As with most dietary questions, vegans are split on the issue of dairy products--not so much on the question of whether or not they are acceptable, but instead for what reasons they should not be consumed.

As with most dietary questions, vegans are split on the issue of dairy products--not so much on the question of whether or not they are acceptable, but instead for what reasons they should not be consumed.



All vegans (or at least true vegans) abstain from consuming dairy products. Some do so for nutritional reasons; others abstain for ethical reasons.



Those who do it for nutritional reasons cite a range of health problems related to the consumption of dairy products, including high cholesterol. Many also have a problem digesting lactose or have a blood-iron or diabetic problem related to milk protein, casein. In addition to this, milk and cheese often contain small portions of undesirable hormones that are added to dairy cow feeds to increase production.



Those who abstain from consuming dairy products for ethical reasons also have a range of reasons for doing so.



Some cite the poor treatment of dairy cows as a main reason for not consuming milk and cheese. They note that dairy cows are forced to become pregnant once each year to maintain a constantly high yield of milk. They are also fed numerous steroids to increase production.



Others who abstain for ethical reasons often cite the maltreatment of dairy cow offspring. They note that calves are not allowed to spend time with or suckle from the mother, but instead are prematurely removed to be reared for either veal production, beef production, or as replacement dairy cows.



The calves selected for 'veal" production are often forced to live in crates so tiny that they cannot turn around. They must face in one direction; they cannot groom themeselves; and they are fed hormone-laden feed until they are sent off to be slaughtered.



If you are a prospective vegan, you may want to take some time now to think about what is best for you. Ask yourself whether you wanted to become a vegan for ethical reasons, dietary reasons, or both. And from there, determine whether or not these arguments were strong enough to compel you to do so. Either way, you should emerge with a stronger viewpoint and a better understanding of what you do and do not want.

It is going to take some effort to make the transition to a meat free lifestyle and to be able to proudly say "I am a vegetarian." But instead of feeling intimidated by that prospect, what is called for is for you to not only make living healthy and without meat your passion in life, make it your hobby.

It is going to take some effort to make the transition to a meat free lifestyle and to be able to proudly say "I am a vegetarian." But instead of feeling intimidated by that prospect, what is called for is for you to not only make living healthy and without meat your passion in life, make it your hobby.



The distinction between a passion and a hobby is important. Your passion in life is what drives you to learn all you can about your new lifestyle of vegetarianism. When you first make the transition or are preparing for the transition, it is natural to become obsessed with not only the reasons for becoming a vegetarian but the lifestyle you will enjoy when you finish making the change. You should allow yourself to let being a vegetarian a true passion of yours.



Its also easy to let your vegetarian lifestyle be a passion when you start to spend time with 'die hard" vegetarians. Their enthusiasm is contagious and their devotion to what they are doing is apparent. Not only are the health reasons for making this change enough to make a zealot out of any of us, the ethics of not eating animals and the morality and even religious rationales for eliminating meat from your system can make your vegetarian lifestyle as important to you as love of family and devotion to God.



Now everybody who becomes a vegetarian gets to the zealot stage. But it is a lifestyle that is so full of rich culture and the fun of exploring that culture as well as learning to cook and eat the vegetarian way can become something that you want to think about all the time. When you get to that stage that you are living and breathing vegetarianism and that you are actually having a lot of fun learning about your new culture and lifestyle, then you will have gained the momentum to make the leap into a vegetarian life that will carry you to success.



A hobby is like a passion and many of us get very passionate about our hobbies. But along with allowing your new meat free life to be your passion, make it a hobby. The difference is that over time you can sustain your devotion to a hobby but at a more steady and measured pace. Think of other hobbies like model building or bowling. Devotees genuinely enjoy the time they spend in their hobby. And for the most part that hobby is something they probably will be involved in for life. But it isn't all they live and breathe. It is part of life not all of life.



Over time, your vegetarian lifestyle will move from a passion to a hobby. But it should be such a integral part of your life that it can be a great hobby and one you go back to weekly if not daily to enjoy partaking in your lifestyle. There is a lot of diversity in the vegetarian lifestyle that will keep you fascinated for months and years. Between the shopping for great ingredients for your next dish to the cooking, preparing, presentation and dining experience to the quest for the next great recipe to the time you spend with other vegetarians, it really is a lifestyle as well as a diet choice. So let it be a great hobby as well as your passion in life because the life of vegetarianism will make such a huge contribution to your quality of life that it will be worth your devotion to it.