[SepiaRoses]

My answer is and would just be "for health reasons". I felt I was eating too much meat, and started to become more aware of how detrimental a life of meat-eating can be for the human body. The point was really driven home when I read information about the longer, healthier lives many vegetarians were leading compared to meat-eaters, as well as learning that cutting meat out of one's diet reduces the chance of heart disease, amongst MANY other benefits.

I told my mom, who accepted it just fine and now asks me about what kind of foods I can eat. I love sharing info with her about what I'm learning and eating these days!

I think if the topic came up, most people would understand my explanation of vegetarianism for health reasons. Very few can argue with someone trying to become healthier!

--Tori

 

[ShelterHelper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nishani

I remember one friend saying "but what about BBQ's!" like that was a big deal cos I was going to ruin them all.

The best way to handle it is to be well-informed with facts about veg/veganism so when they try to make arguments that aren't logical you can set them straight. If you don't have a lot of patience, try to develop some because people you know are going to ask you the same dumb **** over and over.

That's kind of where I am with it at the moment.

Now that I have finally made a connection between meat and suffering I want the rest of the world to realise too.
I have always classed myself as an animal lover and I've had a bit of trouble dealing with the guilt of being a part of so much suffering my whole life.
I think I've been uncomfortable with eating meat for a long time but just accepted it as normal and not questioned it too much.
Because that's what I've had drummed into me my whole life.

Now I'm vegan I do feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me. So I think I must have had an internal conflict going on for a while now.

Now I want to tell people all the issues, facts and horrors surrounding factory farming.
But I am trying to bite my tongue and gradually giving people little bits of information at a time so I don't come across as preachy.
I do feel it my duty now to speak up for these poor animals who need us to speak up for them.
I just don't want to put people off listening to me by getting too challenging of them.
I just want them to get used to the fact I'm now vegan and once they are used to that hopefully they will become more inquisative as long as I'm not too pushy with them.

Until you start looking at ingredients on products you don't realise just how much we rely on animal products. I bought some crisps the other day and they had milk powder in them. I didn't realise at fist that all the Quorn products have egg in them. I'm being more careful now and learning as I go. But at least i am headed in the right direction now.

 

[Forster]

I'd wait till they ask, most people get turned off by unsolicited proselytizing. But I do understand your desire to do so.

 

[Mike4891]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SepiaRoses

Very few can argue with someone trying to become healthier!

--Tori

Oh, but quite a few can argue that meat is healthier. It's not true, but it's an argument. Unless you're informed and to argue is what you want, don't underestimate potential ignorance.