Persuade me to turn VEGAN

I've been a vegetarian for 4 years and have not found it difficult at all, mainly becuase I love food and experimenting with it so tofu and quorn products taste better than meat to me.

I've heard about a few books I can read about veganism, including - the by now infamous - Skinny Bitch. The only thing is my family (all meat eaters) have never been too impressed even with my vegetarianism.

So before I embark on reading up on veganism - which will probably make me want to turn vegan as I hate the idea of causing anything to suffer - can any vegans out there give me one reason why a health-conscious 20-year-old should want to take up a vegan diet.

Preferably things that would convince my mum!

The gauntlet has been laid down, vegans! ^_^

Well, I don't know about anyone else, but the reason I decided to go vegan was mainly because I don't support the egg and dairy industry and how they treat the animals there. It was impossible to me to see which eggs/dairy came from an animal that was treated terrible, so I decided to stop eating it.

I've been vegan for 7 months now and I've never felt better!

Read 'Eat to Live' by Dr. Fuhrman.  It lays out all of the reasons backed by medical study to switch to a vegan diet (for your health).  He does allow some food in your diet to come from nonvegan sources, b/c the science hasn't proven a health benefit from being entirely vegan vs. having less than 10% of your calories come from other non-plant or non-whole foods sources (which he considers to be pretty much anything processed, including oils and animal products).  That being said, I think he is pretty clear about the fact that he believes an entirely vegan diet is best for optimum health.

http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/


because animal cruelty is the root of how corrupt the food industry is.
because free-range doesnt mean your food was happy,
because all the brothers of the chickens who lay the eggs that you eat were literally smushed to death because they are useless to the industry,
because your milk is probably full of puss from overworked cows nipples, because the only way for any of that to change is for you to change it.
if you cant go out to a pasture full of happy roaming cows and get your milk there, then there is no way you will know that it isnt cruel. you cant trust the food industry.
even if you beleive it is natural to rely on animals, as do i, the way in which we do it now is far from natural, and now we have to go to extreme seeming measures to change that.

those are a few of my reasons. that website is also pretty convincing.

a vegan diet doesn't have cholesterol in it.

1: Read skinny bitch. It won't be long until you're a convert.

2: I had no intention on becoming a vegan until I read the book.  Now I cant even look at any type of milk/cheese/yogurt before I start thinking about all the puss and crap that comes out of the cows udder when its sucked dry.  Not to mention the antibiotics and the hormones put in to combat the puss!  Disgusting! 

the strongest reason that keeps me away from the dairy (even though i have a deep and historic fondness for cheese - it's really hard some days) is the following:

milk is pus.

the reason that keeps me egg-free is this:

high in cholesterol, and scrambled tofu tastes so much better.

Watch Earthlings.

Original Post by lysistrata:

Watch Earthlings.

i was crying the whole time i was watching this. . .i just cant see how people can live with them selfs doing that to animals. and how so many people are blind about what is really happening to the animals. 

i wish everytime someone ask me why im Vegan i could show them this video. seeing it is way more powerful then hearing about it.

 

Thanks for the books and links, I know I'm definitely going to read Skinny Bitch and I'll watch Earthlings, and also see if I can find Eat to Live.

However, my problem is that I've only just got the hang of getting my diet properly balanced the vegetarian way. Whenever I stay with my parents they don't understand that I can't just eat spagetti hoops instead of baked beans.

I need some reasons that will stand up to their arguments. Whenever they ask me why I won't eat meat and I say its because I don't want to be responsible for causing anything to suffer, they just scoff. It would be even worse with a vegan diet and I don't think I have the support to make it work.

I suppose what I'm really asking is how you vegans that have already been through it manage to make people accept it?

Thanks for all your suggestions and links

While of course the suffering of animals is absolutely disgusting...what about all the health benefits of being vegan? I tend to find people are a lot more accepting (although I really could give a crap if people accept that I am vegan or not) about the health benefits of being vegan, than the animal cruelty. Eat to Live has awesome info on health benefits of being vegan, and all the diseases that you can avoid by eating healthy!

And ditto on the mild puss! It completely disgusts me whenever I look at milk or cheese.

 

I've been edging toward vegan ever since reading the China Study.  I think the health arguments are very strong but less absolute; the health benefits come from minimizing animal products, not necessarily eliminating them entirely.  The anti-cruelty argument is much more absolute.  Ever since I watched Earthlings I've been thinking about that more and more.  Something about picture = 1000 words ...

As far as your question about convincing other people, I've found the best approach is to just take responsibility for my food choices and not make them other peoples' problem.  So, for example, when I go spend the weekend at my parents' house, I'll bring some food with me and cook dinner at least once.  They're pretty open-minded so it's not too difficult ... guess I'm probably lucky that way.

wow. just watched the earthlings video. if that doesn't turn you i don't know what will. and about what to tell your parents- i think you shouldn't let what others say and think of your veganism bother you, because it is your choice, your lifestyle, and your personal beliefs.

Read This!  http://www.goveg.com/pdfs/nutshell.pdf

I've been vegan for a year and a half before being veg for about 2 (and another year in HS).

The best thing about it is I actually do feel mentally and physically better.  

I lost 15 lbs. when I adopted my new lifestyle.

 

This is what convinced me- http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/soynotoi.ht ml

I'd choose that over Skinny Bitch anyday.

Original Post by lysistrata:

Watch Earthlings.

That video is great.  Granted i've only watch about 30 minutes of it, but I can only take about 10 minutes at a time.  I'll finish it eventually. 

I was crying so much.  It makes me feel bad for ever eating meat in the past.  I loved the similarities they draw about the factory farming and the holocaust.  They are right, if you look at it from a "species" or "beings" view, they're exactly the same actions.  Crazy.

Being a vegan myself, I found i felt better, my skin got better, and i lost A LOT of weight with out even trying. The down sides are the obvious need to look after your calcium and protein ect. sometimes you may find yourself eating too many carbs, but at least you're getting all of your recommended fruits and veggies! stores like whole-foods make it so easy to be vegan, and i have never found it too difficult (except when people are eating ice cream cake at parties. . . mmm). 

BUT WAIT HERES THE BEST PART!

being a vegan minimizes your chances for colon cancer to almost NOTHING. (part of the reason I started, because my family has a history of colon cancer), and all and all, it feels so revitalizing! 

 

GOOD LUCK!!

 

Who gives a crap what your family thinks? You should be vegetaian for YOURSELF not because you want to impress your family. My family eats meat and still think my 4 year vegetarianism is a phase. Do what YOU want and stop careing about what your family thinks.

Original Post by communist_daughter:

Being a vegan myself, I found i felt better, my skin got better, and i lost A LOT of weight with out even trying. The down sides are the obvious need to look after your calcium and protein ect. sometimes you may find yourself eating too many carbs, but at least you're getting all of your recommended fruits and veggies! stores like whole-foods make it so easy to be vegan, and i have never found it too difficult (except when people are eating ice cream cake at parties. . . mmm).

BUT WAIT HERES THE BEST PART!

being a vegan minimizes your chances for colon cancer to almost NOTHING. (part of the reason I started, because my family has a history of colon cancer), and all and all, it feels so revitalizing!

GOOD LUCK!!

Thanks for pointing the colon cancer part out. I never knew that!  My grandmother died from colon cancer when she was 30.  Another great reason to be a veggie! 

Original Post by nautywave:

Original Post by lysistrata:

Watch Earthlings.

That video is great.  Granted i've only watch about 30 minutes of it, but I can only take about 10 minutes at a time.  I'll finish it eventually. 

Huh... I must have seen a different version.  The one I saw was only about 3-4 minutes long...

Google it if the link doesn't work.  It's a 1 1/2 hour film.