vegans, too.

Just remember, though, animals aren't food. They're what eats food.

Answer 6

Your body will thank you. So will the animals and the environment. It is so worth it to go vegan. You will just have to try if for yourself instead of listening to other people. You will feel better, your hair will grow faster, your endurance will increase, your cholesterol will go down, so many things. You will probably lose weight too. Make sure you go vegan for at least 4 months before you make your final decision. Don't let other people judge you for your decision either. Go to websites and do your homework too. Make sure you know how to get a variety of nutrients and balanced meal planning. It's not hard once you get the hang of it and develop some favorite recipes.

Answer 7

Some poeple think it's real extreme and hard to do,but it's not.It just takes some getting used,but so does every other big lifestyle change.Just like going ti the gym,it may be difficult and hard to stick to,but after a while you just get used to going to the gym and you feel better than you ever did before.You can go to peta or goveg websites and order a vegetarian starter kit,it has basic nutrition information,recipes, and reasons to go vegan(and it's free!)

.Vegetarian Starter Kit
http://goveg.com/order.asp

Answer 8

It's strange non-vegans and/or non-vegetarians alike start to question your religion and your sexuality, but not much about the food.

Answer 9

It's cool. I've been doing this for quite a while now.

Answer 10

that means you give up eggs, milk, mayo, salad dressings that has eggs, etc. i dont think i can ever go that far.