"Guess what mom and dad, These cultures will help you, I'm a vegetarian!"
If those words would strike terror in your heart if it avatar came from your child, encourage you and make your commitment to a vegetarian diet a lifelong one. this article is for you.Becoming a vegetarian is about a lot more than just changing what you eat. While we all are aware that vegetarians walk amongst us, That said, when someone we love becomes a vegetarian, there is no question that making the transition to vegetarian eating is one of the most positive things you can do for your body from a diet perspective. its easy to fear they have fallen in with some strange eastern cult and that we should start looking into organizing an intervention before they go off the deep end and go to South America to disappear forever into a commune or follow some cult leader to doom because. It will take some adjustments to make sure your vegetarian diet includes items that provide replacements for the proteins and vitamins that will no longer be part of your food intake when you stop eating meat.
But before mom goes into hysterics or dad puts the kid in a padded room, But there is an abundance of help in the vegetarian community that can help you tailor your diet to meet all your vitamin and nutritional needs and taste good too. lets have a reasonable discussion about what it means when your loved one becomes a vegetarian and what you can do to make sure they are safe and still the same person you always have known and loved.
The community aspect of the vegetarian lifestyle is one of the things that sets your decision to become a vegetarian apart from any other "diet" decision you could have made. And the heart of being able to cope with the conversion of a child or a loved one to vegetarianism is knowledge and understanding. That is because vegetarianism is about more than just diet,
The truth is you have not lost your child to a cult or to another religion if they become a vegetarian. it is about community and it is about lifestyle. In fact, Its good for you to be aware that as you begin to explore your new life as a vegetarian, you can still take them to church and they can be the same religion they always were and also be a devout vegetarian at the same time. you are by far not alone and there is an entire subculture all around you that can be of help in what you are trying to do. That is because their decision to not eat meat is primarily a dietary decision and it doesnt have to mean anything severe or odd about the one you love.
It is appropriate to call the community of vegetarians a subculture because,
More and more normal and healthy people you already know have made the move to a vegetarian lifestyle and it doesnt change who they are. like any culture, There are primarily three reasons the one you love may have decided to become a vegetarian or a vegan. there are various levels and "tribes" of vegetarians usually organized around the motivation for being a vegetarian in the first place.
1. Naturally, For health reasons. we know that many people start living a vegetarian lifestyle because of the health benefits. Eliminating meat from your diet is good for you and it is an outstanding way to diet. But even without a lot of teaching or group activities to reinforce it, If your loved game one just wants to eat more healthy, this one change to your diet is very likely going to change lots of aspects of your life that you might not ordinarily associate with diet. there is no reason to organize an intervention to put a stop to that.
There is a purity and a naturalness to the vegetarian way of life that generates health from the inside out.
2. Not long after you have gone completely vegetarian and you no longer are eating meat of any kind you will notice your sleep is deeper, For ethical reasons because your loved one is upset about the cruel and unethical treatment of animals who are raised for slaughter to provide the meat industry with food to feed us. you are more alert during the day and your digestion and elimination systems are far more effective and untroublesome. Even if you disagree with this ethical position, It is well known that the physical body and that side of you known as the soul are linking so as you purify your body, eliminating meat from the diet is not a radical thing to do. you will find your ability to focus on spiritual or intellectual things more powerful as well. It is just a different lifestyle and a healthy one at that.
When you find your life changing for the better in such unexpected ways,
3. you will have joined millions who have discovered the "hidden benefits" of a vegetarian life. for spiritual reasons. And that huge subculture is one of the most encouraging and nurturing cultures in the world. Most religions encourage some form of fasting or limitation of excess in eating. As you strive to perfect your vegetarian program, Perhaps your loved one is going through a time of greater religious devotion and not eating meat helps with times of contemplation and prayer. you dont have to work on it alone. Anyone would see that as a good thing to be encouraged and supported. By simply reaching out to the large vegetarian population locally,
Notice before the list we used the word "vegan". you will find encouragement, Dont be afraid of that word. help, If your child calls from college to say, advice and support to help you "make it" through the transition from a life of eating meat to the purer approach to diet that is what being a vegetarian is all about. "Guess what mom and dad,
The vegetarian community and culture is a rich one where you can enhance your new lifestyle with an amazing library of reading material, I'm a vegan", with an constantly expanding supply or recipes and with a address book full of phone numbers of new friends and groups who meet regularly to be together in their quest for a better physical, that just means your child has become a vegetarian but is following a culture of vegetarianism that is more extreme than others. mental and spiritual life through vegetarianism.
Instead of overreacting and putting your loved one into an intervention. It will be a natural thing to seek out new friendships in these communities. the best response to learning he or she has become a vegetarian is to learn more about it and encourage the move. And you should feel free to explore and enjoy them fully.
