Photo provided by No Meat Athlete

One of the most biggest impediments in pedagogy is that it’s impossible for experts to forget what they’ve already learned.  The rote basics of a task have become so embedded in their unconscious memory that they can’t help but glaze over them when talking to amateurs, even if they’re trying not to.

Any technically illiterate person will be able to relate to what I’m talking about.

Your software just crashed and you’re impatiently scanning through the company FAQ when you find out that in order to solve your problem you need to “run a urlencode function with a BASH shell to encode what you “GET”, unless you sent the string in the url has been encoded”

Gahhh!!!

And of course, the diet book industry is a testament to the fact that this dynamic is just as true for health and nutrition as it is for computers.  Our bodies are complex systems and if we don’t have any intuition for what’s genuinely healthy then even the simplest questions need to be answered.

The best remedy for this confusion is practice, but who doesn’t have a few lingering concerns before making major lifestyle changes?

Going Vegan: A Grab Bag of Esoteric Issues

A vegan diet might be particularly susceptible to these sorts of questions.  Its underlying principle demands giving up food many people have used as staples for decades.

Will I have enough energy? What if I just love the taste of cheese? Will I get gas?   Lose weight? Gain weight?  Will my breath get better?

The possibilities are endless.

I’m not going to write a tomb on the minutaie of going vegan, but our guest author Michelle Rebecca has compiled a useful list of the web’s most authoritative resources on vegan information and recipes.

I didn’t influence her selection at all, but I can attest from personal experience that it’s very good.  A lot of the following sites are the ones I used when I was getting started.

So with that said, let’s get the ball rolling!

Michelle: 

It’s easy to be a meat lover. There’s no shortage of places to get burgers, chicken, ribs, or other smoked and grilled treats. Don’t fret, though; there are still plenty of options for people who have given up not only meat, but other animal-based foods like eggs and milk.

The Internet has made it easier for vegans to exchange recipes and share cooking tips with one another, making everyone’s diet healthier and better tasting. Want to join them on their healthy kick? Then start cooking vegan with recipes from these popular websites.

SavvyVegetarian.com

If you’re thinking of going vegan, this website will help you make the transition with helpful articles that teach you how to manage the benefits and drawbacks of veganism. Whether you’re new to the vegan lifestyle or you’re an experienced practitioner, the site provides cooking tips, delicious recipes, and snack ideas for you and the whole family. Plus, their shopping section helps you find recipe books and cookware that veganism more convenient.

VegWeb.com

Visiting a website that doesn’t encourage feedback is kind of like ordering merchandise from a company that doesn’t work with a fulfillment company. Luckily for vegans, VegWeb.com doesn’t make that mistake. Not only does it feature 15,000 recipes contributed by visitors, but it also provides chat rooms where those same visitors gather to talk about everything from veganism to the news of the day.

FatFreeVegan.com

This site has everything a vegan foodie could want, including low-fat and low cal options for the calorie- conscious eater. In addition to healthy and delicious main dishes, sandwiches and even desserts, it includes recipes that help you “cheat” on your diet, like chestnut loaf and carrot dogs. You can also learn how to cook without the usual ingredients like oil and butter.

ChooseVeg.com

People become vegans for a variety of reasons. Some do it for health reasons, while others are more concerned about protecting animals or the environment. This site is great for people who are making the transition to veganism as a lifestyle and not just a dietary choice. It demonstrates how veganism minimizes pollution, protects animal rights and prevents everything from heart disease to diabetes. Oh, and the recipes are pretty good, too.

VeganOutreach.com

Dedicated to ending animal cruelty, this site provides tools and resources for people who want to adopt a diet that protects animals, the environment, and the earth’s natural resources, as well as their own health. In addition to recipes, visitors also have access to numerous informational booklets and suggestions for what you can do to implement community outreach and advocacy.

Veganism can seem like a dramatic change, especially in a carnivorous society like ours. But if you’re ready to make the switch to a healthier diet and a more livable planet, these websites are a great way to get you started.

Byline: Michelle is an aspiring writer with a passion for blogging. She enjoys writing about a vast variety of topics and loves that blogging gives her the opportunity to publically voice her thoughts and share advice with an unlimited audience.