newtovegan
01-23-2004, 11:09 AM
Even as a kid, I was aware that the animals on my plate were not at all different from the dogs and cats in the neighborbood that I loved to play with. However, I came from a family where meat was a cornerstone of a healthy diet and I accepted it as a necessary evil. Still, in junior high and high school, I would look around the dinner table at night and say a small prayer when there was no meat, knowing that no animals had to die to feed me that night.
I went to college in rural Pennsylvania, (no veggie mentors there!), but as a senior, when I saw some special on Mad Cow disease, I decided on the spot to stop eating beef for a while. I thought it would only last a little while, but surprise! After I hadn't eaten it for a few weeks, it no longer looked, smelled or tasted good to me. I was shocked that i could give beef up that easily. But, I still believed that you had to have some animal protein to be healthy (namely chicken and turkey breast, skim milk, etc.)
I also heard about veganism for the first time that same year - from a teenager I was counseling as part of an internship with juvenile offenders. He told me about his parents who were vegan, had traveled extensively with the Grateful dead, did not eat honey, etc, etc. It was the first time I had ever heard about living without any animal products. I didn't act on it then, but it planted a seed...
Out of college and cooking for myself for the first time finally gave me the freedom and drive to research "food", and I couldn't believe the myths I had been taught: skim milk being essential to bone density, that chicken and turkey breast contained little fat or cholesterol and were the best source of protein. What kind of advertising machine had convinced me of these fallacies??
And so it began, pork was the next to go, followed by chicken and turkey, fish, and then I hit a wall, and couldn't figure out how to drop dairy and eggs. This continued for several years until I began to research veggie issues on the web (all my previous info had been from books). Everything I needed to stop milk and eggs was there all the time, and just a few months ago, I became a vegan (for food only so far). I am still working on the hidden ingredients, (i.e. the dreaded natural flavorings), and I expect that it will be a solid year before I also start to look at cosmetics, household items, and clothes (wool I think is the major concern in my closet, and leather on my running shoes).
My family's reaction has been mixed, my brothers and sisters asking questions out of curiousity, my dad asking questions trying to prove me wrong, and my mom sending me a italian charm bracelet with a charm of a fish, chicken, cow, and pig to show her support and celebrate my transition.
My partner has been tolerant of the changes; he makes jokes about Silk and veggie bacon, but avoids cooking meat when i am in the house and has made an effort to create some veggie versions of his dishes.
I am grateful to message boards like these that provide a sense of community and connection for sharing ideas/thoughts.
Now it's time to post a "Why vegan" flyer at the local Stop and Shop community board. I'm wondering if they'll let it stay...
I went to college in rural Pennsylvania, (no veggie mentors there!), but as a senior, when I saw some special on Mad Cow disease, I decided on the spot to stop eating beef for a while. I thought it would only last a little while, but surprise! After I hadn't eaten it for a few weeks, it no longer looked, smelled or tasted good to me. I was shocked that i could give beef up that easily. But, I still believed that you had to have some animal protein to be healthy (namely chicken and turkey breast, skim milk, etc.)
I also heard about veganism for the first time that same year - from a teenager I was counseling as part of an internship with juvenile offenders. He told me about his parents who were vegan, had traveled extensively with the Grateful dead, did not eat honey, etc, etc. It was the first time I had ever heard about living without any animal products. I didn't act on it then, but it planted a seed...
Out of college and cooking for myself for the first time finally gave me the freedom and drive to research "food", and I couldn't believe the myths I had been taught: skim milk being essential to bone density, that chicken and turkey breast contained little fat or cholesterol and were the best source of protein. What kind of advertising machine had convinced me of these fallacies??
And so it began, pork was the next to go, followed by chicken and turkey, fish, and then I hit a wall, and couldn't figure out how to drop dairy and eggs. This continued for several years until I began to research veggie issues on the web (all my previous info had been from books). Everything I needed to stop milk and eggs was there all the time, and just a few months ago, I became a vegan (for food only so far). I am still working on the hidden ingredients, (i.e. the dreaded natural flavorings), and I expect that it will be a solid year before I also start to look at cosmetics, household items, and clothes (wool I think is the major concern in my closet, and leather on my running shoes).
My family's reaction has been mixed, my brothers and sisters asking questions out of curiousity, my dad asking questions trying to prove me wrong, and my mom sending me a italian charm bracelet with a charm of a fish, chicken, cow, and pig to show her support and celebrate my transition.
My partner has been tolerant of the changes; he makes jokes about Silk and veggie bacon, but avoids cooking meat when i am in the house and has made an effort to create some veggie versions of his dishes.
I am grateful to message boards like these that provide a sense of community and connection for sharing ideas/thoughts.
Now it's time to post a "Why vegan" flyer at the local Stop and Shop community board. I'm wondering if they'll let it stay...