What are the pros and cons of becoming a vegetarian? What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan?
I'm 19 now. I've been a vegetarian since age 6 and a vegan for almost a year. Vegan-you don't eat or wear anything that was ever part of an animal. Vegetarian-no meat, but most eat eggs and/or milk. Pros- -Low cholesterol (vegetarian) and no cholesterol diet (vegan) -Easier to maintain a healthy weight (i've lost 30lbs since going vegan!) -Risks for most kinds of cancer are greatly reduced -Vegetarians save 95 lives a year! -Animal products (which aren't organic) tend to be loading with all kinds of chemicals (hormones, antibiotics) which are harmful to you. Cons (of veganism)- -Can be difficult to eat out, though most restaurants are willing to modify the food for you. -Not really a horrible con, but you will have to explain the reasoning behind your diet to everyone who finds out about it. -Must take a B12 supplement. -Soy milk and faux meat alternatives are a little more pricey than unethical options. It's best to make the transition slowly. Use ground veggie burger instead of ground beef, start baking with soy milk, use faux chicken strips with stir fries (morning star farms has a delicious one), pour some soy milk over your breakfast cereal, fry tofu with some onions and peppers instead of scrambled eggs to make a morning breakfast scramble. There is honestly a vegan-friendly version for nearly all of your favorite foods (even marshmallows, mac n cheese, banana cream pies, cheesecake, pizza...to name a few--I've had all of the above!) it's just a matter of knowing what to replace what with and knwoing where to buy the replacements. (check out goveg.com for links to a bunch of online vegan stores, as well as a FREE vegetarian starter kit!)
By imagining the perfect woman in your head, can she become a reality!?
I am 20 years old. I am a vegan. I am picky. I never smoked nor drink in my life. I never had a girlfriend in my life. I never had one kiss before. I am also a virgin. I am attending a community college right now. I treat all women with respect and kindness. They have rejected me. I soon realize how insecure they really are. They talk about how they have been in bad relationships. They always talk about how they want a nice guy. I am a nice guy. They all rejected me. I got tried of looking for love. So I am now going to imagine the perfect woman for myself in my mind from now on. All the women who don't fit my dream woman's standards are going to be rejected and ignored. Is it possible that if I move forward with my plan that I may meet the love of my life? I want her to have never had one boyfriend. I want her to be a virgin. I want her not to like jerks. I want her to be independent, confident, secure, smart, a vegan, and a little shy. I want this woman to have never smoked nor drink in her life. What do you people think? Can it work? Has there been previous attempts of this action or something similar by other people?
POLL: Nature or nurture - Does veganism make you smarter, or are vegans already smarter?
Ah the old chicken and egg situation, or as us vegans say: "the spinach and the kale situation". Science has proven that vegans are naturally smarter and more compassionate than meat eaters, AND veganism / veganity (whatever you want to call it) makes one even smarter!!!
I suck at being vegan?
I was doing really well as a vegan but then I ran out of vegan groceries and relapsed. My morals tell me its right and feels great to be vegan but as a vegan I don't enjoy my food and I crave everything I used to eat. It's really not easy for me, I'm a poor college student and meat and dairy are all there is on the meal plan. I don't have money for raw groceries anymore and yea, I suck at this. Call me weak or an idiot or whatever but the truth is I really just want to live my life right now without obsessing over food. As a vegan I am obsessed with food because I have to think about what food to get next all the time and as I said, I'm poor and in college. Can't I just live my life right now and worry about being vegan later in life? I'm happy to have had this big moral awakening but it is really screwing up my health, my happiness, and my life.
I hate continuously being the subject of vegetarian "jokes" and lectures?
They're baiting you for one of two reasons: 1. They think it's funny to upset you. 2. They are "defending" their choice to eat meat. Either way, I suggest using humor as best as you can. 1. Q- What if I was kidnapped and the only way I could be released was if you ate a steak? A- Nah. I really want your iPod/prom dress/laptop and I think I'd have a better chance of getting it if you disappeared. However, I know that you like steak, so I'd ask the kidnappers to give it to you. 2. Q- "God put animals on the Earth to be eaten." A- Sprinkle salt on their arm and take a bite. If they ask you what you're doing, just repeat their claim. 3. Q- "You'll get ill and die, because you'll be anemic and not get enough protein!" A- "Nah, I'm going to take after Mac Danzig/Rob Bigwood and be super-strong. GRR!" If you can beat them to the punch with a joke, or top theirs, you'll probably find that they leave you alone more. You'll also (hopefully) start hearing vegetarian jokes that are actually funny, rather than the idiotic "vegetarian is an ancient word for bad hunter" and "do you eat animal crackers?" quips that everybody already knows. If you'd rather not, I suggest just being direct. "Are you genuinely curious, or are you trying to argue with me? I'm happy to explain my thoughts, but I don't want to debate. I've made up my mind and I'm sure that you have made up yours." If it turns out that they are genuinely curious, then I say answer their questions directly and calmly. Try to not be graphic. Q- "Why don't you eat fish? Fish isn't meat, it's fish." A- "I use the word 'meat' as a general term for animal flesh. A lot of people are uncomfortable if I say that I don't eat animals, so I sub the word 'meat' instead. I don't mean that I only avoid eating domesticated animals... I also avoid eating poultry, game, fish, shellfish, and all other types of animal flesh as well. It's just easier to say 'meat' than to list all of the types of meat." If they try to argue with you or debate what you are saying, simply disengage. "It sounds like you want to debate with me on this. I'm not going to change my mind and I don't expect you to, either. Let's change the subject. I'm happy to continue explaining my point of view if you are really interested, but I don't want you to feel like I'm lecturing or pressuring you."
Ever since i became a vegetarian, im tired and i feel dizzy when i get up too fast! help please!?
the average person needs about 45 grams of protein a day. I weigh 112 and need 42. Make sure you get enough. If your hair starts falling out, you know you need more protein. Being a vegetarian isn't just not eating meat. Being a vegetarian is also making smart choices when it comes to cookies vs. fruits. Just because you don't eat meat, doesn't mean you're suddenly healthy and can have whatever you want. You need to have B-12 supplement and get your iron from spinach, broccoli, etc. Watch your diet really well. Print out a protein chart that tells you how much protein each food has. You can't decide to become vegetarian just like that, and i hope that's not what you did. it requires a lot of research and planning. good protein foods are tofu, edamame, beans, peas, tempeh. good protein snacks are: almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, soynuts, etc. I buy a greek yogurt that's organic and it's really good and it has 13 grams of protein. wham. i have that often for breakfast. it's kinda expensive, though. make smoothies with silken tofu (buy the brand of tofu that has the most protein) and blueberries. Add that wheat grain powder to it to add 4 grams of protein. you can add the wheat to almost anything from cereal to yogurt. tofu is very versatile, meaning you can cook it in so many ways. my favorite is to air fry it isntead of freezing it and pressing it to get the moisture out. here's how to air fry: http://hubpages.com/hub/How_to_Cook_Tofu... and my favorite tofu recipe so far: http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/20...