Responses (10)

• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by JohnnySensible at 12/22/08 19:14:42

  You can do it!
  
  You are very fortunate to be based in Birmingham, UK - a city with good "Vegan Karma".
  
  Birmingham has a fun history of compassionate eating - see -http://www.euroveg.eu/evu/english/news/news983/kathleen.html
  
  The best thing about Birmingham for me is that the UK Vegan Society is right there in Hockley - http://www.vegansociety.com/contact/ - the best gem in the city's gem & jewelry district.
  
  For essentials / treats you have the superb "One Earth Shop" - open 6 days every week - http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=8841
  .
  .
  .
  Some people focus on always eating fruits / veggies / wholegrains first - leaving no room for anything "stolen".
  
  For myself eating only plants / perfectly refining what my right hand offered to my mouth took me some time.
  
  The process of training it not to reach for anything which dripped out cows / popped out of chickens / was vomited out by bees etc. required determination & concentration.
  
  Seeing close friends suffer from wholly unnecessary cancers / diabetes / heart conditions etc. was a big motivator.
  
  Have a watch / listen to Rozalind Gruben - http://www.archive.org/details/OrganicAthlete_2005_09_24h_Rozalind_Gruben
  
  Google this exact phrase - < "OrganicAthlete Conference" sfvs > - to find more cutting edge videos.
  
  

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by JohnnySensible at 12/23/08 01:44:37

  Silly me! - I could have simply given the link - http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=mediatype%3Amovies%20AND%20subject%3A%22vegan%22

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by knightofalbion at 12/23/08 13:12:13

  I guess we all wonder at first if we can truly live on a purely vegan diet, but then we try it and find that we can! But like all diets it needs a bit of planning to ensure that you get sufficient quantities of protein, vitamins and minerals etc. This is where a lot of people go wrong. They just dive in without working out a viable dietary regime. My advice would be to start off by going vegan just at weekends. Through trial and error find a dietary regime that satisfies all your nutritional needs and that you're comfortable with, and when you've done that you'll be in a position to go vegan full time.

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by JohnnySensible at 12/23/08 18:06:19

  Well said!
  
  We live one day at a time!
  
  We choose what we eat one day at a time!
  
  Today I will eat fruits, green veggies & steamed quinoa - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/health/nutrition/03recipehealth.html
  .
  .
  .
  
  "Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body, to the god he worships, after a style purely his own, nor can he get off by hammering marble instead. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh and blood and bones." - Henry David Thoreau

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by mendicant_crow at 12/25/08 10:04:59

  I went vegan just this summer after being vegetarian for some time. The leap between those two wasn't that dramatic, I felt. One of the best parts was that I actually became far more conscious of what I was eating, and it dawned on me how much processed and preserved garbage I was putting in my body before. Going vegan makes both the animals, and your own body thank you.
  
  I found a lot of help, inspiration, and advice from the Compassionate Cooks: Vegetarian Food for Thought podcasts by Colleen Patrick Goudreau. Check out all the back episodes(if you haven't already), as she answers lots of questions. www.compassionatecooks.com/podcast.htm
  
  Hope it's an awesome transition for you.

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by ampallang at 01/04/09 13:50:57

  start eating and buying vegan food. Eg. instead of pizza with cheese try one without cheese, or buy vegan cheese or make it.
  Make cakes without eggs. Use oher milks and see what you like. Experiment!
  If you like one item that is vegetarian try and find a vegan item- eg soya meats, quick meals or resturants.
  Find easy items to make everyday, sandwiches, pastas and soups. Look at alternatives online and see what you think.
  
  Why are you thinking of becoming vegan. Ive been veagn 5 years, going vegan was a long process and you learn everyday. Its only in the last 2 years ive been eating lots of nuts, they are a life saver aslong as they are good nuts.
  GOOD LUCK

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by TriNStylZ at 01/13/09 21:59:47

  Haha, I was thinking the same thing like two months ago...like "Vegan? Hmm...I don't think I can do that." but turns out that I had no choice after all lol. I became lactose intolerant (bleh) and eggs don't appeal to me since I can make an omelet(sp?) with tofu.
  
  It's actually not hard at all, just make sure you look at the ingredients for what you buy and make sure there's no milk, lactose, eggs, casein and dairy/egg product in it (oh yeah, stay away from honey as well). Look up vegan recipes as well if need be.
  
  I probably haven't been much of any help with this post but just remember to experiment, research and there's always a substitute! Good luck!

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by HM at 01/14/09 01:17:09

  I think, this is my hypothesis, that as people cut out animal products, that becoming lactos intolerant, as in the body can no longer digest what was not made for them but rather an adorable animal with 5 stomachs, is inevitable.
  just an opinion.
  good for you to those who have gone vegan.
  it really is not as hard as it seems.

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by Chris F at 01/14/09 01:47:55

  I was vegetarian,for 15 years and have been Vegan for 14 months,The hardest part was getting my friends to stop their ill informed reasons for me not doing it IE:My teeth will all fall out, i will have no strength, blah blah :)that is the pitfall of being possibly the worlds only Vegan Plumber.
  It is worth the switch, my only regret was i didn't do it a lot sooner.It is a learning process,but as long as people around you are supportive and helpful you will be fine.I have a few really good cookbooks that help a lot "Veganomicon" is a good one

  
  
• 
  Report Abuse

  Posted by Kiran at 03/06/09 14:48:19

  I'm new here and this is my first post. Like others, I never thought I could go vegan and never set out to do it, but I've been moving in that direction without even thinking about it. About seven months ago, I switched to soy milk and stopped eating eggs and honey altogether. I still eat small bits of cheese but its been less frequent all the time and I go weeks at a time eating vegan. I think HM is right, the less dairy you eat, the more it affects you when you do. I also stopped buying leather and have been replacing leather items slowly over time. It wasn't until I thought about it one day (after discovering Colleen's podcast) that I realized I'd been getting ever closer to going vegan. Its brought an incresing sense of peace and balance and I think it won't be long before I go vegan for good.
  
  I would offer to anyone not to rule it out but to live your values, let yourself evolve, and see where it takes you. You may wake up one day a healthy, happy vegan!