Making the switch from vegetarian to vegan?!
Answers: Hello! I've recently decided to make the switch from vegetarian to vegan, and I desperately need help. Honestly, I don't know where to begin. What should I be avoiding, other than obvious animal products (meat, eggs, milk, gelatin)? How do I know if things such as makeup or household products are okay to use? Is it okay to eat things that say "may contain traces of milk and egg products" on the package? Is it true that soy can cause breast cancer? Is it true that vitamin A is derived from animals and I should therefore not be taking supplements that include it? On that subject, I currently take a B-complex vitamin, but will I need to take additional supplements now that I'm going vegan? Also, does being vegan entail avoiding products that are tested on animals? I already do this when it comes to cosmetics and household products, but I'm really at a loss when it comes to things like medicine. As you can see, I need help. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Wow, lots of questions! That's great you're interested in going vegan.
I really recommend this essay on veganism:
http://www.veganoutreach.org/howvegan.ht...
(It argues that we shouldn't focus so much on marginal ingredients, and should instead use the question "Which choice leads to less suffering?" as our guide.)
Non-animal tested products -- vegans do try to avoid (within reason) products that involve animal suffering. Many vegans find it reasonable to use cruelty-free cosmetics and household products, but not within reason to endanger one's health by refusing animal-tested medicines. Everyone has to decide where to draw the line, though...
It's fine to eat things that say "may contain traces of milk and egg products" on the package, assuming that the food itself is vegan... that information is for people with severe allergies. It just means that the products were made on machinery that touched dairy/eggs.
You shouldn't need to take any other supplements if you're eating a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains. You can take a multi-vitamin if you want, but it's not necessary if you're eating a healthy diet and enough calories.
It helps to keep in mind that veganism is just a tool to help us reduce animal suffering. It's not about being somehow "pure" (an unattainable goal) or following a list of rules. Hope this helps. Good luck!
there is a lot of advice from the website in the source box.
i congratulate you on such a great change you are changing for the better. go to www. Peta.com there you can order for FREE a recipe book and you will learn why this is the best for you i made my change of eating habits 2 years ago and i am more healthier than i have been in my whole life it takes 7 years of being a vegetarian to clean all your system but you will feel much better doing so. YOU WILL NOT MISS MEAT . in vegetarian products you will find hamburgers and hotdogs and all the things you like to eat and more . go to the website i gave you
Any bee products will also be nonvegan. Anything that comes from a company that tests on animals you'll want to avoid.
The "may contain traces" typically means that it was produced on shared machinery, and companies put that there for people with allergies. As long as there are no animal ingredients in the ingredient lists, you should be okay.
Soy does NOT cause breast cancer. It's garbage made up by antisoy and antiveg organizations.
It's vitamin D3 that is sourced from animals--lanolin, to be precise. Vitamin D2 is fine. There are plenty of vegan vitamins that contain vitamin A.
As for medicine, that's up to you. I use conventional medicine as a last resort.
For tips on animal-based ingredients, check out www.veganwolf.com.
Well for starters gelatin is not even vegetarian it is made from animal bones and should definitely be avoided.
Obviously you need to avoid dairy. I suggest soy silk milk and yogurt. Make sure you get variety by incorporating rice, oat, almond, and hemp milks into you diet. Also there are some nice rice cheese slices out there as well as vegan blocks of cheese for pizzas and taco salads etc.
There are vegan versions of burgers, dogs, sausages, deli slices etc. Make sure it either says Vegan or read the ingredients carefully. Often there might be cheese or egg. Egg is very common in vegetarian chicken imitation products.
As for the traces I don't blink twice at it anymore. Some vegans won't eat food cooked out of the same pan meat has been cooked in, but I think that is extreme, especially since pans should be cleaned after every use.
As for vitamin A just take beta carotene which usually comes from carrots. They do make vegan vitamins. It should say on the bottle if that is the case.
You do not need to take supplements if you are eating correctly. You can get plenty of iron and b12 from Spirulina which is a food though often used like a supplement. Powder form is the cheapest but pills might be more palitable for you.
As for not buying products animals are tested on I don't unless I have no other choice. I avoid pharmaceuticals like the plague but when my life is at risk I go ahead and use them.
I use all natural shampoos and soaps and see not the necessity for cosmetics (though cruelty free versions of these are available too). Aubrey is a great company that should fulfill most of these needs.
http://www.aubrey-organics.com/
My advise is to always follow your conscience and you'll do fine. Seems like you have already started down that road. Many blessings on your new found journey. : )
You know it isn't natural if you have to take vitamins...
you will need vitamins
also you can eat fish
also i would add ensure or boost afew times daily