Over the years I've had a few vegan friends. I myself have been vegetarian from time to time for short bursts. So when I saw this article it caught my eye.
It's by a writer who, for the second year in a row, has decided to go vegan for a month. She, for the sake of her story-or others-or both, has decided to compile a list of Top 10 Tips and some of it is common sense, while other parts...I just don't get. See below.
"Start with an open mind. There's no surer way to guarantee failure than to go into it with a bad attitude."
Now I can understand this statement if you're talking about trying a new food for the first time, or even if you're trying a new diet where you don't want to be set up for failure. But, being vegan is really a full lifestyle change, isn't it? You can't ease in it. Either you eat and use animal and their by-products or you don't. And either you want to, or you don't. I guess maybe I'm being naive, and there are people being forced into veganism in cults around the world and this tip is being targeted towards them?
"Take a walk down the produce section."
This isn't really a tip. This is a must. You can't really eat many other things. This is actually a live or die situation for a vegan. Beans, nuts, produce and tofurkey. And really if you're going to make a stand for something by going vegan, I've always thought it strange to be willing to pump your body full of chemically created and modifed junk because you miss not being a vegan. Stop trying to have it both ways. Deal with the decisions you've made.
Now this is a semi-harsh assessment of 2 of the 10 tips. The rest of them are fine. If you want to check out the article or would like to try being vegan for a bit, or even forever, this artcile could in fact come in helpful. Good luck! Now...I'm going to get some bacon.
