> Hi all!
>
> I too have had a really difficult time with this (giving up meat,
ect.)
> but am continuing to try and would love any suggestions that anyone
may
> have, beacuse politically, socially and morally I completely agree
with
> much of the rationale behind veganism/vegitarianism. I have recurrent
> (really recurrent) migraines which are promoted in
> part, by food allergies (and I'm sure stress and fatigue as well)
and it
> seems that I'm allergic to just about everything. More importantly,
I'm
> interested in hearing how everyone came to "make the switch" as it
were,
> eg, the practical things everyone has done, how they've supplemented
thier
> diets without meat etc., steps taken in making thier dietary changes,
> lifestyle changes etc.
I gave up most meat at age 14. My mom, a really smart woman, told me
that if I was really commited to this, she was going to give me three
cookbooks (Diet for a New America, Diet for a Small Planet, and The
Vegetarian Epicure). I was to read the text, understand the concept
of planning veg. meals for maximum nutrition, and make a list of a
month's worth of entrees that I would be willing to eat. There are a
lot more veg. cookbooks on the market now. I personally recommend
Laurel's Kitchen. It is full of info and simple recipes.
Another thing I would recommend is branching out into Middle Eastern,
Chinese, Japanes, Korean, Thai, etc. and Indian cooking. It may mean
restocking the spice rack, and making trips to specialty stores to get
the authentic ingredients, but it is so worth it! Also, many of those
styles don't use quite so much wheat, dairy, corn (and other allergy
provoking foods) as european based cooking does. I love my copy of
Madhur Jaffrey's Eastern Vegetarian Cooking (that isn't the exact
title, but it's pretty close).
In terms of lifestyle, sometimes I eat before I go out to eat, so I
can just order a salad if the restaurant is meat-oriented. I think
that the adjustments are somewhat like taking up or giving up smoking.
It takes a little more energy, but once you get used to it, it really
seems effortless. There are numerous archives of veg. recipes on the
web, too. But I would suggest reading some of the vegetarian
"classics" for some basic understanding of the proper diet. Be aware
that, like most healthcare, the ideas of what is right and what isn't
have changed a lot over the years. Read a bunch and see what feels
right to you.
Good luck,
Heather
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