The one week vegetarian challenge

Hi, my names Hannah, I am 17 years old and Live in England. I have been vegetarian for 2 years.

I became a vegetarian simply because Icouldn't win a battle as a meat eater against a Vegetarian Friend.

I used to be practically a carnivore, I'd eat meat all the time, every day, and even now, ashamed to say, I get craving on the odd day (I have never acted upon my craving since becoming vegetarian). I hardly ate/eat any vegetables but I'm not overweight.. So..I was arguing my case all fired up and competitive in a little friendly debate and suddenly I paused for a moment or two.. I thought, what this guy is saying is true, I can't really be siding against him, what he's saying is understandable. I have always adored animals ever since I can remember and now that I was old enough to make my own decisions in life why couldn't I become a vegetarian? So I gave in to him, told him he was right and the debate subsided.

I then decided to try being vegetarian for a week, I think I called it 'Veggie for a week' challenge.

I was doing well until I gobbled up a few mini marshmallows, not for a split second thinking they could have gelatin hidden inside there squishy appearance.

So I tried again, but as a pescetarian. So the only creature I was eating was fish for about 6months until I saw a TV comedy show where they killed one.. In which I cried my eyes out for hours.. :( Poor fish! I've had my gelatin slip ups/accidents I admit, feeling extremely guilty! But I press on.

I've tried being vegan but as a teen in a family struggling to pay even the rent it was hard to buy special food and expensive to constantly buy healthy foods all the time and I felt bad for my mom, putting extra stress on her even though I'm independent and cooked my own food. I got quite poorly because of those reasons so I decided it would be better for ME to stay as a vegetarian.

I am passionate about being a vegetarian and trying to care for the planet/global warming and if we can TOGETHER as VEGETARIANS/VEGANS inspire even one person to change their diet to meat free then at least its a step closer to a happier world.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Newly-Vegan Mom

By : Rose Sevilla

I was a vegetarian for over 20 years. No meat, no poultry, no fish nor seafood, no gelatin--basically no product that stemmed from needing to kill an animal ever entered my body. I saw veganism at the time as extreme and unhealthy (my attempts at going vegan in my late teens were uninformed choices that did in fact make me weak and terribly thin). I justified not making the leap from vegetarian to vegan by telling myself and others that I consumed dairy and eggs because it didn't hurt the animals. Then, I saw Earthlings.

What struck a tremendous chord for me was the fact that male calves of dairy cows are usually slaughtered almost immediately. I have no idea why I hadn't sought this knowledge before! As the mother of 3 young boys, I was horrified. Not that a female calf's fate is any better, destined to spend her life confined and riddled with infections such as mastitis (having gone through that, I wish it on no creature. It is an extremely painful thing to endure while trying to nourish your offspring).

Earthlings opened my eyes and my soul to the suffering that goes on not only through the consumption of animal flesh, but rather through all animal products. I am now quite proud to call myself a vegan, and often point those who wonder why I made that choice toward Earthlings. I proselytize almost daily, not by telling people what they should and shouldn't eat, but rather by example. My three sons are thriving examples of this compassionate lifestyle as well.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Becoming Vegan Has Been One of the Best Decisions of My Life

By : Shakira

I was born into a religion that advocates a vegetarian diet, yet my family was not.  I was though brought up to abstain from certain animals and I never cared for seafood- my mother would have me sit at the table for hours to eat fish.  The only explanation I have ever been able to conjure up for not eating seafood is that "The Little Mermaid" movie, which was released when in 1989 when I was four years old, made a deep impact on me.  I became a vegetarian during my sixth grade school year and then gave into meat again.  Later in my years I contemplated adopting my religion's vegetarian life-style but never went through.  Last year (on November 13) I watched a documentary "Life in a Day", and as I saw a scene of cow trapped in a narrow metal enclosed space being shot twice in the head and having it's throat sliced, I knew I wanted no part in consuming an animal that suffered so inhumanly simply for my insignificant pleasure!  Shamefully I admit to continuing to eat eggs and dairy because I foolishly thought neither hens, eggs, or cows suffered since their life was not taken.

In January of this year I met  a vegan who shared my religious beliefs, he recommended I watch "Forks Over Knives".  Instantly deciding to save and prioritize my health by becoming a vegan I read through each ingredient list of all my foods and rid myself of them.  About two weeks later in February I watched the documentary "Earthlings", I cried a river of tears and became filled with guilt that for 26 years I had been a meat eater and animal by-product consumer.  Since that day in February, I have become a person who lectures everyone and anyone about animal welfare, given up all forms of animal attraction, and changed all products (make-up, hygiene, etc.), which may be animal derived, animal tested, and simply not natural.  I continue to educate myself in nutrition and expand my cooking skills.  I have two adopted dogs and feed them vegetarian dog food and snacks.  The best way to express how I feel about being vegan is: I wish I would have been born vegan and for the rest of my life I happily will be.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Everyone is Someone’s Child

By : Edward LaRose

In 2008 I became a father to a beautiful little little boy named Isley. That first night as my wife took some much needed rest, I held my son in my arms for hours.

Immediately I felt awareness come over me. I was aware for the first time what my father & grandfathers experienced & my mother & grandmothers. Both my wife and I grew & changed from that moment forward. We both stopped being self centered & placed our centers on our child. Dreaming about our child growing we began to think of our own mortality. We both knew we needed to clean up our diets.

First we stopped purchasing soda & junk food. A few months after that we stopped eating red meat. It was my wife who consistently brought up the idea of going vegetarian but I always shot it down. My argument was since I was the one who cooked for our family & I didn't know how to cook for a vegetarian diet it could never work. I was not prepared to stop cooking all of the meat based meals that were so much a part of my Italian heritage.

Then late one night after my wife and son had both fallen asleep I went online to read about the days events as I often do. For some reason on this night I began to look up information on vegetarianism. I came across a link to the film EARTHLINGS. I put on my headphones and sat alone watching it in the dark room for awhile. In one scene, I will never forget it, 2 cows are placed in a room to have their throats cut & blood drained. After the first cow was killed the second cow had an expression of terror & fear comes into his face & eyes. I recognized that look, I had seen it many times in the eyes of my son when he would awaken alone & afraid in the dark. I thought about how in those moments of fright I would throw my arms around my child & love him. Then suddenly I realized that this frightened cow is also someone’s child. I never ate meat again after that night.

Please visit www.edwardandkritzialarose.com to connect with Edward LaRose

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Vegans for 43 Years

By : Mary Anne Robertson

Back in 1970 my husband and  I read a book called  Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss.  It had such a strong impact on us as we read about how animals were treated and how eating poor quality food caused most sickness and disease. We made the decision that night to change and the next morning we threw out every bit of food in our apartment and started over.

It was not easy because that long ago you could not just walk into the supermarket or health store and find vegan foods. It was not easy when we were the only vegans and everyone was trying to convince us how wrong we were. People asked us ..."Isn't it hard to do without meat?"   To be honest...it never was. Quite the contrary. The thought of eating animals was so repulsive to us that it was certainly not a hardship. It was a pleasure .

We had to learn to make all of our food from scratch. We eventually bought a small home in a country village and started to grow our own vegetables and fruits. Even though many packaged foods are now available for vegans we still make our own. We are now 62 years old, strong, fit and healthy. We regularly hand dig our 1/4 acre gardens with ease. We are always healthy and have not seen any doctors in 43 years.

We have never been "militant"vegans who try to force others to change their diets. We don't want others telling us to eat meat so why would we tell them to eat our way. We feel that staying healthy is a way to lead by example. People notice that we are always healthy and ask why.

It gives us an opportunity to show them that a vegan diet is a healthy choice.

Please visit www.maryanner.com to connect with Mary Anne Robertson.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Destined to be a Vegetarian

By : Brit Anderson

I think I was always destined to be a vegetarian. From a young age, I did not like to eat meat. I was probably one of the few three year olds out there who said, "Why am I eating a dead animal?". I knew I didn't like the taste, so I tried to refuse eating it, but I also felt it was weird to eat the animal. I always loved animals, and never wanted to hurt them, so I didn't really like eating them either. I didn't know the meat industry was cruel at that age either, I thought it was weird to eat meat, of course. I always grew up believing the animals grew up happy on a nice big farm and when they got old and sick the farmer would kill them and give them to the store for meat. I didn't know any better at the time. I continued to not really know or think much about it, but love animals all the same until I was 16 years old. Then suddenly, as I was on facebook, I saw that a friend of mine had posted a video called "The Meat Video" and he wrote to watch it "if you have the balls to watch what you eat". I took the challenge and watched it, being the daring person I am. I watched the video, and by the end I was crying and shaking. I just couldn't believe anyone was that cruel to animals. I then swore I'd never eat meat again. It wasn't a hard transition for me, considering I didn't even like meat in the first place.

I looked up all the facts, learned about the nutrition facts, and how it's better for the world to be vegetarian than to eat meat. I'm 18 years old now and have been vegetarian for almost a year and a half. I've never struggled one day, and feel happier as one. I love to pet pigs, cows, sheep, chicken, and all animals. I feel no guilt towards them, knowing I do not eat them. I have written essays for my English class and Politics class about vegetarianism and why it's the better choice. Talked to anyone who'd listen, politely, and tell them the facts, I encourage people to adopt a more vegetarian lifestyle, letting them know it can be hard for some people, but that we should all do our best. That's what I'm doing. I love the taste of cheese and milk a lot. I'm trying to cut back on my dairy and egg consumption, with great difficulty. It's hard for me, but I'm trying as hard as I can to slowly transition myself into Veganism. Some people have trouble becoming a vegetarian, I didn't. But for me,veganism is the hard transition, but I'm trying to make the change as hard as I can. Hopefully, one day I will be able to make the change! That's my story folks :)

Here's a photo of me with Rooter, the micro mini pig at a farm for rescued animals I sometimes volunteer at.

All life is equal, so we should treat it equal.
All living things have a soul, so respect their lives. Even the plants we eat. 
In the garden of Eden, where the world was perfect and the earth a paradise, all people were vegans.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

The Frugal Vegetarian

The lifestyle of a vegan or vegetarian is difficult. Some people do not believe that it is a valid diet choice. It is also hard to purchase appropriate food at an affordable price. The tips below may help a person that wants a healthy regimen without paying too much money:

1. Keep an Open Mind

If a person wishes to save money on food, it is necessary for said person to keep an open mind. It is a poor idea to assume that only a few dishes will be tasty and satisfactory. The vegetarian should be willing to try something new no matter what the circumstances. It may not be possible to get something specific; this is especially true if certain foods increase in price at the grocery store. Thinking in a different way can help an individual to save money.

2. Stay Away From Convenience Store Vegetarian Meals

When saving money, some people assume that it is a terrific idea to purchase grocery store vegetarian meals. These snacks are usually in boxes and bags. A number of vegans and vegetarians choose to get these items because preparation is easy. No matter how easy it may be to place a meal into a microwave, it is essential to think about the price. Many frozen meals cost a lot of money. If something is organic, the price may be unthinkable for a frugal household. It is a suitable idea to stay away from foods prepared by brand name companies.

3. Get Creative with Ingredients and Use in Season Produce

Some people spend time on the Internet looking for a credit card application for people with bad credit. However, a vegetarian should use the Internet to get creative. Certain ingredients can be introduced into a recipe that traditionally relies on meat or exotic items. Produce that is in season should also be considered. When something is out of season, it may cost a lot of money due to lack of availability. A trip to the grocery store will demonstrate the differences in price. Some websites allow a vegetarian to discover something new and make compelling changes.

Instead of checking the Internet to compare checking account fees, a vegetarian should consider looking for tips about saving money. It does not have to be bothersome to remove meat from a daily diet. When a person keeps an open mind and uses unusual ingredients, anything is possible.

Earthlings Changed Me to be a Vegan

By: Silvia

I'm Silvia (25 years old) and for about an year I am a vegan (no meat, milk, eggs - just honey as I don't consider that we hurt the bees).

I became a vegetarian because I couldn’t eat something that had a parents, face, soul, heart and off course feelings. When I was a kid I only eat chicken (for my parents desperation), just because I thought that they are treat "humanly". But last year I saw the movie: 'Earthlings" and that change my point of view about chicken, milk and eggs.

Sometimes I eat some cheese from my aunt, she lives in the countryside, but I want to let it go also because I read that is not good for health all the lactate products.

My boyfriend still struggles with non eating meat. He eats only when he is stressed or upset with something. He cracks within the lust in that moments. But I am sure that he will win in a matter of months, maybe a year.

I get so angry when the people around me don't understand why I choose to be a vegan. They are so indifferent with all the other living beings on this planet. The only matters is their stomach.

I hope that in a bright future there will be more vegetarians than meat lovers.

P.S. (sorry for my bad English).

Please go to http://yummy-vegans.blogspot.ro/ to connect with Silvia.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Vegetarian on a Budget

By : Christina Law

I was a vegetarian all through out high school, but gave it up when I moved out of my parent's house at 17. Within the past three years I have gotten married, had a baby, and have been a struggling student. Both my husband and I are full-time students, him in Medical School and myself working on my Bachelors in Biology and Chemistry. As movement towards family, we mutually decided that I would be a stay at home mother and raise our daughter while continuing my education. With this decision, we agreed that we would take out more student loans to live off. As a consequence, we live off a very, very strict budget. As my husband began to travel for his 4th yr audition clinical rotations, I started having to maximum our budget. I sat down and went over all our bills under a microscope. I discovered that meat is the most expensive thing in our grocery bill, so I cut it out. That decision took our weekly grocery bill from $160 to $80!!! It saved my family $320 a month!!!! As a treat to ourselves for our wedding anniversary, we went to an expensive steakhouse and got filet and lobster tails. Later that evening I became violently ill. Words cannot describe how ill I was. Yet, my husband showed no symptoms or illness. We deducted that it was the meat and that my body was not use to eating meat anymore. I sat back and thought, how can meat be good for you if when you eat it and your not use to it, you become sick? I felt as though meat was a poison that you must build a tolerance too. I just cannot see how meat is healthy anymore.

My friend, who is recently divorced and a single mom came to me a asking for financial advice. I gave her the same advice with cutting out meat on her grocery bills. She did the same financial move as I did and cut out meat. She was thankful for the money I was able to save her. She came to me not too long ago telling me her first encounter with chicken after she had cut it out, and had the same violent sick reaction. So, I feel validated in the fact that meat is poison. I know this is a very liberalized view, but I just cannot see how meat is healthy.

I feel so internally clean and enjoy my vegetarian lifestyle. I do not suffer from eczema, acne, dry/painful skin, IBS, or colds/flu anymore. I have not been sick in over 3 years and I feel that my vegetarian lifestyle is the reason.

I hope you can use my story to show that becoming a vegetarian has many different motives and one can be financial.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Incredible Energy by Plant Based Diets

Renee Tassone -
43 Years old from North Adams, Ma

Two years ago I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This diagnosis came after years of odd illnesses that none of my doctors could figure out. I finally ended up in the Emergency Room one weekend. A few days later they performed a colonoscopy & endoscope. The doctor took some biopsies and in a few days told me the result was Celiac Disease. Neither one of us believed it, we thought maybe there was an infection of some kind going on and it was just masking itself as Celiac. He said I did not look like a classic Celiac patient, probably because of all the unexplained weight I was gaining. He put me on some antibiotics and said we would wait 3 months and then re-perform the procedures. Everyday I became sicker and sicker, after 2 months he decided we had better go ahead and do the procedures and not wait any longer. All tests came back positive for Celiac Disease. He said he was 100% sure I had the disease which by the way I had never even heard of before. He explained the seriousness of the disease and encouraged me to go gluten free right away.

A few days later I sat down with a nutritionist at our local Hospital and she guided me in the right direction. Honestly, it was all a bit overwhelming at first. I still did not believe that food was my problem but I told my doctor I would try it for one week but if it did not make a difference then we would need to do more tests. Well, by day 4 of being gluten free I was transformed in to a totally different person. I had incredible energy, my body rash started to subside, the tingling in my legs went away, I wasn’t as bloated and my cracked lips started to heal. From that point on I knew I would never eat gluten again. Since that time I have also found out that I am allergic to soy and nuts.

A few months into my new diet/lifestyle I decided to start a Celiac support group to help others. I also became a resource of the Celiac Sprue Association so I could help people that were newly diagnosed. I started reading everything I could about the disease. I was really enjoying helping people through their own diet transition. Then last summer I decided to do a diet cleanse. Again, I went and read everything I could about different cleanses until I found the one that was right for me. It was a 21 day healthy cleanse which I started on October 4, 2011. This cleanse changed my life. I felt even more incredible with tons of energy. The cleanse is basically a plant based, whole food cleanse so of course I started reading about plant based diets and was shocked at the information I found. Since October 4th, I have not eaten meat, poultry, dairy etc. and have adopted a whole foods, plant based diet. I do not eat any animal protein or any processed foods.

Soon after I started telling friends about the cleanse, ones I knew were not feeling well or had problems such as migraines, high blood pressure and thyroid issues. I shared the information and encouraged them to try it and they had amazing results. To date I have helped over 170 people in 6 different states through a cleanse and adopt a plant based, whole foods diet. The results have been amazing. I have helped people with diabetes, crohns, joint pain, parkinson’s and more. I have also done a lot of research on raw foodism, veganism and the macrobiotic diet. I am in the process of starting my own health consulting business and my goal is to turn as many people away from eating animal products as possible. For me, I never really paid much attention to the connection of animals and food so I was shocked to read the facts and now I feel compelled to share them with people who are interested in learning more.

I have lost a total of 40 pounds since my journey began and am at my perfect weight. I never have to count calories or worry about what I eat. I have incredible energy and my skin radiates and all I want to do is scream at the top of my lungs and share this information!! I am enjoying this path I am heading down and look forward to the day when I do this all day long. I am currently a General Manager of four weekly newspapers and also enjoy this job but sense things are going to be changing for me in the near future.

Please visit  http://weightototalhealth.wordpress.com/ to connect with Renee Tassone

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

THINK BIG, THINK GREEN

By : Ricardo Hernandez

I believe I was always meant to be a vegan because of my love for the animals, when I was a kid I didn't had many friends at school, I was a bit sad. One day we adopted a dog from the street, he became my best friend, after that we adopted more pets in my family, and I really loved them all.

In 2010 I was a fan of a reality business competition called "The Apprentice", one day I was reading the stories of the 16 contestants, all of them had business-related information, but one of them surprised me and I saw something that made me curious. It was a 30-year-old woman named Brandy Kuentzel, she was a corporate attorney, very smart, her story had something that all the other 15 contestants didn't had, it said: "Brandy is a vegetarian and an advocate for animals rights" , I really liked those statements, it was something new and different. By that time, my 10-year-old Belgian shepherd, Bruno, passed away, he was a beautiful dog and his death made me think, so I remembered what I read on Brandy's story and I said to myself "I want to become an advocate for animals rights because I love animals and I also want to do it in Bruno's memory", so I contacted some people and in 3 months I was rescuing dogs & cats all over the place with some wonderful charities and some amazing & very friendly people, I was already deep into the advocacy world and I was in love with it, even though I loved animals all my life, my love for them increased a lot at that time and I realized that they are also alive, that they can also feel.

I was able to contact Brandy one day on Facebook, we became friends (By the way, she is now the Director of Advocacy for the San Francisco SPCA) and we used to talk about animals, and she encouraged me to become a vegetarian, so I decided that I would try to be a vegetarian, but at that point I didn't had any vegetarian/vegan on my friends circle so I was starting alone & clueless about the nutritional facts, I thought "Just don't eat meat! Simple!". A week later I had an appointment at the doctor (nothing to do with my new vegetarian lifestyle), I was having some blood test because I had the cholesterol of a 50-year-old man (I was eating just meat and no fruits nor vegetables at all),  my father mentioned the doctor that I stopped eating meat a week ago, the doctor turned to me immediately and said "I understand that you want to become a vegetarian, but at that age you need meat because of the protein, if you want to be a vegetarian, do it when you're 21 years old" (I was 15 at that time). So, when you're 15 years old, you are clueless about vegetarianism and a doctor tells you that you need meat, you end up believing him! Of course, now that I'm vegan I know that doctor knows nothing about nutrition, ironically that doctor also told me "Eat more fruits and vegetables" so I said to myself  "Ok, I can't be a vegetarian now, so I'll continue eating meat and when I'm 21 I'll try again". A year went by, I kept involved into animal advocacy and I met a new friend that recently became a vegetarian, I told her my story and she suggested me that I should give it another try, so I decided to do it again ,this time I had more knowledge about the vegetarian lifestyle and even discovered veganism, so I did it with more knowledge, I asked about nutritional facts, I asked about what I could eat, I was proud of myself, but I was interested in veganism.

I read more about veganism and liked it, but I found it so tough, so I said "I will be a vegetarian for at least 5 years and then I'll go vegan). 2 weeks later after I became a vegetarian, a new vegan friend that I made from the UK (Rennie) suggested me to watch Gary Youroufsky's speech, I watched it and as soon as it ended I said to myself (From now on, I'm vegan, I have no excuses to not do it), and since that day, I'm vegan! :) My life has changed drastically, at 17 years old most people don't care about animals or health, they just care on having fun, so of course when I have lunch with my friends at university and they find out that I'm vegan it sparks conversation, and that's exactly what I want because I can tell them facts and they become more interested and actually they end up saying "You're right, but I just can't go vegan, very tough", I tell them that they absolutely can, but they keep saying "I can't" , c'est la vie.

I am a really food lover, I love to eat and I really LOVE vegan food, it's delicious! Now my cholesterol is normal, I'm thinner and with way more energy and positivism than ever before. I highly recommend you to go vegan, it goes to the animals, to the environment, to the world, it's good for your health, you can still eat delicious food and it's cool to say "I'm vegan" because you are making a difference! :) I try to be a very classy, professional and respectful vegan and don't think all meat-eaters are bad people, because they just don't know the truth yet and we can't blame somebody for not knowing something, so I always try to be very respectful and professional, people respect that, and actually it's easier to make them think that way.

My biggest dream now is to create in some years the first luxury collection of vegan hotels, I want to create something spectacular where vegans can say "This is paradise" and non-vegans can learn about veganism on a very positive way, I hope to welcome you all on my vegan hotels someday! ;)

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Be Yourself, Be a Vegetarian and Be Happy

My name is Milda and I am 22 years old. All my childhood I was "chubby" and my family are the people who likes to eat so I was not an exception. After I turned 15 all the diet periods started, nothing really worked as I wanted to, I just got some sicknesses because I didn't eat normally. So all my diets were failed, I was really depressed, ugly and fat.

After 18th birthday I started to think WHAT do I eat and do I really like it. I have started to eat only food which I really enjoy to eat and I feel good after eating it. That's how step by step all the meat products were cut from my ration. One of the reasons to cut meat was that it DOESN'T HAVE ANY TASTE! All the taste it has is - spices we add. Of course my parents were telling me that I will get sick if I won’t eat meat and the word "vegetarian" sounded like a diagnosis of terrible diseases; but I was stubborn and I could feel that I am going right way. But after about 6 months I was still eating sea products. At about that time I started to think about esthetics, that animals are actually being killed to be eaten. That mind couldn't leave my head and in some months step by step I cut down all sea animals.

I was living as a vegetarian quiet long, but I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about it, I was reading articles on internet, trying to cook different meals, but I didn’t have any person who could help me, tell me about his experiences and so on. I was all alone. But I was lucky; after I turned 20 I met a person who had been vegetarian for 10 years. He showed me how many vegetarian and vegan people are around us, and how many different meals can be made. That vegetarian is not some kind of disease or bad thing; he showed me that I must be proud that I am vegetarian! (big big smile...)

Now I live not with my parents any more. I moved to Denmark, I live on my own. I always meet the people who are asking how I get my proteins, how do I survive, how...how... Some of them think that I am a real weirdo, but I have all arguments and sometimes we even have long discussions about food and life style.

Also I work in a restaurant, it is not veggie-friendly restaurant, I cannot change their attitude, and everybody thought that I am going to start eating meat, because we are getting staff food for free, and of course it is not vegetarian, but I don’t even think about eating meat when I know how it is made from the beginning. It doesn’t seem like food for me. Yes, I became picky and I am proud of it as well.

What I am doing now: I never buy eggs or milk when I am at home, but I still eat them, when they are a part of some kind of dish. Lately I started to feel that milk is not a right product for my body. Why? I feel so heavy after even a small amount of milk. And I cannot eat almost anything the rest of a day. So I started to avoid milk products. That means that I am on my way to become vegan.

To conclude: I don’t think person must force himself to eat or not to eat some kind of food, everything has to come naturally. And I wish everybody will start thinking what is suitable for them, when do they feel happy.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Veganism - An ideal way of life!

By : Mira Balachandran

There is a lot more to vegetarianism than just non - consumption of animal matter. According to Indian culture and tradition that dates back to over 5000 years ago, having its  roots in the spiritual books like Vedas & Dharmasashtra, eating non- vegetarian food is detrimental to mental and spiritual growth. A diet devoid of meat , eggs or seafood is supposed to cleanse one of all negative qualities,  for in India,  we firmly believe that 'you are what you eat'. The kind of food we eat is supposed to have a huge bearing on our character and personality traits. The healthier and more natural the food, the better and non- violent a human you will be.

The Hindu scriptures of yore clearly state the kind of food we ought to have, the number of times it should be had, the manner in which it has to be had and the cooking methodology to be followed as well as the etiquette to be followed in having it. There are clear pointers to who should eat what type of food.  According to the scriptures, the kind of profession one follows dictates the pattern of food intake. For example a soldier's diet was concentrated more on giving him extreme fitness and physical well being that would help him in combat where as a scholarly person's diet most likely consisted  of ingredients that would help sharpen his mind and intellect.

Eating natural food not only keeps you healthy but stimulates  and creates positive responses within the body. Eating the remnants of animals that have been killed using aggression & violence [ there is nothing pleasant about inflicting pain on another - be it human or animal] in the grip of fear and pain only creates those kind of vibration in our person. Assimilation of these kind of energy is never going to help the cause of peace in this world. What has its origin in violence [ killing of animals] is only going to give rise to much the same as a chain reaction. It is just that this theory is not understood as having a scientific base by many. Once the ignorance is removed I am sure there will be many more converting to vegetarianism in the future.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

Go Veggie and Feel Better

By : Kelsey Haggerty

I have always had a deep love for the animal kingdom. I kissed worms while helping my mom garden; the family dog was always my best friend; I could always pass a baby carriage but not a leash. When I was about 5, I happened to get into a discussion with my mom about what a "hamburger" was and once she told me, she swears I cried and said "I am never eating a hamburger again!!!" Apparently I did, however, but the guilt of eating meat never left me. I came from a typical, meat-for-every-meal, American family.

I eventually did stop eating red meat and pork and settled into a lifestyle of eating turkey and chicken only. About 6 months ago, I decided that I had waited long enough to truly consider going vegetarian.

Like most people who are considering vegetarianism I wondered: How I am going to get all of the nutrients I need? How am I going to find enough to eat? Will I even like the meat alternatives? So I bought a book and read about the process, bought the meat "replacements" and bought a couple vegetarian cookbooks.

Now not only have I been a veg for 6 months, but I reeled my husband in as well. We are so happy we did and spread the word wherever and whenever we can. My favorite thing to say to people who are even CONSIDERING going veg is this: "Just try it for 2 weeks. You will feel so much better and see it as a realistic feat. You will be sold...just like we were."  :-)

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

The Accidental Vegan

By : Elizabeth Donaldson

I was born into the quintessential middle-class American family. We always ate meat at least once a day, never really pausing to think about where our food came from or what exact method was used to acquire it. At the age of 10, I had a babysitter who was vegetarian and health-conscious. She would cheerfully answer any questions I had, and sometimes throw in a few bits of information about how healthy something was.

Over the ensuing 12 years, I gradually became more and more interested in nutrition and general health, reading random articles about sleep, antioxidants, whether the latest fad diets had any merit, etc. (Watching Supersize Me in Human Biology made a huge impact.) Eventually, I began to hear references to animal cruelty. I learned a little bit about debeaking, and when I finally learned what veal was, I swore I would never eat it, because it just doesn't seem right to me to eat an animal's young.

Then, last year, I came across the link for the documentary Earthlings. I was a bit wary of the violence in the film, so I opted to watch the trailer first. Those 2 1/2 minutes alone were more than I could stand.

A few nights later, I had a nightmare that reenacted the cow-skinning clip I had seen in the Earthlings trailer. My brain replayed over and over again that poor animal having its hide torn off while still conscious, as indifferent humans stood by to make sure that every marketable piece of skin made it off. In the dream, I screamed for them to stop, but I was completely powerless.

When I looked in the fridge the next morning, the meat, eggs, and dairy symbolized much more to me than they had before. I kept seeing those clips of livestock animals thrashing about in pain as the life drained out of their open throats, of cows being skinned alive, of circus trainers telling their colleagues to scare the animals they were entrusted with, and the whole thing made me sick.

I literally became a vegan overnight. Though I was living with my omnivorous family at the time, once they understood my reasons, they were both very accommodating and supportive.

When I joined my fiancé in Ecuador, I floundered for a bit, then switched to omnivorism for a few months. (Transparency within agencies seems to be rarer here than in the States. There's a fair amount of information about things like bullfights, pet abuse, illegal smuggling of exotic animals, etc., but not nearly as much about dairy farms, factory farms, and so forth.) Corporations were probably still the bad guys, but the vendors at local markets surely treated their animals better, right? But then I realized that even if the meat comes from an old animal who's been loved and cared for all its life, and will probably die in a few days anyway, it seems so much more ethical and humane to me to just say no. (Besides, I have no real information about how these vendors get their products anyway.)

And so I am lacto-ovo-vegetarian, for now at least. I am still figuring out the right balance between ethics, personal nutrition, our finances, and available goods in a foreign country; however, right now it is my hope to return to veganism. Through it all, I'm lucky to have a supportive fiancé and family, and friends who range from vegan to that-guy-who-good naturedly-teases-you-about-veganism-or-nutrition.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

How to Have a Balanced Vegan Diet

A vegan diet is the strictest form of vegetarianism. While a vegetarian might pour milk on cereal or eat cookies made with eggs and butter, a vegan avoids all animal products including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, even honey.

The motivation to adopt such a hard-core diet varies. Some do it for ethical reasons, not wanting to harm animals for human consumption.

Others like the fact a vegan diet is better for the environment than one based on meat. Large-scale meat production is thought to contribute as much as 22 per cent of greenhouse gases in the world each year.

The health benefits are a draw as well. A vegan diet has been shown to improve blood sugar in people with diabetes, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood pressure, and promote weight loss. It may even help prevent colon cancer and heart disease.

The key to a healthy vegan diet is variety. If you’re considering becoming a vegan, the following tips will help you adopt a meal plan that includes adequate protein, carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins and minerals. You might also think about consulting with a dietitian to ensure your diet is balanced and complete.

Protein

Vegans get protein from lentils, beans (e.g. chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, soy beans), tofu, tempeh, seitan (a protein made from wheat), soy beverages, nuts and seeds. Whole grains and vegetables also supply some protein. Rice, almond and oat beverages are low in protein.

Vegans can easily meet daily protein requirements providing their calorie intake is adequate. If calorie needs aren’t met, some protein from the diet will be used for energy rather than muscle repair and making body proteins such enzymes and immune compounds.

With the exception of soy beans, vegetarian proteins are missing, or low in, one or more essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Essential amino acids must come from food because the body can’t make them on its own.

It was once thought vegans needed to pair certain protein foods together at meals to form a complete protein. It’s now understood that as long as a variety of protein foods are eaten over the course of the day, protein combining is not necessary. Include at least one protein-rich food at each meal.

Vitamin B12

Naturally-occurring only in animal products, vegans need to include three servings of B12-fortified foods in their daily diet. One serving equals: fortified plant beverages (1/2 cup), nutritional yeast (1 tablespoon), fortified breakfast cereal (30 grams), or fortified soy products (42 g).

To ensure B12 needs are met, take a B12 supplement or multivitamin with 5 to 10 micrograms of B12.

Vitamin D

Children and adults require 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D daily; at age 70 requirements increase to 800 IU. Some people may require more vitamin Dto maintain a sufficient blood level.

Food sources in the vegan diet include fortified plant beverages and orange juice (1 cup provides 100 IU).

To meet vitamin D needs, a supplement is required. Most multivitamins contain 400 IU vitamin D. Separate vitamin D supplements may be needed. Choose vitamin D3 over D2 as it’s the more active form. The safe daily upper limit is 4,000 IU.

Calcium

Good food sources include fortified plant beverages and juice, tofu made with calcium sulphate, beans, cooked green leafy vegetables (kale, collards, Swiss chard, spinach), cooked broccoli, almonds, tahini, and blackstrap molasses.

To meet daily calcium requirements, a supplement may be required.

Iron

Vegetarians require almost twice as much iron than meat-eaters each day since the body absorbs iron from plant foods less efficiently. Good sources include beans, lentils, nuts, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, breakfast cereals (non-sugary)and dried fruit.

Iron absorption can be increased by eating plant foods with vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruit, strawberries, red pepper and tomato juice.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Women need 1,100 milligrams of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) per day and men require 1600 milligrams.

The best food sources of this omega-3 fat include ground flaxseed (2 tablespoons has2400 mg), flax oil (1 teaspoon has2,400 mg), walnuts (7 halves have 1,280 mg), and soybeans (1/2 cup has 514mg). Soy beverages fortified with ALA provide about 300 mg per 1 cup serving.

Eating & Running Well on a Dime

By : Ellen Jaffe Jones

Ellen Jaffe Jones is the author of the best seller, "Eat Vegan on $4 a Day." Her book went to a second printing faster than any other book in her publisher's long history of vegetarian and alternative health books. She has been a headline speaker and cooking demonstrator at the largest VegFests in the US and Canada since her book came out in June 2011. Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine's Dr. Neal Barnard wrote the book's foreword, "No one is better qualified to write the book. What I admire so much about Ellen is that, unlike so many people today, she is not trying to sell any product, device, or gimmick. Her goal is not to make money but reveal the truth." T. Colin Campbell (The China Study), Rory Freedman (Skinny Bitch), Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (Compassionate Cooks) and Ruth Heidrich (Race for Life) also wrote cover endorsements.

Ellen wrote her book after seeing too many news stories saying eating healthfully on a budget was impossible. Many have sought Ellen’s expertise in modeling a healthy lifestyle, especially after her mom, aunt & both sisters got breast cancer.  Ellen has won the highest awards in broadcasting. She was a 2-time Emmy-winning TV investigative reporter for 18 years, turned financial consultant who used her background to do the investigative reporting job of her life: dodging genes that gave her mom, aunt and both sisters breast cancer. In addition, they and most other adults had major heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's. Ellen was part of the original breast cancer gene studies.

She now often places in 5K races for her age group and did her first marathon in 2010. She was the 5th oldest female to finish the Palm Beaches Marathon. She has won 5 gold medals in Florida's Senior Games. At almost 60, her times are 6 seconds behind female personal records for NCAA college track team times in the 100 and 400 meter races. The "Anna Maria Islander" chose Ellen as the 2010 sports story of the year.

As an Aerobics and Fitness Association of America certified personal trainer, and Road Runners Club of America certified running coach, she volunteers as the assistant girls cross country coach at Manatee High in Bradenton, FL. She is a personal trainer at Island Fitness on Anna Maria Island, FL as well as an online trainer/coach. She was a media consultant for PCRM, a cooking instructor for PCRM's Food for Life/Cancer Project program for 6 years before her book came out, and before that, a La Leche League leader and associate coordinator of leader accreditation for Missouri. Many media stories praised Ellen’s cooking classes and her ability to defy cancer odds.

One of her best successes was a newspaper story on a cooking class student who lost 120 pounds in 8 months. Ellen was also the cover story for the Tampa Bay (St. Petersburg) Times "Personal Best" Magazine in 2011. As a Wall Street financial consultant, she focused on socially responsible investing earning her an environmental award in St. Louis, as the nickname, "Earth Mother in a Suit."

At the request of her publisher and others, Ellen also consults with other authors on how to build social media presence. Also at the request of her publisher, she has signed a contract for a second book due out in 2013.

Ellen also won the National Press Club 1^st Place Award for Consumer Reporting in 1984. Her 2 Emmys and 4 more nominations included an FDA recall her story started, and her main claim to fame: breaking the story about the Miami school superintendent who stole gold-plated plumbing for his summer home using public money. He resigned and went to jail. National publications cited the story as part of the cause for Miami’s 1980 riots. She also broke the national story about Chrysler’s executive driving program that sold used cars to the public as new.

Figuring out the truth about food and fitness has been the investigative reporting job of her life. She calls herself the "VegCoach" and "broccoli rep," because as she likes to say, "When you understand there's no money in broccoli, you have to be your own investigative reporter and figure out the truth. There's no broccoli board, association or lobby. And who else IS the broccoli rep?"

Ellen Jaffe Jones
Author/Personal Trainer/Coach/Cooking Classes
www.vegcoach.com
http://facebook.com/EatVeganOn4DollarsADay
http://twitter.com/#!/VegCoach

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.

I Won't Eat Anything with a Face...

By : Fiona Birnie-McKay

As a teenager I was desperate to be a vegetarian but there just wasn't enough alternatives like there are now.

It was only when Linda McCartney's vegetarian range came out in the mid 90's that the opportunity to change to a complete Veggie lifestyle set me on the right track :)

Expecting twins in 1996 my consultant insisted I continue to eat fish for the health of my unborn children. So it was tuna until 15th September 1996 and I've never looked back :)

The thought if eating a living being that once had a face and heartbeat haunts my head with horror. I can no longer even walk past a worm on the pavement without helping it into the safety of the earth...

I feel passionate and proud to be a Vegetarian and that 2 of my 4 children have followed my steps through their own choices :)

The thought of animals suffering at the hands of humans makes me feel sick, I want to help them but can't ......

The more of us who become veggie can help protect and give compassion to them and make for a better world.

PS. If every one of us inspired ONE person to go meatless imagine the difference we could make in ten years time. I am going to collect inspirational vegetarian/vegan stories to share with everyone. If you think your story will inspire others, please share with me by sending it to info@veglov.com. I will post your stories on this www.veglov.com blog. I believe everyone has his/her own story, I think it must be great when we can share our stories and inspire others. Let’s make the world a better place. ~ Xiao Kang.