A little Veggie Background:
I quit eating meat in the Fall of 1993. I did the Vegan thing for about a year and a half 94-95. I am technically a lacto-ovov vegetarian since i eat of the cheese, eat of the breads made with milk and/or butter, and eat of the egg. My relationship with the egg comes and goes. There may be years at a time where i am turned off by eggs. And other years where i will have omelets or 2 eggs over easy every morning. (Eggs are really fun to cook.)
I have not had any milk to drink nor cook with since about 94, and I have avoided ice cream for the same period. I have not even purchased butter for my kitchens since about 2003.
I do still love the yogurt! I quit buying sour cream around 96 and just use yogurt. The few times i have had sour cream, i don’t even like it anymore.
I am largely at peace with my diet. I do have to pay attention to make sure i eat enough fruit. I just never got in the habit.
For years i have been looking to replace most of my leather items. Over the past 3 years, and with some help from friends, i knocked down the big three. I found great no-animal sandals from Birkis – a splinter company from Birkenstock. I found a great no-animal belt at REI. And my last lady friend gave me an awesome wallet made from Tyvek! Before Mexico, i also bought a small, velcro, no-animal wallet from EMS. The only downside to the Tyvek wallet is that after it expands to accommodate all your stuff, it does not snap back into shape and if you carry less than usual, items fall out. I did not want to have my 500 grocery store member cards and 6 bank/credit cards and all that other stuff along to Mexico.
One of the last two areas that have been nagging at my brain – cheese and vitamins. I have known all along that most of the inexpensive cheese i buy as well as the mainstream vitamins probably contain some kind of animal life. In both cases, probably sea creatures. Fish bits are used in lots of processed cheeses, and shellfish are used in many vitamins.
Cheese is going to take me a little longer to conquer. I know how, but it is more expensive, and i believe that it takes a committed household – something i do not have at the current time.
But, i was very pleasantly surprised the last time i checked out Vegan vitamins and found a great source and saw the prices. These are now the same price or cheaper than ‘standard’ vitamins. My first order arrived today!
I have been taking Vitamins since i turned Veg. Exactly what i take varies, but generally it has been: Centrum, C, E, B Complex or just B12. About 6 years ago i started taking Calcium also. About one year ago i started taking Chondroitin/Glucosamine.
I did some research and settled on this set for my first transition:
They are all Vegan. Glucosamine (Chondroitin has no non-animal counterparts, but this is formulated to work well without it), Multivitamin, C, and E. B complex and B12 in particular are very important to vegetarians/vegans, but the folks who make these know that and one multivitamin pill has over 100% of the daily recommended amount. The multivitamin also has loads of C and E, but i take extra C to help avoid sickness in the colder months and around other people. I take the extra E, sometimes twice a day, for my skin – particularly my hands.
Anyway, i am pleased to have crossed this bridge and we shall see whether or not i can tell a difference as time passes. This shipment should last 90 days.