honestly, I don't think i could have done it if I didn't have some vegetarian friends. The only other black veggies i knew of growing up were the Rastas that lived in my grandmothers neighborhood in Brooklyn- and everyone in my family thought they were very, very weird. (they're not, FYI)

having a once a week potluck helped alot- you get some great recipies, great dinner, & tons of support.

also, in a pinch- visiting the Peta website really tends to kill those meat urges pretty quickly.

Greetings Eve, I can honestly tell you that I suppose for myself it isn't even a second thought anymore. I have been vegan for over 5 years now and have a cousin that's been vegan for 12 years. Besides seeing with my own eyes the benefites, I think the most important thing that kept me going was that three are so many ways you can prepare the same foods, and there are so many different foods (veggies, raw foods, etc.) that it almost feels like a new journey every time I cook a new dish..
(besides I love to cook so I may be a tad bit biased)

Honestly Eve:

I've had a lot of benefits after having turned vegetarian, then vegan.

First:

My skin cleared up big time. I used to have a lot acne, especially during my adolecent and teenage years.

Once I started eating more healthy foods, my skin went through a drammtic change. It is healthy looking, shiney and it glows.

I have a lot more energy as well. I've never really been the lazy or lacadaisical-type, but I have noticed that my energy level has increased. No more fatty foods means a lot more energy I guess is the logic, the science.

I feel that I'll live longer as well.

Since I know I am not rendering my body from living a longer life, I can be proud of being a vegan because I feel that such a lifestyle enhances years. The evidence is african cultures, as well as asian and other ethnic groups who've lived off of vegetarian and/or vegan foods.

I hope this helps. :-)

And, since you live in Atlanta, you may be able to learn more from the folks at the Soul Vegetarian restaurant there. Do you eat there Eve?

One love, take care,
Christopher Donshale/UniverSouL

Hello Eve.

I have been a vegetarian for almost 5 years now. I am really looking to try and eat raw foods more and more and maybe eventually go raw....through the help of a close friend of mine. She is slowly teaching me the ways and truths of a raw lifestyle.

I research a lot and ask a lot of questions. Along with being vegetarian, your mind state changes-it's like a portal opens (if you let it). A completely different way of life can follow.

You have to find your own likes and dislikes, try out new restaurants and recipes. Also finding out the truth about what I put into my body helps me.

Check it out:

If you are like the average person you have many pounds of toxic fecal waste, mucoid plaque, worms and parasites infesting your body. You must clean these out in order to restore health. Colonics are able to reach high into the colon area and clean it out. Colon cancer and all other diseases originate from the way a person thinks, the emotions that are buried and a toxic, dirty, impacted colon. Slender people have between 5 and 30 pounds of impacted fecal waste. Overweight people have between 30 and 80 pounds of this garbage. A large amount of worms and parasites are living inside your body and NO ONE is immune to this. These creatures are literally eating you from the inside out. The heavy layer of mucoid plaque that is on the colon walls of every person is a breeding ground for these bugs. If you have ever eaten anything made with flour and water, pasta, cakes, bread, cookies, crackers, meat, chicken, pork, seafood, fish, milk, cheese, peanut butter, gooey desserts, custards and cooked foods, then you have lots of plaque on your colon walls. You cannot restore health with a dirty colon. Put this on top of your most important things to do list!

For more.....
www.livingfoodsinstitute.com/art....htm

Vegetarianism is new to me. I began my quest in January and it has been a challenge but a blessing. My skin has cleared up. When eating out it is a challenge because I can't find the non-veggie options; but at home it has opened up an entirely different world for me concerning food and cooking. Not to mention I vibrate on an entirely different frequency.....I eliminate more frequently and I KNOW that my health is better. My skin even smells different. Just attempt not to be swayed by those who may try and tell you that being a vegetarian is not better for you. Our culture (in it's present state) is still stuck in the slave diet mentality and we have to GROW from it. I did and I must say that it was a difficult trip and my MIND had to be changed. People have to arrive here in their own time and in their own way. We are simply here to support them in the process.

My experience is different than others. I changed my eating habits a couple of years ago. I started reading labels and making sure I had something green on my plate. I started cooking vegan food to have some variety. I think I would have eventually become vegetarian anyway for health reasons. But one day about 2yrs ago, I got sick one week, couldn't really eat. Then when I tried to eat meat, it didn't agree with me. It tasted and smelled disgusting. I can't eat something I no longer like the smell or taste of, so it was pretty easy in that respect. I'm always on some vegan cooking website, learning about new food techniques and how to be a chef in my own kitchen. I love to eat good food, so it may as well be healthy. If I do decide to have dairy, which is extremely rare, my body reminds me why I shouldn't have it in the first place.