Resolutions/Becoming a Veg*an

Veg*an New Year Resolutions for 2008 & guide for becoming a vegan or vegetarian.

For those wanting to become vegan/vegetarian:

Try something new, become a vegetarian or vegan this new year and forever! A vegetarian diet excludes animal flesh, muscles, and bone; and a vegan is a diet and lifestyle that seeks to excludes the use and consumption all animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, fur, leather, honey, etc. For more information and the types of vegetarian diets go here, and find which diet and lifestyle best suits you!

• Reasons to go vegetarian or vegan are many including for your health, animal welfare, the environment, spiritual and inner peace, end world hunger, among more reasons read some here.



• Learn about veg*an health. Becoming a veg*an is not only about eliminating meat or other animal products, you have to make sure you get all your nutrients. Check out vegan nutrition and the vegan food pyramid.



• Foods that vegetarian and vegans eat are of wide variety and deliciousness. There are already a lot of foods that are already vegetarian and vegan that you might know of. There are also many substitutes/alternatives to animal based foods, such as meats, ice cream, and cheese. Also, there are plenty of vegan recipes, cookbooks, and food blogs out there.



• Shopping, find local vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants, grocery stores (such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's), and co-ops/natural food stores, and farmers markets. As well as you can shop online!



• Support, let your friends, family, and doctor know about your decision and ask for their support, maybe even help them become a veg too!



• Meet other vegs! Meet other veg*ans online by going tovonline forums as well as groups on such sites as MySpace, Facebook, LiveJournal, Flickr, Yahoo, Google, Last.FM, StumbleUpon and many others! You can also get active in local vegan or vegetarian communities and meet-ups.



• Have fun! Being a vegetarian and vegan can be the best thing you have done in your life, it can bring inner peace and happiness, as well as the joy of not being a part of the animal abuse and misuse process.
  

You can also use a search engine such as Google for more information on vegetarianism and veganism. As well as check out the links I have listed on the right panel and below.

Links:
Starter Kits
Veg*an Guides
Nutrition in a Nutshell
Making the Transition
1-2-3 Veggie, How to Successfully Become a Vegetarian
Make a New Year's Resolution to Help Animals!
wikiHow to Become a Vegan
Becoming Vegetarian
How to Become a Vegetarian, the Easy Way
Steps towards becoming a vegetarian
Going Vegetarian Tips, Links
Make It Meatless
Vegan Tips: Going & Staying Vegan

For those already vegan or vegetarian:
Get more active in the fight to help animals, the environment, and humans on earth.

• Stay veg, for however long you have been a veg*an, for some it was difficult, for others it was really easy, which ever one it was, you should thrive to stay one. And, for vegetarians you might want to see about becoming a vegan!



• Stay healthy, most vegetarians and vegans are healthier with the proper diet, than animal eaters. Being a veg*an you might have noticed your health got dramatically better! But, being a veg*an does not cure all health problems, so be sure to pay attention to your health, and have your regular doctor and dental visits. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water, continue to eat well, and make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need. (you may read about this in the above section). Also, a healthy life requires you to be active; so try and exercise daily for at least 30 minutes twice a day!



• Stay happy, hopefully being a veg*an has made you happy or happier! So stay happy by doing these resolutions, and whatever else makes you happy (as long as it does not involve harm to anybody!) Hobbies such as music, writing, dancing, sports, singing, instrument playing, playing games, work, being online, etc. And being with good friends and/or family!



• Spread veganism/vegetarianism to your friends, family, and world and as much people as you can, show them this blog, and other vegan blogs and vegan sites (right side), have them watch Meet Your Meat and Earthlings. Have them read: The China Study, Eating Animals, and Skinny Bitch. Also cook for them, let them know they won't be missing much of anything by going veg!



• Get active, get active in your local community, or online as stated above. Or you can join bigger organizations such as GoVeg, peta2, PETA, ALF, Farm Sanctuary, plus a lot more! MySpace and Facebook has ways to get active as well.



• Adopt, there a many animals that are suffering without a home, food, love and care. So help them out and adopt one, two, or maybe more! You can find animals to adopt on sites such as PetFinder or go to your local animal shelter. (Do not buy pets from a shop or breeder due to the neglect and treatment of them and the animal's parents!)



• Donate, there are many animal and vegan organizations you can donate to. As well on Facebook there are applications you can add to your profile such as Causes, I Am Vegan, and Awareness Ribbons.



• Meet others, as stated in the section above meet other veg*ans on forums, online groups, and local communities.



• Ideas/Goals/Dreams, that you might have that can help spread the vegan, vegetarian, and animal rights movement. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream years ago that changed the rights for blacks, although there is still some ways to go, he really did a lot to blow the door open. Coretta Scott King and Dexter Scott King are both vegans and have done good for animals (Coretta was vegan in the last 10 years of her life). So whatever ideas you have to help animals of any & all kinds including humans try to put a plan of action together and do it!
  

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year, this 20__! And love, vegan and peace to you all!