I am frequently asked if it was difficult to become Vegan. Many people find it difficult to wrap their minds around why someone would choose to eliminate meat, dairy, eggs, and every other single animal ingredient from their diet. My reasons for becoming Vegan were quite typical, I wanted no part in the suffering of animals, I wanted to reduce the burden I was placing on the environment, and I wanted to eat a more healthy diet, becoming kinder to my body and spirit. Was it easy?...absolutely not, but that is probably because I did it cold turkey. I remember the day like it was yesterday, I was in Chapters (bookstore) skimming through the pages of The Skinny Bitch when I happened upon a excerpt describing how piglets were treated in a slaughterhouse...by the end of the page I was sobbing, yes, right in the middle of the bookstore, lovely. I did not purchase the book, instead I put the book back on the shelf and walked out of the store a Vegetarian. That was 4 years ago and I have never looked back. When I got home I did a lot of on-line research, found a few great vegetarian recipes, went to the grocery store and purchased a line of prepared Vegan meat substitutes, Yves....this line is still my favourite. They have Vegan "bacon", Vegan ground round, Vegan "sausage" and many other great items. Now, I am not saying they are the most healthful option, but when you are in a crunch and need to prepare a meal they work, and they are still far healthier than eating red meat and pork. My good friend Keri recently asked if I would blog about how someone would go about becoming a vegetarian or at least reducing the amount of meat one eats. I was going to blog about this myself until I found this fabulous resource that, in a nut shell, explains what most people need to know about doing away with meat, or reducing their consumption. I will however blog again very soon about my favourite Vegetarian and Vegan dishes, recipes, and links making the transition for folks who would like to delve into this world a little easier. So give this article a read if you have ever thought about making the transition to a plant based diet! Good luck!!!
