Becoming a Vegan

Going vegan doesn't just mean eating lettuce!

"Vegan" (vee-gun) can be a confusing word. It's a noun: "I am a vegan", a verb: "I'm going vegan" or adjective: "Is that a vegan dish?" But it's not really complicated. A person adopts a vegan lifestyle by avoiding all animal products not only in his diet, but also in his closet, medicine cabinet and choice of cosmetics. People "go vegan" for all kinds of reasons ranging from nutritional and health concerns to ethical concerns about factory farming.

Instructions

Make that Change

1. Educate yourself on what is really in the foods you eat and how they are made, and deciding to make the change to go vegan won't be hard at all. You'll be in good company. According to a 2009 poll by the Vegetarian Resource Group, 3% of Americans are vegetarians, and 1% are vegans. That's an estimated 6 to 8 million Americans. Learning about where your foods come from, watching videos of how factory-farmed animals live, and talking with your doctor about your overall health are all great ways to keep motivated.

2. Try going vegetarian or vegan for just one day a week at first. Plan on having Veg-Out Fridays or Meat Free Mondays and make the transition slowly. You can build from there. Going vegetarian, which means you can still eat cheese, eggs and milk, is easier for some people than giving up all their favorite foods at once. Once you're eating a plant-based diet, you'll feel lighter and healthier, and weight loss is almost a guarantee.

3. 

   Hamburgers made with soy-based patties are lower in fat than the real thing.

   Read vegan and vegetarian cookbooks and lifestyle guides. They're widely available from a variety of animal-rights organizations as well as the Vegetarian Resource Group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Farm Sanctuary. Learn about how you can still cook "meat" lasagna, chili NON carne and burgers using soy substitutes.

4. Join with others who share your interests. There are plenty of meeting and social network sites that offer fellowship and information sharing for those who are trying a new way of living. You'll find a great deal of support just for the asking and will be on your way to a vegan lifestyle before you know it.

5. Learn about the issues. If you are an environmentalist, you'll be happy to know that going vegetarian or vegan will fit right in with your principles. According to Farm Sanctuary, "forests, wetlands, and other natural ecosystems and wildlife habitats have been decimated and turned into crop and grazing land. Scarce fossil fuels, groundwater and topsoil resources which took millenia to develop are now disappearing."

   And that's not all, farm animals produce 130 times more waste than humans. The runoff from factory farms is responsible for killing millions of fish, and causing 60% of America's rivers and streams to be "impaired." (ref 2)

Tips & Warnings

• Try the transition foods like meat and cheese substitutes. Join vegetarian societies in your area, check out the meeting sites where members meet in real time or attend a vegetarian conference.

• Be careful not to make the same mistakes a lot of new vegetarians make. Eating a lot of carbs like pasta, rice and potatoes can cause you to gain weight. While transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet, stick with a variety of fruits and vegetables--eat your colors--so you won't overdo it on sugars, starches and carbs.

References

• VRG: 2009 Poll
• Farm Sanctuary: Environmental Impact