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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookHi! I am 14 years old and I want to go raw! I have been eating vegetarian for about 3 years full time now, and been vegan on and off for about a year. I really think the idea of going raw is fantastic! I love cooking and fiddling in the kitchen, so it sounds perfect for me!
The only problem is that my family doesn't understand things like vegetarianism and veganism. They think that I can just eat meat if there is no other option. But it isn't only that I don't want to eat meat, it is really an ethical dilemma for me. I wihs they understood!
Am I the only one who has an unsupportive family?
Comments
I went vegan when I was around your age as well! At big family dinners it always seemed to be the end of the world....but my cousin was really supportive so I started making us special dinners for special occasions like christmas!
My poor grandpa even thought that it was a religion. I have been vegan for 11 years and though it took a bit of time, now even my little brother knows to look at labels for me. It takes a lot of research and time to be able to explain to people in the best way your ideals and your priorities with this diet. I find that assuring everyone that what they are doing doesn't cause me any grief helps.
My answer when they say anything about meat is: "its your decision, you only live once" (in a happy voice!) and that usually solves the problem.
Most people seem to react defensively to our choice, I don't know how many times I've heard "oh well I only eat chicken" lol - but with time and lots and lots of research you can learn to calm their worries with out causing yourself distress. Its one more step in the journey :)
Good luck!
My family is very supportive of my lifestyle with the exception of my brother......
Not many kids your age or mine (I'm 19) would ever think about going raw and there needs to be more out there......it's great that you are looking into it! Don't give up! It can be hard in the beginning but you just need to find what works for you. Experiment with raw food....my favorite recipes are the ones I modify from different recipes to suit my own taste.
I'd def recommend doing as much research and reading as possible.
It really helps to be able to answer any questions people have about being vegan or raw and the better prepared you are, the stronger you'll feel and better able to cope with other people who get defensive.
I still get asked quite a few questions by people and it's mainly because they're genuinely curious but you always get the odd person who just wants to stir up trouble or rock the boat. Just stay calm and be confident in your choices and your family will come round.
Good luck to you, I wish I'd had the insight and courage to follow this path at your age. :-)
Just tell people you are vegan, and don't use the word raw.
They might pay less attention to the fact the food is raw, and plus just saying your vegan is way over people's heads.
Who else is vegan??
Maybe mention some of these people:
http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/vegan-celebrities.html