Why are some omnivores so pushy?

You think vegans and vegetarians are pushy, preachy and judgmental? How about some of those omnivores? Good heavens, you guys are everywhere. We're surrounded by you. And some of you are not very nice to us either. You shove that crappy, unhealthy, death laden diet of yours down our throats daily and all day long. Yup I said it.

And some of you have no problem bullying us either.

Any idea how those vegan jokes feel when you're vegan? Any idea how horrifying it is to hear you purposefully brag about your latest kill (hunters) or see those Facebook posts of our fellow beings served up on a platter just to get under our skin? Seriously? You could at least respect the fact that your dinner was once a living, breathing being by not being so crass/casual/careless about it.

And restaurants? Hello. We are here. We like to eat out too. We don't want to have to special order everything. You don't have to veganize your whole darn menu. Just give us a couple options, would you? Good heavens! You went to culinary school, right? Don't tell me they didn't teach you how to make anything without meat, eggs, milk or gobs of cheese in it. If not, I'm sure you can figure it out.

Heck, I do it every day and I'm no culinary goddess.

How I love vegan restaurants! I can order anything and not worry what's been slipped into it. Or whether the waitress actually knows what vegan is.

“You can eat fish, right?”

“Arghhh! No!”

Guess what else? Some of my friends are not vegan or even veg. They won't eat at vegan restaurants because “vegan food is gross.” “I need my meat!” So, guess who compromises? Not them! Nope. Ya, that would be me. The “pushy” vegan.

(I must insert here that a few of the omnivore friends I have kept close to over the years will go to those vegan restaurants. Bravo for the open-minded omnivores out there!)

Folks, I'm sick of hearing that I don't get enough of this or that because I'm going vegan. I'm sick of hearing that we have canine teeth for a reason, etc. etc. Mainly because it's not true. Also, I didn't ask you to preach to me, I just mentioned I was going vegan. It was your idea to make an issue out of it. Not mine.

I'm sick of people saying cruel, tasteless, hurtful, inconsiderate things like, “I love animals. They're tasty!” I'm sick of people speaking out against cruelty to animals, then ironically, eating them for dinner.

You guys, I've even seen animal cruelty fundraiser barbecues.

What? That doesn't even make sense.

And furthermore, vegans are not unhealthy, overly thin or wasting away! Many of them are award winning body-builders and athletes!

I've heard all the alternative facts of omnivores many times over. I also have research backed actual, unbiased facts to rebut them all.

But I don't do that to people. I show them compassion and understanding. Most of the time, I just change the subject, smile and move on. Because, like most vegans I'm not at all pushy, rude and inconsiderate. My goal is kindness to all. That's the whole point!

But I'm sick and damn tired of it being acceptable for omnivores to constantly give vegans and vegetarians a hard time. Get over it? Get a sense of humor? No, I'm sorry. It's not OK for you to treat people that way. Ya, even if they're vegan. And it's not funny. Once again, it's hurtful, rude and inconsiderate. Just like it is to poke fun at any group of individuals.

I'm always hearing that vegans are pushy. But I've gotten much more unsolicited advice from omnivores than I've ever given out.

They don't know about the over 40 years of unbiased research that has brought me to my decision. (My personal decision, as some pushy omnivores like to call theirs.)

Apparently, respecting someone's personal decision only applies if they're not vegan/vegetarian. 

But, vegans? You can hound them, stalk them online, lord it over them, discount their extensive, non-biased nutritional education and make fun of them all you want. They're vegans. Everyone knows they're nut-jobs. They don't matter.

Folks, as a transitioning vegan, I put information out there to the general public so people can make informed decisions on their own. I don't do this to ridicule people or lord it over them, but because I care.

I also talk about how happy going vegan has made me. I do not address people individually on the subject unless they ask. But sometimes if they're extremely rude to me personally, I will defend myself and my choices.

Wouldn't you if your beliefs were challenged and ridiculed daily?

Think about it. If you're an omnivore, how did this post make you feel?

Welcome to my world.

Going Vegan isn't S.A.D.

The True Vegan Diet Brings Only Wellness and Vitality. 

A lot of people think that going Vegan represents giving up things. Which makes them sad about the whole experience from the start. Begin with a negative attitude, end with one. But that's not the kind of S.A.D. I'm talking about. Although, Veganism certainly isn't that kind of sad, either. What I'm talking about here, folks is the S.A.D. diet. That is, the Standard American Diet.

Many of my friends have confided in me that they've tried going Vegan and ended up sick from it. But here's the deal. They may have given up animal products, but they didn't really go vegan.

There are a lot of self proclaimed vegans who eat a modified S.A.D. diet. In other words, they're not really on a vegan diet and may as well have not bothered.

Why do I say that? Because going vegan involves a whole new way of eating. It's not just the old S.A.D. diet minus the animal products. It's a balanced nutritional plan that insures you have everything you need to retain and enhance good health.

And you can't possibly get sick from eating everything your body needs.

Eating a true, balanced, healthy vegan diet does not make you sick. Ever. In fact, it should have the opposite effect. If it makes you sick, chances are, you're doing it wrong. Just like doing any diet wrong will make you sick.

For example, it's not enough to sub bean burgers for meat burgers and still chow down on greasy fries. Not all food that's vegan is good for you, just as not all omnivore food is good for you. If you're not going to eat healthy food, you might as well just continue with the S.A.D.

A vegan diet isn't sad in any way. It's not about restrictions, either. It's about eating healthy, delicious, filling, plant based, nutrient dense food that contains everything you need for optimal nutrition without exploiting other beings. It's about doing no harm, either to yourself or others. It's a celebration of enriched life, good health and wellness.

Vegan is the exact opposite of the S.A.D., not a modification of it.

If going vegan makes you sick, you're doing it wrong.

My journey from vegetarian to vegan in 5 steps

I hear that Bill Clinton has caved since he took this picture but I do not intend to!

Everyone has their reasons for going from vegetarian to vegan. Mine are multiple. I'm going vegan for my health, the environment and to prevent innocent animals from being enslaved, tortured and slaughtered. Ya, I know. It's pretty heavy, right? Don't shoot the messenger. Anyway.... If you're considering switching to vegan, for whatever reason, maybe trying my step process will help. I'm on step 5. Yes, it is hard, but it's working.

1. Ditch the milk

This was pretty easy for me. I was never a big milk drinker. I only used it on my cereal. If you like it more than I do, you may have a harder time of it. Still, there are plenty of great substitutes for cows milk. My favorite is almond milk. It tastes wonderful on cereal. There are several varieties. Plus, there are GMO free brands. Check the label. Coconut milk is good too and best for making hot cocoa or adding to coffee or tea. I have every confidence this step will be the easiest for anyone trying to go vegan.

2. Say goodbye to eggs.

OK, now it's getting a little harder. As a vegetarian, you likely still had some options at restaurants. At least breakfast choices were easy. Skip the sausage and bacon. You could eat everything else, right? Not to mention, eggs are in all those yummy baked goods you love. Luckily, there are vegan substitutes for eggs in baking. Plus, there is now this great product called Vegan Egg put out by Follow Your Heart brand that you can use to make tasty scrambled eggs, much like the real thing. That won't help you in a restaurant, but at home, you'll be just fine. I had no trouble at all with this one. Piece of vegan cake. Which is scrumptious, by the way. Don't believe the rumors!

3. Cut the cheese down.

Oh boy, giving up cheese is a tough one. So tough that I had to split it into 2 steps. This first part really wasn't as difficult as I first thought it would be. Plus, of course, anything I go through while changing my diet simply pales in comparison to what dairy cows go through on a daily basis. So, I started by cutting down on the cheese in my favorite dishes and not eating cheese as frequently. I did OK with it. I only eat cheese a couple times a week now and I eat much less of it.

4. Bye bye butter, yogurt, ice cream and sour cream.

I've always loved the flavor of butter. Nevertheless, I've given it up. I've never cared for margarine. I feel the same way about most vegan butters. They're both just too processed for me. So, for the most part, I leave butter off the menu. When needed or fitting, I've found a fantastic butter made from coconut oil. The brand name is Melt. It has a sweet creamy taste like butter and isn't heavily processed like margarine or other vegan butters. It even works well in cookies.

I never really cared for yogurt. So, no problem. And if I really want it, although I can't imagine why, Silk brand makes a pretty good vegan yogurt. Tastes exactly like the regular stuff.

Ice cream is another toughie. Luckily, they make some incredibly tasty vegan ice cream these days, so I really only miss my favorite flavor in my favorite brand. I think I can move on now, though. I'm fine if I focus on the benefits, rather than what I'm giving up.

Sour cream is more of a topping. Leaving it off isn't a big deal to me. So, Bye Felicia.

5. Delete the cheese altogether.

Yes, I know. Thankfully there are plenty of good vegan cheeses because this is the step I'm headed for right now. I say headed for because although I have drastically cut my cheese intake, I still eat it here and there. 

Regular restaurants and other people's homes are the main problem, although I have admittedly caved at home as well. Hey, cheese is a big one for this girl raised in dairy country, but don't you worry. I will get there. I am determined to fully transition to vegan, for my health, for the planet, for the other animals and also for the future of the human race.

Notes:

*If you're transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, relax. You'll be fine. After all, you've already done without the meat. The rest should be a snap.

*I'm finding out something surprising as I transition. The less dairy I eat, the less I want. Cheese even tastes sort of fatty and gloppy to me now. Sometimes, it doesn't even appeal to me at all. Who knew?

If you're truly concerned about plant consumption, you should be vegan. What?

Most of the corn and soy grown in the US is fed to those cows, pigs and chickens omnivores eat.

Yup. It's true. And there goes another defense for eating meat down the tubes. Just like that. Vegans kill fewer plants than omnivores. You see, the issue with the “plants, though” argument against vegans is a moot point. That's because, among other reasons, omnivores consume far more plants than vegans. They just consume some of them indirectly. In the form of meat.

Not only that, because omnivores are consuming most of their plants second hand, the nutrition is second hand too. It's inferior because it's cycled through the animal first. Nutrition is always higher from the original source. Which is, of course, one of the main issues with processed food as well. It's been changed so much from the original form that it loses it's “power.”

It takes far more veggies to produce a pound of meat than it does to eat all your veggies directly. And that's calorie for calorie, nutrient for nutrient. What? That's right, vegetable protein is far superior to animal protein in nutrient content. Plus, there are none of the health risks.

The “veggies” used to feed livestock are genetically modified. They take a lot of land. They take a lot of water. They also involve massive single crop land use, which depletes the soil and promotes erosion and the dust bowl factor.

And then, you have the land that's used for grazing or feedlots, creating dead-zones which cannot support life. Neither factory nor humane farms are sustainable. Both are a waste of resources. In fact, humane farms use more land.

Contrarily, the veggies consumed by vegans are mostly grown on organic farms. They are not single crop operations. Rather, the crops grown are diverse and rotated to enrich the soil. And since they are not cycled through animals, well, again, they're better for you.

Plants have feelings? OK. I'll give you that. But it's not the same thing at all. However, they are not sentient beings. There is a huge difference between picking a carrot and slicing the throat of an animal. Other animals have close personal relationships with their family and even have friends. They have emotions and thinking, feeling lives of their own.

And besides, once again, omnivores consume more plants than vegans. Remember? So, there you go. If you're truly concerned about the lives and feelings of plants, you should be vegan.

Vegan posts vs. Bigotry posts

What exactly is the difference? Both are extreme views. Both are pushy and annoying. Yes? Or at least so the majority of people think.

Personally, I think there's nothing extreme or pushy about asking for peace and compassion, such as I did in the above meme. But hey, what do I know?

Anyway.... The other day, someone on Facebook who was upset at me for calling them out on their obviously biased (blacks are the root of all evil!) post mentioned that they never said anything to me when I posted “my vegan crap.”

The thing is though, there is a huge difference between blaming black folks or anyone else for everything bad in the universe and asking people to be more compassionate.

You see, folks, bigotry is based in ignorance and hatred. Whereas, the fact that I'm going vegan is all about the love. Well, that and the facts.

Love does not promote, require or project exclusion.

So, comparing peaceful vegan posts to bigotry posts makes no sense.

Of course you don't comment on my vegan posts. Of course you respect my right to post as I please. That's because I am not spewing hate and exclusion.

The only thing I'm spewing is love and the request that others be more loving. That shouldn't offend anyone. Unless, of course, their bigotry includes hatred for vegans.

Oh.

And FYI, I have absolutely no problem with people who are not in agreement with me posting their beliefs. I do, however, have a huge problem with spreading hatred and intolerance. And there IS a difference.

Sigh.....

Handling anger at non-vegan lifestyles

It IS frustrating, but....

You will notice in the title, that I did not say handling anger at non-vegans, but at non-vegan lifestyles. And that's the whole thing, right there. When we raise our kids, we say, hate the behavior, not the child. And while non-vegans certainly shouldn't be treated like children, they should be treated as kindly as you would treat your child. Everyone should.

But what about when you get really angry? It's easy to do so. Especially when you're a victim of vegan bashing or bad jokes. People do have a tendency to laugh at the vegan lifestyle, for whatever reason.

And it's certainly frustrating to watch as those around you do exactly what you're trying to prevent because that's the way it's always been done.

Well, you could do what I do, I guess. I write about it. I prove my point in an article, post it on social media and reap the benefits.

What do I mean by reap the benefits? Well, for some reason, writing on controversial subjects really makes those page views soar. People's emotions get all involved, you know? And anytime that happens, you're looking at viral voodoo.

It's especially profitable when people become angry at your viewpoint.

Now, I don't make people angry on purpose, mind you. That's not really my thing. My thing is compassion. But somehow, even that angers certain people. They pass around my link to their friends to show them what an idiot I am and suddenly, my article or blog hits it big.

Meh, whatever. At least they're reading it. Maybe some of it will sink in. Or not.

The point is that the best comeback for anger directed against the vegan lifestyle is to just live your life. Be happy. Do your thing. Talk about it if you like. After all, everyone else on the planet is free to talk about their lifestyle, so why not vegans?

And if you're a writer, use that pent up anger in a positive way. Write. Educate. Rejoice on paper. And perhaps accidentally, you'll influence someone or at least upset them enough to spread it around where someone else will be inspired. In which case, you'll be teaching more people to be compassionate and make a bit of a profit doing it as well.

No harm done. Compassion retained. Anger squelched. Mission accomplished. Well, not completely. But at least you can say that you're making an effort and remaining compassionate to all. Yes?

What's your vegan way?

Vegan cheese. Yes or no?

How do you do vegan? We we each choose our path on the vegan road, don't we? Not all vegans are alike, just as, not all omnivores are alike. Surprise! But the biggest surprise to me is how cruel other vegans can be to vegans who are not on their path. Compassion is our mantra. Kindness is our thing and yet, a few of us don't project that to our fellow vegans.

For instance, what is your take on vegan meat and cheese? Do you do it or not do it? How about vegan processed foods? Yes or no? Is it merely your diet that's vegan or do you choose vegan everything (clothes, shoes, etc.) Have you become completely vegan yet or are you progressing toward becoming vegan, like myself?

Do you make your own vegan meats and cheeses or purchase the store-bought kind? Are you as 100% vegan as possible or do you bend a bit with the branches of society? Do you pass on the vegan “word” at every given opportunity?

Do you educate others or refrain from the reactionary melee? Do you attend protests? Do you speak out regularly, even at the risk of losing friendships or do you choose to remain silent and simply live your life as an example to others?

And here's my point:

My personal opinion, for what it's worth, coming from this tiny grain of sand in an infinite universe, is this; All vegans are OK with me. And by the way, maybe I don't agree with their lifestyle, but all those other people are too. We have to support each other, you guys. All of us have to help and guide each other with love and kindness. Otherwise, what's the point in being vegan at all?

So, my vegan friends, back to the subject at hand. Do you look down on other vegans because they eat processed food, “fake” food or because they still haven't made it to their goal? Or do you lend them your support and offer a hand up if they want one? Do you judge people, vegan or not, because they're not living the exact way you feel is right?

Because, you guys, whether you know it or not, that's not exactly compassionate, is it? That's not vegan at all. That's not what we're fighting for. It's not kind or compassionate. It's not understanding and frankly (once again from this inconsequential speck of sand in an infinite universe) it just doesn't feel right.

Be the kind of vegan you wish to be. Celebrate the fact that you are making progress or have reached your goal. Absolutely. But most of all, please, do vegan your way and give others the same opportunity, consideration and appreciation. Because the more encouragement and the less belittlement people receive, the more likely they are to stick to their goals.

Yes, it's that simple. Respect begets respect. Example is the best teacher. And every kindness multiplies.