Hello

[sunflower]

Hello Everyone, Just joined the forum as I think I am going to need a bit of support etc. Finally decided to do something about animal cruelty. I am a bit of a late starter as I will be 53 next month. I have been thinking about becoming a vegetarian or vegan for some time but I think it has been down to being lazy that I haven´t done it before now. I must admit I do enjoy eating meat and animal products I can´t lie. I have recently started to feel very bad about eating animals and their products as what gives me the right to do this. I only started 13 days ago so very new to this. I am eating loads of vegs. various beans etc. I am still eating fish at this time but hope to cut that out very soon once I get into it does that sound wrong. My husband doesn´t want to join me so I am still buying and cooking meat for him. Any help or advice would be more than welcome. I really want to do this but must admit I do keep thinking about eating meat. I know me doing this will not change one single thing in the world of how animals are treated but I will be able to sleep nights. I have rescue dogs and I would not eat them so why eat an other creature. I live in Spain and to be quite honest I am struggling to find anything vegan in the supermarks. Vegan and vegetarian are definitley not words often used in these parts. I think my family think I wont keep it up. How did you all manage to cope with it at the beginning.

 

[winter.frost]

Hi Sunflower and welcome to the forums.

If you are still eating fish, you are not quite yet a vegan or vegetarian. However it is good to know that you have begun your journey towards veganism.

Cooking separate meals will be tricky and make things harder for you to stay on track, but it can be done. There is another thread somewhere on the forum about being with non-vegan partners. Is your husband able to cook for himself?

If it helps to know, I have been vegan for almost two years - vegetarian much longer - and can no longer stand the smell of meat or fish, so cravings really aren't an issue. However, years ago, I would never have thought that possible. It is because I cannot make the sensory disconnection any more from what was once a living being, now to a carcass. But, since my transition was gradual, the people around me in my life knew that it wasn't going to be a 'fad' but rather that it was a long time coming. So my transition went well - apart from discovering I was soy intolerant and that I had accidentally neglected vegetable sources of iodine in the first few months (everyone worries about B12, but iodine deserves a mention too - the very best vegetable source is seaweed).

Before being vegetarian I too tried pescetarianism. It was this video (graphic warning) that helped me to make the change, along with all the facts I had obtained about the so-called 'sustainable' fishing industry. This video is also very useful.

It may take time for some parts of the world to stock the fancier 'alternative' vegan products but let's not forget that veganism is a wholesome diet built upon staples you can get absolutely anywhere. Spanish farmers' markets, I imagine, would be a great place to buy produce in bulk for a reduced price. Especially since so much of the produce here in the UK gets imported from Spain in the first instance!

I'm sure the forum here can help you on your journey. Well done for taking the first step.

 

[wilkinson]

Welcome. Have a good day.