Guest guest Posted December 23, 2004 Report Share Posted December 23, 2004 Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had never associated meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about it, I didn't really care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite having pets that I treat so well, while subjecting these other animals to such cruelty just so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've become a vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, and I realize that changing is better for animals, the environment and ourselves. Anyway, I just always love hearing about what changed people's minds for being meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 actually- that is a great question! I really like to hear why also. I became veggie when I was about 13(I'm 28 now) and I did it b/c my best friend was one. you know how we are at that age!! anyways- she told me and showed me what they did to animals and I swore to never eat meat again. well- I failed. I lived with my dad at that time so all we ever had was glue and pepsi in the fridge( he worked for loctite). so- whatever I could collect from neighbors or local dumpsters was what we(me and my best friend. she basically lived with me- dad was NEVER there so it was pretty " cool " at my house) ate. finally- I gave it up and would just pick the meat off of what we collected. I got very sick at first- could have been the stuff I was eating, though. but it took me about 2 months total. then as I grew up I learned a lot more. now I have a daughter and that is the only healthy option I see for her. the only option I see. she is doing great! I do make her an egg once in awhile when we are a little low on food. but dairy gets her sick. so that is my story!! can't wait to read eveyone elses!! cristene - The Isolas<isolafamily < > Thursday, December 23, 2004 10:04 AM Why Vegetarian/Vegan? Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had never associated meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about it, I didn't really care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite having pets that I treat so well, while subjecting these other animals to such cruelty just so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've become a vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, and I realize that changing is better for animals, the environment and ourselves. Anyway, I just always love hearing about what changed people's minds for being meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 Great Question Katherine at this time of year when we are evaluating our intentions for 2005!!! I stopped eating flesh food in 1980. The defining moment came on Thanksgiving day when I bit into a turkey leg and a tendon got stuck on my tooth. As I pulled it off I realized that this animal was the same as me!!! The seeds had been planted by a wise elderly woman I was doing volunteer work with. She taught me about factory farming. I had been sensitive to animals all my life, as a child crying during Westerns when the horses got injured! I phased into veganism about 10 years after which was more difficult. I have never wanted a bite of flesh food in 24 years!!! Happy New Year everyone! Fran --- The Isolas <isolafamily wrote: > > > Since I'm new here, you may have already talked > about this, but I'm > always curious why people decide to become > vegetarian or vegan. For me, > I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my > way of viewing meat. > I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had > never associated > meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about > it, I didn't really > care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite > having pets that I > treat so well, while subjecting these other animals > to such cruelty just > so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've > become a > vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, > and I realize that > changing is better for animals, the environment and > ourselves. Anyway, I > just always love hearing about what changed people's > minds for being > meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! > > Katherine > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been > removed] > > > > > ===== MAY ALL BEINGS SEE THINGS AS THEY TRULY ARE, MAY ALL BEINGS SEE BEYOND DISTORTED PERCEPTIONS, MAY ALL BEINGS BE RELEASED FROM FEAR. Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn more. http://info.mail./mail_250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 for me, I found that I was no longer enjoying meat so why keep torturing myself The Isolas <isolafamily wrote: Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had never associated meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about it, I didn't really care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite having pets that I treat so well, while subjecting these other animals to such cruelty just so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've become a vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, and I realize that changing is better for animals, the environment and ourselves. Anyway, I just always love hearing about what changed people's minds for being meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Here are some additional reasons why you should be vegetarian: 1. Don't create any more enemy, especially to another living thing with feeling 2. Develop your kind heart toward other living thing 3. Stop the leaking cup- eating meat is like a cup with a hole that you will never fill up fully. Whatever good thing you have done that you have been filling the cup will leak out eventually. 4. Avoid getting all the diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, etc. Thank you and best regards, White Leaf Architects Studio Seah Chay Loon(Mdm) Principal Architect Email: saimeng Tel/Fax:64646113 HP:94308651 Address:21 Tan Kim Cheng Road #02-21, S'pore 266621 Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not copy, distribute or use it for any purpose, nor disclose its contents to any other person. Please notify the sender immediately if you receive this in error. - The Isolas Thursday, December 23, 2004 11:04 PM Why Vegetarian/Vegan? Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had never associated meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about it, I didn't really care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite having pets that I treat so well, while subjecting these other animals to such cruelty just so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've become a vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, and I realize that changing is better for animals, the environment and ourselves. Anyway, I just always love hearing about what changed people's minds for being meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 I became mostly vegan due to my asthma. My naturopathic Dr. recommended that I give up all red meat, dairy and eggs because they tend to aggravate asthma symptoms. At the time I was a severely chronic asthmatic and was taking more than the maximum dosage of my medication. Not to mention having to be put on prednisone every winter and having several trips to the emergency room every year. I also could not keep up with my children and got winded by very minor activities. (I would have to stop and rest if I climbed one flight of stairs) When I followed the advice the Naturopath gave me I was like a different person in about 2 weeks. I ended up on a maintenance dosage of my daily meds and rarely needed my rescue inhaler (down to once a month or so compared to more than the daily maximum every day). Once I made that step I started learning more about other reasons for being vegetarian. Jacqueline cristene bailey [maibee23] December 25, 2004 10:27 AM Re: Why Vegetarian/Vegan? actually- that is a great question! I really like to hear why also. I became veggie when I was about 13(I'm 28 now) and I did it b/c my best friend was one. you know how we are at that age!! anyways- she told me and showed me what they did to animals and I swore to never eat meat again. well- I failed. I lived with my dad at that time so all we ever had was glue and pepsi in the fridge( he worked for loctite). so- whatever I could collect from neighbors or local dumpsters was what we(me and my best friend. she basically lived with me- dad was NEVER there so it was pretty " cool " at my house) ate. finally- I gave it up and would just pick the meat off of what we collected. I got very sick at first- could have been the stuff I was eating, though. but it took me about 2 months total. then as I grew up I learned a lot more. now I have a daughter and that is the only healthy option I see for her. the only option I see. she is doing great! I do make her an egg once in awhile when we are a little low on food. but dairy gets her sick. so that is my story!! can't wait to read eveyone elses!! cristene - The Isolas<isolafamily < > Thursday, December 23, 2004 10:04 AM Why Vegetarian/Vegan? Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had never associated meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about it, I didn't really care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite having pets that I treat so well, while subjecting these other animals to such cruelty just so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've become a vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, and I realize that changing is better for animals, the environment and ourselves. Anyway, I just always love hearing about what changed people's minds for being meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Initially I was interested in vegetarianism for health reasons, but that wasn't enough to make me actually do it, so I went to PETA's site and looked at the pictures. It was enough to make me give up meat right away. I remember that on my third day as a vegetarian I thought, " If I've gone three days, I can go the rest of my life. " It seems a funny thing to think, but I'm a very either/or person. I have trouble doing things part way. I can give up anything completely, it's trying to moderate myself that is difficult. Anyways, this was around New Years, 2001. My husband wasn't very excited about the idea, but I cried a little and he said that since it was so important to me he'd try giving up meat. We loaded up all the meat products and drove them to his sister's house. He then warned me that he would never go vegan, so I shouldn't bother asking. I agreed, but when I went vegan myself 3 months later after reading The Food Revolution I left a copy laying around. I told him *not* to read it or he'd want to be a vegan. I think he thought it was a challenge and read it anyways. I was right, though, and he voluntarily went vegan afterwards, a couple weeks after me. So I guess it was both PETA's site (and video) along with John Robbins' book. After those, there was no good reason *not* to. products , " The Isolas " <isolafamily@c...> wrote: > > > Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm > always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, > I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 For me, it actually started with my husband. We went to a petting zoo and it suddenly struck him that these adorable animals were being tortured and killed for him to eat meat. After that he went through several rounds of trying to become vegetarian and then falling back to eating meat. On his third try, I realized that it was the right thing for me as well and we have both been faithful to it ever since. After three years, he is now vegan, I am almost vegan, our 3 1/2 year old is vegetarian, and our 9 month old is vegan. > The Isolas <isolafamily@c...> wrote: > > Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm > always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 29, 2004 Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 Katherine, I became veg when I was at the Bite of Seattle about 3 years ago. The Bite is a food tasting circus type of thing. Anyway, there was a group showing 'Meet Your Meat' outside, and I was transfixed. I had never seen anything so horrid in my life. I did lots and lots of research after that and I am happy that my eyes were opened. Now I am a volunteer for the group who helped me see the light! http://www.afa-online.org Jodi The Isolas wrote: > > > Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm > always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, > I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. > I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had never associated > meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about it, I didn't really > care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite having pets that I > treat so well, while subjecting these other animals to such cruelty just > so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've become a > vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, and I realize that > changing is better for animals, the environment and ourselves. Anyway, I > just always love hearing about what changed people's minds for being > meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! > > Katherine > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 29, 2004 Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 Finally got back to this when I had some time to write. I became vegetarian back in 1981. I was in Rochester N.Y. and heard about a protest against hunting in a state park. That was my first protest. When I got there, I met several wonderful people who happened to be vegetarian and belonged to an animal welfare group. We started an animal rights group, and I learned more about a more compassionate diet. I decided that there was not much difference between having strong views about hunting, and trapping and not eating other animals. I did lots of research; including visiting several slaughter houses. I got offered a job at PETA in 1985 and moved down to the Washington D.C. area. It took me til from 81 to 85 to become vegan. But working at PETA helped. My husband wasn't vegan when we met; but agreed to switch, and we have a 9 yr. old vegan son. It's much easier being vegan now than back in the early 80's! Peace, Laura (in MD) In a message dated 12/25/2004 12:51:26 AM Eastern Standard Time, isolafamily writes: curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2005 Report Share Posted January 23, 2005 I became a vegan 13 years ago after I read a book my brother lent me. It was called FIT FOR LIFE and it mentioned how bad meat is. Up to that moment, I had stomaches regularly. So I decided to change the way I eat. Jacq <jacqcote wrote: I became mostly vegan due to my asthma. My naturopathic Dr. recommended that I give up all red meat, dairy and eggs because they tend to aggravate asthma symptoms. At the time I was a severely chronic asthmatic and was taking more than the maximum dosage of my medication. Not to mention having to be put on prednisone every winter and having several trips to the emergency room every year. I also could not keep up with my children and got winded by very minor activities. (I would have to stop and rest if I climbed one flight of stairs) When I followed the advice the Naturopath gave me I was like a different person in about 2 weeks. I ended up on a maintenance dosage of my daily meds and rarely needed my rescue inhaler (down to once a month or so compared to more than the daily maximum every day). Once I made that step I started learning more about other reasons for being vegetarian. Jacqueline cristene bailey [maibee23] December 25, 2004 10:27 AM Re: Why Vegetarian/Vegan? actually- that is a great question! I really like to hear why also. I became veggie when I was about 13(I'm 28 now) and I did it b/c my best friend was one. you know how we are at that age!! anyways- she told me and showed me what they did to animals and I swore to never eat meat again. well- I failed. I lived with my dad at that time so all we ever had was glue and pepsi in the fridge( he worked for loctite). so- whatever I could collect from neighbors or local dumpsters was what we(me and my best friend. she basically lived with me- dad was NEVER there so it was pretty " cool " at my house) ate. finally- I gave it up and would just pick the meat off of what we collected. I got very sick at first- could have been the stuff I was eating, though. but it took me about 2 months total. then as I grew up I learned a lot more. now I have a daughter and that is the only healthy option I see for her. the only option I see. she is doing great! I do make her an egg once in awhile when we are a little low on food. but dairy gets her sick. so that is my story!! can't wait to read eveyone elses!! cristene - The Isolas<isolafamily < > Thursday, December 23, 2004 10:04 AM Why Vegetarian/Vegan? Since I'm new here, you may have already talked about this, but I'm always curious why people decide to become vegetarian or vegan. For me, I saw an video on the PETA website that changed my way of viewing meat. I've always been an animal lover, but I guess I had never associated meat with animals. As long as I didn't know about it, I didn't really care. Plus now, I feel like I was being a Hypocrite having pets that I treat so well, while subjecting these other animals to such cruelty just so I can have a hamburger for dinner. Now that I've become a vegetarian, I've read a lot of books on the subject, and I realize that changing is better for animals, the environment and ourselves. Anyway, I just always love hearing about what changed people's minds for being meat eaters. I hope I'm not being too nosy! Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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