Being different isn’t always easy and so goes the life of those who choose to be vegetarian or vegan. The choice of what one eats is very personal. Every single time one of us puts something in our mouth there’s something deeply moving about this experience wether we realize it or not. Don’t think this is the case? Try imagining going without your favorite foods for a month. Now imagine never being able to eat these foods for the rest of your life. Things just got a little more personal didn’t they?

We’ve all grown up eating certain foods and developing certain tastes which have secretly molded our decision making process come each meal time. In America this may mean lunch served from a drive through window, a night out to your favorite seafood restaurant, or a plate full of meat and potatoes grilled to perfection during a backyard barbecue (this is how I grew up). So it’s no wonder that if you decide to give this all up and adopt a diet consisting only of healthy, wholesome, plant-based foods things can quickly become a problem, especially in the social aspect of life.

Family, friends, and strangers alike will probably think you’ve gone off the deep end by making such drastic changes in your food selections. This happened to me and still happens from time to time even though I took the plunge over 3 years ago to this lifestyle. I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone in your feelings of isolation and rejection if this is what’s happened or is happening to you in your life. Nor are you destined to live a life of a veggie hermit because the rest of the world sees things differently than you. We all view and experience life differently. After all, it’s what makes life so beautiful by providing us with uniquely different perspectives from our woven traditional ways. We can learn from these unique perspectives just as others can learn from us even when our differences are so personal and steadfast (like what we eat). Getting past these “Food Fights” is crucial in fostering loving, nurturing relationships for the rest of your life. My goal in this article is to share with you ways to make this easier so that you can enjoy all the benefits that come with your new food selections without sacrificing the social and loving aspects of your current and future relationships with the people you love most in life.

Tips To Everyone Winning The Veggie Makeover
 

1) Share Your Concerns – Communicate

This is one of the most important actions you can take in breaking down any barriers that may develop because of your new lifestyle choice. When others “attack” you it’s usually not about you but rather about them and their traditions and habits. By choosing to live a plant-based lifestyle you’re going against what you and they’ve grown up knowing all these years so have a heart to heart with them. Whether you switched to a plant-based diet for reasons of better health, the environmental impact, spirituality, or your compassion for animals the chances are your loved ones may not really understand this and why you made these decisions. You don’t have to start an argument by bringing this up either. You can actually avoid doing so by making the talk about you and not them.

Do this by starting off the conversation expressing how much you appreciate their love and support as well as their friendship. This makes them feel valued (as it should) for all that they’ve ever done for you. Then tell them in a genuine manner how much you need their support in making a huge change in your life. Finally, ask (don’t tell them) if they would be willing to be supportive for you. If you need to, let them know that you’re not expecting them to make any major changes to their lifestyle but that you just really need a loving friend or family member to help you make this transition to a better YOU in life. You may be surprised at how well this goes over with them. True family and friends will accept you exactly the way you are and not just for what you eat or don’t eat.

For more tips read rest of article here.