veganism: Hi! I am trying to learn more about the vegan lifestyle. I want to see my body/mind at its full potential and would like to completly change my life and attitude torwards food. I have been vegetarian in the past but only for 6 months(give or take), I did not lastdue to impulsive last minute cravings or not having the resources/support around me(i live in a rurual area) I absoultely love soy and vegetables and have a garden of my own...it's really a question of will power!! So, I am looking for tips,ideas,love, support, and inspiring stories from the vegetarian /vegan community on how to make the transition and maybe on how YOU made the jump. love and gratitude <3|||If you don't have a vegetarian/vegan community around you for encouragement, try subscribing to Vegetarian Times, and some of the on-line newsletters about vegan/vegetarianism. That will give you a community of supportive people, and give you news, recipes, ideas, and topics to consider. Also, if you have a health food store reasonably nearby, get to know the proprietors. Many times these stores will have classes, or networks of people who share your ideas, that you didn't even know were there! You might make some contacts at your local farmer's market, or Community Supported Agriculture group if you have one, also. Good luck !|||You are already ahead of the game by just considering making the change. Im 26 and I've never had meat...EVER!! I ate fish up until '91 then I stopped. No meds.. Never took an tylenol.. all natural.. you can do it. You just have to have the will power and dont be afraid to spend a little money for some better food. Experiment. Where do you live?|||I live in boulder,co therefore I know about this. first off don't listen to people who say you aren't being nourished properly. the vitamins you will miss are easy to get, you need vitamin d and don't take in a supplement d-3 because it is from an animal source, be sure any supplements you take are not in gelatin capsules, you can get vitamin d from the sunlight anyway so get 10-20 minutes of light a day(preferably not direct 10-2pm sun) also you need iodine which most people get from salt you can also get from seaweed or anything from the ocean mostly. as far as baking you can buy a vegan egg substitute or use tofu,applesauce,banana or soda to fluff up your food. be sure to watch out for oils alot of things will have animal fats mixed in. check out vegan products, don't use white-out or lanolin. you can find a ton of things thru googling "vegan"|||I became a lacto ovo vegetarian 6 months ago. Everyone has their own reasons why they become a vegetarian or vegan. I started for health reasons. I was over weight and knowing that a vegetarian lifestyle is healthier I tried it out. I haven't missed or craved anything so far. Every time I think that I might be missing out by not eating meat, I think about where it comes from. There are so many alternatives to meat that I have made some pretty good meals, and have fooled my family with them. Anyway, that's my short story. GOOD LUCK!!!!! Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. ~Albert Einstein|||Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body. Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats. A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease. Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India. Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal. Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices. Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods. Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc. Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases. ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN DIET: More & more evidence is surfacing that directly links a prolonged non- vegetarian diet to diseases as cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma just to name a few. 1. LOGEVITY: Vegetarian can expect to live 4-10 years longer then the non-vegetarians. " Source: Seventh day Adventists study 2. LESS HEART DISEASE: Because of low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content of the vegetarian diet the risk of heart disease is lowered. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease. 3. LESS CANCER: Up to 40% of all cancers are diet related. Cancer death rates have been associated with obesity and high fat / low fiber diet. Vitamin A & C are thought to be protective against colon cancer. Low fat diets protect against prostrate and breast cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors which are present in plant foods and shown to be potent anti carcinogens. 4. LESS BOWEL DISEASE: Diverticular disease and appendicitis occur more frequently with low fiber intake as in meat diet. 5. LEES OBESITY & LESS INCIDENCE OF DIABETES: It is easier to plan a low fat diet for a vegetarian then for a meat eater. The fiber in plant food dilutes the energy & provides a satisfying meal without all the calories. Diabetes over the age of 40 seems to be related to obesity. CONLUSION: When activists like M.K. Gandhi, sports personalities like Martina Novratilova & Carl Lewis, beauties like Brooke Shields & Kate Winslet, physists like Edison, Albert Einstein & A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, religious leaders & mystics like Jesus & Osho can be legendaries in there respective fields taking the advantage of being vegetarian, Is'nt it more prudent on our part to switch over to vegetarianism & enjoy better quality & longevity of life.