Questions and Answers about Vegetarian and Vegan diets. Most answers by Michael Lanfield. Add your questions below.

Why do people become vegetarians/vegan? Is it better for you?
There are many reasons why vegetarian and vegan diets are better for you. Basically you do it for the environment, animals, health reasons and for humankind... There are too many reasons and to list them would be never-ending.

I know someone that went on a vegan diet, but didn't feel right after a few months, so she went back to a meat based diet. Can you tell me about this?
When you switch to a vegan diet your body is releasing toxins that you acquired from a meat based diet. It might take a few weeks, months or even years to remove most or all of those harmful toxins. Some people do not maintain a vegan diet very long and feel they lack protein they get from meat, however this is not true. The human body is in pain because it is used to all the toxins consumed from meat.

I was on a vegan diet for a few months, but kept getting the flu. So I switched back to a meat based diet. Why is this?
This has to do with the previous question. When you are on a vegan diet (depending on your immune system) it might take a few weeks, months or even years to remove all the harmful toxins created by meat eating. When you are on a plant based diet, your body is recovering and releasing all those toxins and the flu repairs the immune system to it’s natural condition.

What about vitamin B12 in a vegan diet?
Simple, you can get vitamin B12 from fortified foods containing B12 and from reliable B12 (Methylcobalamin type) supplements.

Can I get calcium and protein in a plant based diet?
Yes, for sure you can get sufficient calcium and protein requirements in a plant based diet. There are many excellent sources of calcium and protein options, including kale, broccoli and collard greens. You can also get calcium and protein from fortified non-dairy milks, fortified orange juice and cereals, tofu, nuts and legumes (beans, lentils and peas).

Isn’t organically raised meat okay to consume?
Going organic is the right step to take, however because the meat, dairy and egg industries are so huge, certified organic 3rd parties organizations certify these organization solely for profit. Animals raised on factory farms are readily abused and tightly crammed into spaces, not able to move or turn around and the only exception to animals rose organically or free-range compared to contemporary raised animals is that organic livestock are fed organic feed. As for family farms, for the most part, their owners do take good care of their animals, however, all animals eventually end up being slaughtered by 3rd party organizations inhumanely.

How do you know plants don’t feel pain?
Plants do not have a central nervous system. But more importantly, we have to eat plants to stay alive and healthy. We have absolutely no need for any animal foods.

Animals high in the food chain eat animals lower in the food chain, so why can’t we humans eat animals?
Animals that eat other animals do so in order to live; we do not need to eat consume any animal meat, dairy or eggs in order to live a healthy life. All this is obtained in a plant based diet.

What about people who don’t have access to vegetarian foods or live in the wilderness?
These people are not like you and I. We have the ability to go shop in a supermarket for vegetarian foods, they do not. Therefore, these people would most likely be omnivores or carnivores, unfortunately these diets are the least healthy for your immune system.

If everyone stopped eating meat, wouldn’t there be an animal explosion?
People who ask this question probably assume that the world would be overrun with animals if they weren't killed for meat. But remember that farmers only breed animals because there is a demand for their meat. As more and more people become vegetarian, there will be less and less demand for meat, so fewer animals will be bred. The number of animals will naturally go down over time without killing, simply because there is less breeding.