Friday, May 27, 2011

The Lonely Vegan

Are you the only vegan that you know?  Do people assume that all you need to eat is a salad?  Does your family and friends think that you aren't getting enough protein?  I'm sure that any vegan that is reading this post has had these questions and assumptions aimed at them.  Just this week, my office went to lunch to celebrate a co-worker leaving. (Did I say celebrate...oops, I meant to say a farewell luncheon)  Anyway, the restaurant that was chosen was a chinese restaurant.  A few of my co-workers assumed that I would get a bowl of veggies and be ok.  I had to inform them, once again, that my raw vegan diet consists of way more interesting things than just a bowl of veggies.  I ended up ordering crispy tofu with broccoli.  Not bad for a non-vegan restaurant.  I could have done without all the excess sodium though.

I am lucky that I have a great support system.  My hubby is excellent.  He eats most things that I prepare and he will even go to my favorite vegan restaurants.  Also my BFF is a great supporter of my diet.  Most of my co-workers are supportive and even interested in the things that I eat.  My boss, who I will call Mr. Small (Sex and the City lover that I am...the opposite of Mr. Big) gives me so much grief about my diet.  He's calmed down a bit, but in the beginning he would get angry when we talked about it.   I never started the conversation, he always did and he just can not understand why I would choose to eat this way.  I think it's pretty funny.  I received some words of wisdom from one of my patients,  "Don't worry about what's on someone else's plate".  So true!    Most of the patients that I share my lifestyle with are intrigued and interested.   I  don't walk around with a shirt that says  "I'm a VEGAN"...well, Most days I don't. (smiles)
The reason I decided to blog about this is because if it were not for my Twitter Vegan Family, I would be the only vegan that I know.  Granted I have never met any of them, I feel that we have a little community of vegans and we communicate with each other regularly.  I just hope that all the lonely vegans out there have as good of a support system as I do...it really makes everything easier!

Question:  Are you the only vegan in your household? If so, are your friends and family supportive???

And remember to Make it With Love
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3 comments:

  1. MoniqueMay 27, 2011 at 7:34 PM

    I always look forward to reading your blogs Sis.

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  2. Ms.ShellJune 3, 2011 at 9:04 AM

    Great post! I'm from WV, so as you can guess, being a vegan here is almost like being a "foreigner" who only speaks Mexican...LOL But I have a great support system too! I need it since unlike other states, there aren't as many places to access vegan stables like nutritional yeast, amazing vegan cheeses, and meat substitutes. You can find them, but it takes a little extra effort.

    I've never encouraged anyone to be a vegan, but tons of people have told me that they think my diet choices are stupid. I think its very interesting how defensive people can sometimes be. Especially when unprovoked.

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  3. Jessica BradberryOctober 7, 2011 at 10:39 AM

    Hi! I've only been vegan for 6 months, and my 4 yr. old son is now vegetarian. As an individual that has transformed into a positive, healthy, compassionate being, I cannot fully express the sadness and frustration that comes with being the 'lone vegan'. There is indeed support through vegan podcasts (such as Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's 'Vegetarian Food For Thought') and Twitter friends (@jessabradberry), and through enlightened bloggers such as yourself. Wishing all the vegans out there much health, happiness, and strength <3

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