Forums: September 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Looking for the balance
Created on: 09/15/10 01:03 PM Views: 1360 Replies: 4
Kat7501 Joined: 09/02/10 Posts: 4	Looking for the balance Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:03 PM I've been vegan since April and have learned a lot on my own, but I'm still confused about some gray areas. I chose to go vegan for health reasons. That said, how strict do I need to be? I'm not eating any dairy, meat or eggs, I dine mostly at a vegan restaurant or at a few others where the staff knows I'm vegan and actually create meals just to meet my needs, I cook a lot of my own meals, and read labels obsessively. And that's where it gets tricky. I know to watch out for caseine, but I'm pretty fuzzy on a lot of other ingredients. I restrict sugar intake just because it's healthier to do so, but now I've been reading much more about ingredients that are avoided it seems more for ethical reasons. Honey in small doses seems to be fine from a dietary perspective, but what about limited sugar or gelatin? I know where the line is for me as far as choosing whether to be a dietary or ethical vegan; I just don't know what ingredients land on which side of that line. Any advice? Thanks!
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cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: Looking for the balance Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:30 PM Hi Kat, I am new to this.. one week ..so take that thought with you as you read. I have a lot to learn & it seems a lot of decisions to make too. I don't know if everythings falls one one side of a line or another. It seems there are some grey areas. I JUST found out what geletin is. One of the questions I ask, is it gross? To me yes. Defination: a transparent protein material made from boiling animal hides, bone, and cartilage that forms a firm gel when mixed with water. Also when they got to animal hides, bones.. well i won't eat meat. Is this that much different? It is still cows and pigs. It is just a different part of their body. Interesting fact from wikipedia :Gelatin is one of the few foods that cause a net loss of protein if eaten exclusively. In the 1960s, several people died of malnutrition while on popular liquid protein diets. Another question i ask, "is there a replacement?" the answer is yes...there exists a big variety of substances which are vegan an which have the same properties as gelatine: Cellulose (Amid), Agar-Agar, Biobin, Guar, Xanthan, Carob fruit Although I am new and have no idea where to get those things, maybe the health food store. For me Gelatin is a NO and that is how i came to that decision.
	Edited 09/15/10 1:31 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Oceandog Joined: 01/10/10 Location: California, USA Posts: 642	RE: Looking for the balance Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 1:31 PM This is a tricky area. YOUR reasons for abstaining from anything are valid for YOU. Just as mine are for me. No one can tell you what is right for your life, except for you. You will get many opinions on any subject, but what you need to discover is what you are comfortable with. I eat whole foods. I try to avoid anything processed, and by avoiding anything processed, by its very nature, I avoid animal products. Do I use honey? Occasionally. Do I take vitamins in a "gel" capsule? No. I also do not buy leather. I do not consume anything that uses gelatin. For my own journey through this life, I chose to live it in such a way that I harm no one. Do I consider myself a vegan? Yes. Some would say no over the honey issue. I suppose for me, if I found the honey I was buying forced the bees to eat an unnatural diet, they were kept in tiny cages, fed hormones and such and were slowly squashed in the end with the fear that goes along with imminent death, I would abstain. Allow yourself room to grow and to learn. If it feels "right" for you today and you are not hurting anyone in the process, then you are fine. If you change your mind later today or tomorrow or years from now, then your path took a turn and now you see a new place that gives you different information and perspective that may lead you to a different choice. You have made a life changing, peaceful choice by going vegan. Give yourself a warm fuzzy for this first, valuable step! Always offer kindness and a soft word to the beings around you; You do not know their journey. Your words can be the hug they need or the shove that breaks them.
	Edited 09/15/10 1:47 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
MommaLuna Joined: 08/31/10 Posts: 35	RE: Looking for the balance Posted Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 4:29 PM Oceandog, I love your reply. It seems to sum up my feelings and is a perfect example of the quote you chose to put on the bottom of your messages. Thank you. Linda
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dollgirl Joined: 12/28/09 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 131	RE: Looking for the balance Posted Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 6:35 PM Kat7501, Both cch22 & Oceandog gave great responses. It is most definitely a personal journey. Some people are going to be more fanatical about every little thing and tell you exactly how you should be living vegan, they tend to turn their veganism into a cause. Then you have others at the other end of the gamut who are following a vegan diet for health benefits, who are not caught up in the politics of it. This is your journey and only you know where you fall in the spectrum of being a vegan. www
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