Ask the Editor

I would really like to be vegan, but all of my friends and family are questioning the safety and health risks of the diet. I would like to know, for them, if there are any health hazards caused by this "radical" diet? Eventually, I plan to bring up my future children in a vegan household, is there anything I should be aware of in terms of raising vegan children? - Amanda

Hello Amanda,

From the way you're wording your first question it sounds like your friends and family are giving you a hard time about your decision to go vegan. This is very common. They're afraid. Afraid you're not going to get proper nutrition, afraid you've gone over the edge, afraid they won't understand the "new" you. Deep down, they might even be afraid you know what you're doing and where does that leave them and their dietary choices? Do not let their fear sway you from your course. Chances are they have not researched the vegan diet and only know what they hear in passing in movies or read in the paper. You know a lot more about the diet than they do.

You don't need to convince anyone but yourself that a vegan diet is right for you. If you are confident you know what you're doing then nothing they say will affect you. You don't consult your family and friends when you switch to a new shampoo do you? Or when you decide to buy whole wheat bread instead of white? Your diet is not something that needs to be agreed upon by other people. It's simply a personal choice.

Are there health hazards caused by this "radical" diet? I think there can be health hazards to any diet, really. However, if you're asking for your own information then I would suggest you purchase a copy of Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina. Written by two vegan dieticians, this book will completely set your mind at ease when it comes to the health aspects of a vegan diet. They cover all the nutritional requirements you need to be a healthy vegan.

Raising vegan children… ah, I know a little something about that! There are social, emotional, and nutritional challenges in raising vegan children. But thankfully someone has written a book that covers all of those topics. See Raising Vegan Children in a Non-Vegan World by Erin Pavlina (yep, that's me!). You're going to be fine. And your family and friends… they'll be fine too. You do what feels right to you and ignore people who don't support you.

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