Going Vegan
Why go vegan? For the people, the planet, the animals, and your own health!
I hope that this page is a useful one-stop resource for those who are interested in going vegan as well as for those already making the transition. GOOD ON YOU for wanting to make a change, and stand up for the voiceless (: If this was helpful let me know in the comments below!
1. Education
Documentaries:
101 reasons to go vegan
Cowspiracy
Earthlings
Forks over knives
Books:
The China Study
Starch Solution
Eating Animals
Websites:
Everything
http://www.livevegan.org/why-vegan
A horrifying video of producing wool
http://investigations.peta.org/ovis-lamb-slaughter-sheep-cruelty/
Why veganism helps the people
http://gentleworld.org/could-veganism-end-world-hunger/
Why veganism helps the environment
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19562864/
Where do you get your protein?
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/protein.htm
Where do you get your calcium?
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/feb/whenfriendsask.htm
Are humans meat eaters?
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html2.
Science behind a plant based diet
nutritionfacts.org
Why do we eat meat? This is the video that got to my mom and allowed her to support me going vegan more (:
2. Living vegan
It may be best to transition to veganism slowly for some, especially if you are young and living with your parents, who disapprove. Some go vegetarian before cutting out all animal products. I chose to eat vegan for the entire day, with the exception of a small amount of meat during dinner. In my family, my helper cooks dinner for us based on what my mom tells her to cook, so we all eat the same few dishes for dinner most days. Anyway, I cut out eggs, dairy, and honey first, because most parents don't object as much to that, versus removing meat. Many parents believe meat is vital to be strong and healthy :/
After a month of negotiating with my mum, I stopped eating meat and dinner so my diet was completely plant-based!!! :D
But veganism isn't just a diet, its a lifestyle and philosophy! You choose to exploit animals as little as possible. So that means not going to zoos, aquariums, elephant rides, etc, and not buying leather, wool, ivory, animal tested beauty products and what have you not. I personally think its best to keep or sell whatever items you have made with animals. By just throwing these items away, you waste the resources gone into producing the items (no good for the planet) and the animals would also have suffered for no reason.
When eating out there are always options as long as you don't fuss over oil and salt. There are more and more vegan eateries appearing, and most restaurants have vegetarian options on their menu that can be veganised (-: Websites like happycow.net and local vegan food bloggers in your area will be able to help you locate some tasty cruelty-free food!After a month of negotiating with my mum, I stopped eating meat and dinner so my diet was completely plant-based!!! :D
But veganism isn't just a diet, its a lifestyle and philosophy! You choose to exploit animals as little as possible. So that means not going to zoos, aquariums, elephant rides, etc, and not buying leather, wool, ivory, animal tested beauty products and what have you not. I personally think its best to keep or sell whatever items you have made with animals. By just throwing these items away, you waste the resources gone into producing the items (no good for the planet) and the animals would also have suffered for no reason.
If money is tight, focus on eating foods like bananas, rice, beans, potatoes, pasta, vegan bread, cereal etc. No need to buy organic too. These foods are inexpensive and healthy. Supplement with vegetables too even if they aren't as cheap because they are quite essential to stay healthy and get enough minerals. If you don't want to be healthy..... http://www.peta.org/living/food/accidentally-vegan/ HAHA
3. Spreading the message
Do not lash out or criticize those questioning your lifestyle, it will immediately make them feel attacked and they will try their hardest to fight back, essentially closing their minds to the message you want to spread. This can be difficult, but try to respond to questions calmly and do not judge others for not eating as you are, remember you too were in that position once. People are not inherently evil and want to murder and destroy, they do it because they DON'T KNOW. So help them understand, as kindly as you can.I also tend not to talk about veganism too much, only when a topic related to it comes up or when someone is asking a question about it. This helps me actually keep and make friends. Most people would get annoyed if you constantly blabbered on about veganism even at super random times when the topic is irrelevant for example in math lesson or something lol.
