I’ve been eating a vegetarian diet for about 8 years now. I originally stopped eating meat (yes that includes fish and chicken!), eggs, and dairy after I learned about the inhumane treatment of animals. These books were hugely influential on my decision:
- Cover of Diet for a New America
Diet for a New America by John Robbins
The Food Revolution by John Robbins
The Mad Cowboy by Howard Lyman
Unhappycows.com (a website – check it out)
I ate a vegan diet for several years and then added back in cheese, eggs, and fish. I added these foods into my diet because I thought that I needed them.
Well, I am now making the transition back to a vegan diet. I’m doing this for a couple of reasons:
- I don’t believe that eating animal flesh, secretions, or reproductive products, contributes to making me a healthier person. I no longer believe that I “need” them.
- I do not want to participate in the needless torture and slaughter of billions of animals.
OUCH! Harsh, huh? Let me begin to explain. This will take several posts so bear with me 
First, you can get everything you need from a balanced and thoughtful vegan diet. Usually the nutrients that people worry about the most are b12, iron, protein, and calcium. Let’s focus on B12 first.
Needed for cell division and blood formation, we actually don’t need very much B12. However a deficiency of B12 can cause nerve damage and anemia, so it’s important to make sure you have adequate amounts of B12 in your diet.
B12 does not occur naturally in plants or animals (although it did occur in plants at one time). Farm animals contain B12 because they eat plants contaminated with the microorganisms that produce B12. Since vegans do not eat animals, we need to get our B12 elsewhere.
Some good vegan sources of B12 include:
- B12 vitamin supplements. Look for a sublingual Methylcobalamin form of B12.
- Red Star nutritional yeast, which also happens to impart a yummy cheesy flavor that works great in tofu, “cheeze” sauce, popcorn, bread dough, salads, soups, gravy, stews, etc.
- Fortified cereals – Nature’s Path Optimum Power, which I love, Corn Flakes, Special K, Kashi Heart to Heart (may contain honey).
- Fortified soy milk
What are your thoughts about eating a vegan diet? What are your concerns about it?
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=3a1448c6-ca60-4e95-bc4f-59f8a934c419)
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Hi Julia,
I admire your determination to clear up the vegan myths. What a task! I turned vegetarian when I was diagnosed with high cholesterol at a time when vegetarianism had not yet hit mainstream. Changing my diet, lowered my cholesterol, and changed my thinking about eating animal products too. I have been wanting to go vegan for a while, yet finding it difficult to give up the cheese on my pizza. Of all things! As you unravel the vegan myths, I hope that you may address the ayurvedic perspective…how do you justify ignoring the holy cow and its bountiful milk? And what serves as a great nutritional replacement? I look forward to reading more!
Shanti, Cori
Hi Cori
Great point! Ayurveda is actually predisposed to vegetarianism, which is considered more sattvic. Meat is dead energy – tamasic! Ayurveda also encourages dairy products for people with a vata or pitta imbalance – kaphas should avoid. There are ways to substitute and get the calming and grounding effect that they are after with dairy. More on this to come
xoxo
julia
hello dear friend~
i was a vegetarian for about 8 years. i got to the point that my hair was falling out, i had dark circles under my eyes, i was addicted to grain carbohydrates, sugar, i had mood swings, and energy swings. but…most importantly, i was craving meat. my body was asking for it. when i started eating meat again, all of these health issues cleared up for me.
at the time i wasn’t thinking as much about the animal issues as i was about the health issues. i just couldn’t get rid of my leather coat, leather belts, and shoes.
now i support local farmers in their pursuit of sustainable farming, raising and slaughtering animals in a humane way. this is where i get my meat from when i eat it.
my goal as a current meat eater is to be as conscious as possible about where my meat and dairy come from and what i am supporting. most importantly i listen to what my body is asking for in an intuitive way and i honor it.