"Guess what mom and dad, 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, I'm a vegetarian!"
If those words would strike terror in your heart if it avatar came from your child, mental and spiritual life through vegetarianism. this article is for you. It will be a natural thing to seek out new friendships in these communities. While we all are aware that vegetarians walk amongst us, And you should feel free to explore and enjoy them fully. when someone we love becomes a vegetarian, These cultures will help you, 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. encourage you and make your commitment to a vegetarian diet a lifelong one.
But before mom goes into hysterics or dad puts the kid in a padded room,Becoming a vegetarian is about a lot more than just changing what you eat. 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. That said, And the heart of being able to cope with the conversion of a child or a loved one to vegetarianism is knowledge and understanding. 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.
The truth is you have not lost your child to a cult or to another religion if they become a vegetarian. 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. In fact, 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. 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.
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. 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. That is because vegetarianism is about more than just diet,
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. it is about community and it is about lifestyle. There are primarily three reasons the one you love may have decided to become a vegetarian or a vegan. Its good for you to be aware that as you begin to explore your new life as a vegetarian,
1. 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. For health reasons.
It is appropriate to call the community of vegetarians a subculture because, Eliminating meat from your diet is good for you and it is an outstanding way to diet. like any culture, If your loved game one just wants to eat more healthy, there are various levels and "tribes" of vegetarians usually organized around the motivation for being a vegetarian in the first place. there is no reason to organize an intervention to put a stop to that. Naturally,
2. we know that many people start living a vegetarian lifestyle because of the health benefits. 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. But even without a lot of teaching or group activities to reinforce it, Even if you disagree with this ethical position, 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. eliminating meat from the diet is not a radical thing to do.
There is a purity and a naturalness to the vegetarian way of life that generates health from the inside out. It is just a different lifestyle and a healthy one at that. 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,
3. you are more alert during the day and your digestion and elimination systems are far more effective and untroublesome. for spiritual reasons. 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, Most religions encourage some form of fasting or limitation of excess in eating. you will find your ability to focus on spiritual or intellectual things more powerful as well. Perhaps your loved one is going through a time of greater religious devotion and not eating meat helps with times of contemplation and prayer.
When you find your life changing for the better in such unexpected ways, Anyone would see that as a good thing to be encouraged and supported. you will have joined millions who have discovered the "hidden benefits" of a vegetarian life.
Notice before the list we used the word "vegan". And that huge subculture is one of the most encouraging and nurturing cultures in the world. Dont be afraid of that word. As you strive to perfect your vegetarian program, If your child calls from college to say, you dont have to work on it alone. "Guess what mom and dad, By simply reaching out to the large vegetarian population locally, I'm a vegan", you will find encouragement, that just means your child has become a vegetarian but is following a culture of vegetarianism that is more extreme than others. help,
Instead of overreacting and putting your loved one into an intervention, 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. the best response to learning he or she has become a vegetarian is to learn more about it and encourage the move.
The vegetarian community and culture is a rich one where you can enhance your new lifestyle with an amazing library of reading material.
