How to Go Veg Cold Turkey

So, you're convinced that going vegetarian or vegan is better for your health. We know now that those who follow a plant-based diet have fewer instances of heart disease, obesity, type II diabetes and certain types of cancers than do their meat-eating counterparts. Vegans, even, have lower rates of these life-threatening issues than do lacto-ovo vegetarians. We know that artery clogging cholesterol comes only from animal sources and that fruits and veggies are packed with that darling of nutrition, dietary fiber. We are also aware that vegetarian children tend to consume on average more fruits and vegetables than their omnivorous peers. Not to mention the fact that they're not ingesting all those antibiotics and growth hormones from a daily serving of factory farmed cattle. Yes, indeed, following a vegetarian or vegan diet is better for health.

It is also better for the animals. A person following a vegan diet will save approximately 100 animals per year. That's one hundred animals running in the fields, flying in the sky, swimming in the seas, one hundred animals not dead. Alive, definitely, is better than dead. And free is better than factory-farmed. I'm sure chickens would not choose to be debeaked or, in the case of baby male chicks, "sacrificed," in order to supply me my morning breakfast. And no animal, human or four-legged, wants to remain pregnant for her entire life only to have her baby taken away from her immediately upon birth so his milk can go to someone else's baby, or father, or friend. A vegan diet is a kind way to eat. You know this. You've read the literature. You're convinced.

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And you're convinced that it is a gentle way to eat, gentle on the land which nourishes us. Factory farming, we know now, is more of a threat to the ozone than all of our transportation emissions combined. It pollutes our air, destroys our waters, and erodes the land on which we house those future cutlets, chops, t-bones, and rib-eyes. Not only have we decimated our rainforests with our meat-eating ways, but we have wiped out at least more than a couple animal populations dependent on those tropical habitats. Besides, it is a fact that we could feed more people if we ate grains directly than if we fed them first to factory-farmed cattle and then proceeded to eat the cattle. We don't need cattle. We don't need meat. We don't need to destroy our resources as we are. We know this.

You may know the benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet, but are still struggling with getting started. What is the best way, little by little or all at once? And while more Americans are making the switch to a plant-based diet, support sometimes is lacking in the form of real life example, role modeling so to speak. What are the best books? Which soymilk is better than the others? What about great recipes and vitamin information? Who to believe and how to know the difference between good advice and just a bunch of crap? It's almost as if we need an extended family support group strictly for going veg.

For those interested in jumping in fork first to this vegetarian way of life, I have compiled a ten-step plan to making a smooth transition. Be aware, though, that this is not to say this is the best way or the only way. I followed this plan when I went from eating meat to adopting a lacto-ovo diet. I did not go vegan, however, until about four years after that. At that point, I was a toe dipper. I would test the vegan waters as I might test my backyard pool on a frigid Michigan April day. In fact, it took me four tries to get it right. My first three attempts ended after only a couple of months each. And this is not to say that if you make a mistake you are no longer vegan and should give up and go renounce your sins. Any effort is positive effort. Mistakes are not grounds for personal chastisement, but rather opportunities to learn. So, you have a salad dressing while lunching in your favorite deli spot only to later find out it contains egg. Big deal. Even grown-ups deserve a do-over now and again. The first time I was vegetarian, I gave up after six months. I sent my husband out for a Big Mac. About a year later, I tried again. The vegetarian police did not show up at my door.

Try these steps or try some others. Try what works for you. Just remember, go easy on yourself. You are not being graded on this. There will be no exam. Good luck and have fun!

Clean out the pantry - Rid your home completely of any foods containing meat broths, dairy products, egg, or honey. Just throw out the temptation! A good starter guide is Does This Pantry Make My Butt Look Fat?
Grab a shopping cart - Now that your shelves are veg-friendly, head to your local food mart and stock up on your favorite goodies. Be sure to print out the list at www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/. It's packed with totally vegan store products!
Head to the library or your local bookstore - Try recent titles such as Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm, Sweet Utopia by Sharon Valencik, Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
Do a little surfing - Familiarize yourself with nutrition information at your favorite restaurant before you go. Choose a few vegan options prior to your trip to increase your confidence in ordering and to avoid any hasty decisions.
Read, read, read - Learn of others adventures in vegetarianism from the essays of The Vegan Monologues by Ben Shaberman, or focus more on vegetarian basics such as nutrition, ingredient lists, and menu help from the Skinny Bitches themselves, Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.
Chat up a stranger - Pick the brains of veg neighbors, relatives, or friends. Lacking real life help? Head on over to the message boards at VegFamily.
Re-work old favorites - If your kids are missing Mama's macaroni and cheese or their Saturday night spaghetti and meatballs, try veganizing these well worn comfort foods instead of dropping them completely. My all-time favorite recipe book for transitioning my menus is Erin Pavlina's Vegan Family Favorites.
Take Nutrition 101 - Brush up on what nutrients do what for the body. A great place to start is the Vegetarian Resource Group's website at www.vrg.org/nutrition/".
Practice an attitude of gratitude - Following a plant-based lifestyle is a choice. It is not about deprivation, but richness and plentitude. It is about adopting a kind and gentle way of eating, of living by standards, and encouraging others to do the same.
Think happy thoughts - According to happiness researcher Sonjia Lyubomirsky, optimists are not only happier, but they are healthier and they live longer. Just think what can happen to those vegans who maintain a positive attitude about their new choices!

Tammie Ortlieb is a freelance writer and adjunct instructor with a Master's Degree in Developmental Psychology. She resides in southwest Michigan with her omnivorous husband, four veg kids, and small menagerie of pets. Tammie writes for various vegetarian sources, mostly on being okay with your vegetarian self. She's a book nerd, a research nerd, a health nerd, and a huge glass of soymilk half full kind of creature. Visit her blog at www.middle-agedveganchick.blogspot.com.

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