<p>I've gone back to eating small amounts of meat after about a week of eating vegetarian (probably 90% vegan) food. Ideally I wouldn't, but it's a compromise with my parents: they experiment with more vegetarian dishes, but we still eat meat a few times a week (as opposed to every day). I used to eat meat without thinking anything of it, but now the fact that I'm eating the flesh of a dead animal sort of disgusts me. I don't expect to be able to maintain a 100% vegetarian diet while I'm still living at home, which is a shame, partly (of course) for the animals' sake, and partly for health reasons. The changes in my body were amazing; I felt a lot healthier and lighter, and I could eat more without feeling bloated or weighed down. In short, it was a very positive experience, but hard to maintain when you're living with three carnivores. ;)</p>
<p>Oh, and I tried a new brand of soy milk, and I actually quite like it--much more than I ever did cow milk. (It's Whole Foods 'Organic 365', if anyone's interested.)</p>
<p>Ahh... More and more and more organic... What has this world come to???
:'(</p>
<p>I have been a vegetarian for 6 years and a vegan for 3. I do not understand why this thread is on CC--it really serves no purpose except for meat eaters to make fun of non-meaters no matter what reasons they give for not eating meat. Does it really matter?</p>
<p>I dont eat meat because I am an animal lover, and the american meat, dairy and egg industry is horrible. I think it is silly for people to say things like "well, its natural to eat meat so I do." Its 'natural' to do a lot of things--that doesnt mean you should do it. I think that is a poor reason to give. Do you live off your land and hunt your own animals? Do you use the skin for clothing and bones for tools? I doubt it. If you do, I respect that. If you go to your local grocery store and pick up ground beef or to mcdonalds and get a hamburger, then you are arent really doing the 'natural' thing. You are just doing what is easier.</p>
<p>I dont want to bash meat eaters, I have no problem with them. I DO have a problem with ignorant, close minded, un-intelligent people. So, if you are saying things like "hah, meat is yummy, sorry vegans!" thats just..really silly.</p>
<p>While I applaud any effort to go vegan or vegetarian, I think the excuse "well, my parents wont let me" isnt a very good one. I became a vegetarian when I was 13, and my mother didnt feel like helping me out. I learned to cook my own meals. It wasnt that hard. It is always annoying when your parents dont support you or tell you that you "CANT" be a vegetarian, but really..they cant exactly force you to eat meat. Especially at this age. My advice is to read up on being a vegetarian, present the info to your parents, tell them you want their support on this important issue, and if they still dont want to listen, oh well. You did what you could. </p>
<p>Also..those of you who say "oh, I cant go veg because I need protien/iron.." have you ever heard of someone who had a protien definciency? No. I highly doubt it. Americans get WAY to much protien. In terms of iron, there are plenty of food with iron. Its not hard to take a multi vitamin either.</p>
<p>"being a vegetarian will make you weak"-not true. I am a long distance runner. I run countless miles every week, lift weights, etc. I am very healthy and physically fit. I know plently of meat eaters who are not. I have been very active in many sports anbd running all my life. I have never been seriously injured. Never broken a bone, never sprained anything, never had a muscle tear. While other girls on my cross country team dropped out of races because they tore a muscle or had an injury, I did not. This is not to say that ALL vegans will have this luck. But to say "being a vegetarian is a muscle tear waiting to happen" is just plain ignorant and incorrect. </p>
<p>"being a vegetarian will make you fat".if you live on junk food, sure. Being a vegetarian doesnt mean eating fries instead of a burger. It means NOT eating meat! A vegetarian diet COULD mean all fruits and veggies, soy, tofu, etc. I dont think you could be FAT from that. I dont know many FAT vegetartians. I lost about 20 lbs by being a vegetarian. Im sure if I lived on fries and chips I wouldnt have. It really just depends on what you eat. Taking meat out of your diet will not make you fat.</p>
<p>and another thing...you should all really think about your sources. PETA and other vegetarian sites are great, and generally supply the truth about these issues, but its also helpful to look at less bias sources. </p>
<p>Look at who is paying for these things. They articles about "vegetarian mom loses baby" is often sponsered by the beef industry. Dont believe me? look it up.</p>
<p>likewise, many pro-vegetarian articles are sponsered by PETA.</p>
<p>All I am saying is, check your sources. </p>
<p>For those of you posting links to "the truth behind vegetarian myths"...did you even read who is paying for these "studies"? go check.
I have never heard of anyone having a miscarriage because they were a vegetarian. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.</p>
<p>my advice...dont let people scare you out of being a vegetarian.</p>
<p>I dont want to bash meat eaters, I have no problem with them. I DO have a problem with ignorant, close minded, un-intelligent people. So, if you are saying things like "hah, meat is yummy, sorry vegans!" thats just..really silly.</p>
<p>I second that.</p>
<p>And thisyearsgirl- I love soy milk. I don't go to whole foods much, so I've never tried their brand, but I drink Silk all the time (2-3 glasses daily). Yum.</p>