When and Why did you become Vegan/Vegetarian?

[Monica]

Just want to hear from ya ladies in the group. Why or when did you become the non-meat eater as it has been said to me? I became Vegetarian first for about 14yrs. It started when I was running around like a chicken with the head cut off. No real time to eat anything so I grabbed what I could. No meat for a whole month some how and went to eat it!! Made me sick as a dog. Now I went in may to a Womens retreat were Dr. Baruch was speaking and dropped the last dairy that I was eating making me vegan.

Just would like to hear your stories.

[Orion]

The movie ‘Babe.’

Not exactly profound, I know but my reason still.

I was born in upstate New York, farm animals where so commonplace that I recognised them as food and not creatures at first and that movie changed my outlook on that. I stopped eating pork and my family, not liking it, tried to reason with me that it was no different than eating chicken or beef—so I stopped eating that too. Fish and other seafood where next. Anything that bled or had a face, I gave up.

I would not describe myself as a bleeding heart for animals—I do not like cats, hold an even greater resentment for some species of birds, and support a few forms of animal testing—but if I can survive without destroying another life, why not? And as if that was not incentive enough, I feel better on a vegetarian diet. I do not claim there is a correlation but it is interesting to note since becoming a vegetarian I, a chronic asthmatic who has not taken her medication in four years, have not had a single attack.

[Sumayyah Talibah]

My first experience with going veg was in 2003.. and then I discovered I was pregnant. So I tried again, in 2004 and stayed there until about 2006. And now I'm in the process of going vegan. Why? At first, it was for health reasons, for cleansing of body and spirit. Now, it's still mainly for health, but I feel that it helps me to be closer to the world at large. If that makes any sense.

[Moya]

I've been a vegetarian since 2002. It was largely political, as I am really troubled by the way food is processed in this country, particularly how workers and animals are treated. I went to Brazil and ate meat a few years later as I was a guest and I didn't want to make things difficult for anyone. If I lived on a farm and was able to raise and kill animals in a way that I felt was humane and honored their lives, I would eat meat. Probably not every day though.

[Sarah Reynolds]

That makes a lot of sense, i'm vegan and i feel the same way. You do feel closer to things because most food is soooooo ridiculously processed that when someone sees real food (raw, whole grain, fresh, from whole foods) they assume it must taste bad. Commercial food is full of chemicals and nothing natural at all (I suppose i've become quite the hippy lately)....but anyway...

I've also been interestedin Buddhism lately and i just don't like the idea of having to kill things constantly.
I also don't drink or smoke. My body is my temple why wouldn't I want to take care of it?


Sumayyah Talibah said:

My first experience with going veg was in 2003.. and then I discovered I was pregnant. So I tried again, in 2004 and stayed there until about 2006. And now I'm in the process of going vegan. Why? At first, it was for health reasons, for cleansing of body and spirit. Now, it's still mainly for health, but I feel that it helps me to be closer to the world at large. If that makes any sense.