Catholic Vegetarians & Vegans

Well, I thought the very word was built on that word play. It's so nice. I've tried to think up a comparative term referring to wives, but I don't get a hold on it. "She's my knife", for example, doesn't sound that funny and there simply is no train of association leading from one notion(knife) to the other(wife). And the resemblance between the words should be as close as possible. "She's my witch". for instance, doesn't work, because witch and wife stand too much apart phonetically.

It's quite saddening, 4elise, what you've told about your sister. And I entirely agree with you that arguing or paying back doesn't lead anywhere but to greater bitterness still. Somehow it's best to endure patiently and keep up the friendly face. We all know that a confrontational course of action only results in a thickening of opposition. Therefore, I think you're doing the right thing and one cannot do better than that.

Well, I never encountered opposition to my choice within my family nor with my friends and acquaintances. I'm not even remotely an evangelizer and as soon as people perceive that I will by principle not enter into any discussion they leave it by that. When people ask for reasons I never give one or I rant airily about "gut feeling" and "doing what seems right to do somehow deep within me"...

I spent the last few weeks mostly at home, so I enjoyed some good potatoes and rice. Summer term starts on Tuesday and then I'll draw again from the neverending bounty of the Whim-oatmeal-apple-diet. I should make it a trademark. I should pick up some disciples, let my hair grow down to my hips, stop bathing and head for some tropical island. And we'll all suck on rolled oats and apples till our heads turn funny due to malnutrition. I believe it's a great business idea. I always wanted to know what I could possibly do with my life.

Easter Sunday will be junk food day. Dairy laden cakes and pies. As always on family gatherings I will show good will, eat some slices and nicely comment on the tremendous baking aptitude of those responsible for the cakes and pies. But in the evening I will eat rice again. I always do that, eating vegan food after eating garbage(oh, sorry... I mean, normal good food). I know it's hilarious from a physiological point of view and completely a mental thing, but it feels like a detox to me.

I should probably learn to keep my posts in proportion - or edit out the tenacious parts. Well, next time.

TheWhim.... I never thought of that - my hubby is kind of my hobby!
How are things there for the Tridium? Plans for Easter? Something beside oatmeal and apples?

Khrystyne - like you I made the change as I learned more and more - and guess I am a bit of an 'evangelizer' too! - people ask... then you have to tell them, for people, for the planet, for the animals. I recommend movies (like Food Inc.)

I have one sister (who I love dearly) however who - behind my back, not to my face, has said really rude things about my choice to be vegan - and it does hurt - it just feels like she doesn't value me or respect my choice.

So... hopefully we will all try to share our reasons and encourage others to at least consider the possibility - because like you Khrystyne - this choice resonates with my faith.

Blessings

gretahope... I'm sorry for your struggles - will keep you in your prayers!

You may not have people supporting you in your life choices to try to be healthy - but you have a responsibility to care for yourself, not only for you but for your family.

I've found that some people just resent our food choice because they feel judged by us - then they go on the attack - making points of eating meat in front of us, making comments, etc.... and you are obviously experiencing this in multiples! Some people think it is because they feel like they too should change, but I think the ones who are really vocal are just that way because we are 'rejecting' the norm - I've heard people say 'you think you are better than me' because of the choice ----- and honestly I really try to just be quiet - when faced with this - but YES it does hurt, just keep trying to show them respect - don't give as you get!

My recommendation is just keep on being the good person you are - keep making good choices for yourself - keep coming here for support!

Blessings

By the way, I love the designation "hubby" some employ here obviously in reference to their respective husband. Is it supposed to mean having a husband sort of equals having an extra hobby?

Anyway, I love that.

Saskatoon,
No matter if those people are Catholic or not most people cannot imagine NOT eating meat. So, they put an unattractive label on it because they don't really understand nor do they want to. All the stereo types of veg. people from the 60's are changing. So, for me I try to evangelize vegetarianism and get people to think about it, the whys and whats etc... Most of the time I don't bring it up all I do is start to make something to eat or pull something I've made out of my bag and all the questions start, it's actually fun because most people have never really thought about vegetarianism. The light bulbs go on and the wheels turn reflected in their facial expressions. This movement is not a fad and I believe God is doing something pretty profound with all of the enlightenment. You can tell too especially when the meat industry and dairy industry are getting desperate and outlandishly creative in their commercials to entice people to continue consuming animal products. Hillshire Farms is using children more than ever in their ads to defend "Go Meat" (Go Veg) only because there are numerous stories of children in households who have chosen to go vegetarian despite their parents, but then as the parents start to educate themselves they too become veg. with their children.
I can only say that it is a lifestyle change, and that includes a mindset change. It affects the whole person physically and spiritually. Then of course that affects everyone around you and the world. For me it was gradual in layers of learning and shedding misinformation about nutrition and what I really needed. For me I discovered not only the physical benefits, but the spiritual benefits. I never want to eat meat again, ever.
Most importantly I prayed about this change and I would say that you should pray about it too and ask God to lead you and show you, I think He already has. Enjoy the journey, there are benefits beyond the physical of becoming vegetarian.

God Bless

Husband/children are anti-Catholic and anti-Vegetarian/Vegan. HELP! As a Type 1 diabetic, if I don't watch what/when I eat my lifespan can plummet. Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of ding-dongs and ho-ho's in my life, so to speak but the hardest thing of all is almost being made fun of by my family....as they stuff sausage/bacon/white bread into their mouths. I try to buy healthy foods, but it's a battle...so much so that I want to say phooey on you all! Except my special needs son, who eats much better than the rest....I want to get my own place and live the way I know I need to in order to survive! That said, I guess the thing to do is just keep my MOUTH SHUT and live healthy. Easier said than done, for sure!

Been a long time....
But, yay, I have gone completely Vegan now for over 2 wks, and have never felt better (just a little bit of Organic plain yogurt). My skin in clearer, my body feels lighter (and lost a couple of lbs!). It feels like AAAHHHH, finally something that makes sense physcially and mentally and spiritually, even as a Type 1 diabetic. What's weird is that I never realized that I could be discriminated against in this way:

I was getting my hair cut/blow dried, and we were discussing when body chemistry changes one' s hair responds differently to dying/bleaching,etc....I said "Well I am now a full-Vegan, so we'll see if there's change from last time." Immediately the stylist became sort of rough with me, brushing my hair and sort of pulling it. She said in a curt tone that I better figure out a way to get enough protein!!!

How sad.....she was a peach to me for years...and now this. All because I quit eating animal products!

Check this out:

http://rawlivingfoods.typepad.com/1/...ting-eggs.html

4elise, Dr. Mercola publishes the most widely read alternative health e-newsletter in the world. Dr. Mercola is not a vegan but he's a raw omni (not a raw paleo). I do not agree with what he says about organic meat and some whey being highly beneficial to human health, but a lot of his insights are well-founded to me. I've been his subscriber since 2002 and I was still a medical writer on the side of orthodox medicine way back then.

"Raw" agave has been getting a bad rap in the raw community in the last 2 years or so, but I continued to buy it anyway. Now I am thinking twice about buying another bottle to replace the one I just recently finished up. The one that I buy is Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Raw (?) Blue Agave. Here are some more articles:

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/agave.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/024892_fr...od_health.html

http://jonnybowdenblog.com/the-truth...%99s-all-hype/

http://www.insidershealth.com/articl...sweetener/3905

saskatoon, I know how hard it is to remain veg when going out, so what I do is bring prepared veggies and fresh fruits with me when I'm traveling. I have a Thermos insulated lunchbox and a Coleman insulated shopping bag that I lug around when I go out. I just put an ice pack inside to keep my raw smoothies, juice, and veggies fresh for hours. This enables me to eat salads on the road.

When I told my family I was going raw and vegetarian way back in 2006 they thought I went crazy. Up to now I'm still going through a lot of opposition, but I know I made the right decision. The raw vegan diet is God's gift to me, so I'd rather put up with all the flak that I get from following this lifestyle rather than throw away God's blessing and reject His will for me.

Things might be different for you. Maybe you'll inspire your hubby and kids to eat the same food one day. What matters right now is that you follow your conscience, or what you think is right