FAQs for Relatives

[Guest guest]

On Friday, August 16, 2002, at 09:35 PM,

wrote:

 

> Yes, when I first became a vegetarian my parents freaked out. My

> co-workers got very upset and would verbally abuse me. My son almost

> didnt have a bar mitzvah because of the arguements we had over what

> would be served. My son (who was raised as a vegetarian from age 11

> until he left for college) finally told them if they had meat that he

> was not going to show up. Finally we settled on pasta, and only one

> couple did not show up because the husband would not go to a party if

> there was no meat. The funny thing about it was we got all kinds of

> compliments on the food!!!

 

Of course! What most carnivores don't realize is how tasty it can be.

They also never stop to think that meat, in and of itself, is tasteless,

and must be seasoned and cooked in order to taste good anyhow.

 

> I strayed from my vegetarian ways for 6 years...the result, I gained 70

> pounds, became diabetic, increased asthma and felt all around crappy.

> I decided to go back to become a reborn vegetarian, but to do it EVEN

> better (for me) this time. (Believe me, I am not knocking those of you

> that eat dairy, this just works better for my disease) I eat nothing

> but healthy foods, eat low fat, no added oil, and now I am a Vegan. My

> blood sugar is still a little high, but my doctor applaudes my new diet

> and told me to keep on it. I lost 11 pounds the first three weeks, and

> I feel alot better. I am exercising and taking good care of myself.

 

Bravo! Very glad it's working so well for you; the results are so

encouraging for us all.

 

> Now for the problem....my parents once again are nagging me about it.

> This time it seems to be a little different, they are not worried about

> my health,

 

You do have a doctor's endorsement, among other things, to confront them

with, hm?

 

> but every time I go over there my mother asks the same questions (and I

> go over 4 times a week, LOL) " Can you eat fish? " " Can you eat chicken? "

> " Can you eat cheese? " " Can you drink milk? " " Can you have butter? " I go

> through this every time, and when I say no to each one, they start

> saying, " How can you live without (fill in the blank)? " Like it is

> something that is really HARD to do. I explain to them that I cook

> grains, and we eat lots of vegetables and our food is tasty, but they

> think we are STARVING. They think I am torturing my husband, who

> actually loves the food I make for him.

 

Have you invited them for a meal? Perhaps if you show them how tasty

and filling and healthy it can be, they'd relax a bit. It is from good

intentions that they worry. Their attitiude stems from misunderstanding

based on decades of training in the other camp, as it were. Teach them.

 

One convincing item I've used is the vegetarian pepperoni. It's low

fat, low calorie, has no cholesterol, no sat fat at all of course, is

delicious, and, as I say, " guilt free. " You can snack on it with

crackers, or have it on pizza, and not have to worry that you're

clogging your arteries, etc. People respond to such appeals. lol

 

> Yesterday when she started in again, I asked her why she asks me the

> same questions every single time, and she tells me that she has more on

> her mind than what I eat...Okay, I accept that, after all she is 79

> years old. But I am going to make a list for her and take it there, so

> she will stop asking me the same questions!!!

 

What an excellent idea, a fact sheet and a list of FAQs. Perfect.

 

> Anyway that is my story....I would love to hear other peoples

> experiences, anyone want to share?

 

 

 

" The decent moderation of today will be the least of

human things tomorrow. At the time of the Spanish

Inquisition, the opinion of good sense and of the good

medium was certainly that people ought not to burn too

large a number of heretics; extreme and unreasonable opinion

obviously demanded that they should burn none at all. "

-Maurice Maeterlinck, poet, dramatist, and Nobel

laureate (1862-1949)