You may ask, “I’ve read so much about why becoming vegan or vegetarian is great for your health, animals, the environment and your wallet…but how do you do it? Where do you start?”

Those living the vegan lifestyle often find themselves bombarded with questions from friends, family – even strangers – who are interested in knowing more about all things vegan. For those new to the vegan lifestyle, however, these questions can sometimes be unnerving – how does one answer a question when he or she is still figuring things out? Hence, our new How to Respond To… series – a written toolbox of sorts for the new vegan trying to sort things out for themselves – and for the many questions they are sure to receive!

Last week we started talking about things that can contribute to the discouraging feeling of not losing any weight when you are eating a healthy vegan diet. We talked about fiber, and its importance – and the fact that if you are eating more fiber than you were previously, you likely have more water in your digestive tract now (which is a good thing, even though it might cause the numbers on the scale to “stall” temporarily). To read the first part of this article, click here. And now, more about water, processed foods, liquid calories and hidden fats

This week I made my first loaf of bread WITH NO FLOUR. It all started with a vegan potluck a few months ago when one of our talented friends brought as his contribution a loaf of Yeasted Sprouted Wheat Bread. Along with his wife’s olive tapenade it was the hit of the party. We all

My first job after college was at a casino, dealing blackjack, craps and roulette. During our time in dealer training school, some friends and I took a trip to Atlantic City. I had never been in a casino before and wanted to see the dealers in action. After 4 hours in the car, we were all starving by the time we arrived. So, we decided to eat lunch at the food court in one of the casinos before we started exploring. I ordered a burger and some fries. A few hours later, my stomach began to hurt.

Many people – and you may be one of them – embark on a vegan diet with the hopes of not only getting healthier, but also becoming leaner. And with good reason – a whole food, plant-based diet is your most powerful ally for peeling off excess fat pounds. For most people who need to lose weight, this is exactly what happens when they begin following a healthy vegan diet. Yet what if, a few days into your vegan food plan, you step on the scale and the numbers haven’t budged? Or you discover that your weight is even up a pound or two. What’s happening

If anyone should be terrified of breast cancer, it should be me. My aunt died of it in our home when I was 5. Figuring out the truth about food and how to avoid breast cancer has become the investigative reporting job of my life. As a result I have felt compelled to respond to Angelina Jolie’s recent decision to have a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing cancer

I’m new to veganism; are there any tips and recipes I can get to help me with the transition from maybe veterans or professionals? to eliminate bumps in the road

I’ve just started leaning towards a vegan lifestyle…slightly. First step – I am juicing every day for breakfast and really love it. I have great summer markets near my small town, but in the off-season I struggle to find organic options. Can I just peel or scrub non-organic fruit and veggies really well, or am I just poisoning myself by juicing and consuming pesticides?

Family members can influence each other in all kinds of ways, and one of the wonderful qualities of a parent is the willingness to learn from their children. Lindsay O’Donnell is a Vegan Mainstream contributor, and writer of the blog Lindsay is Vegan. She became vegan as an adult, after growing up on a fairly conventional diet. Over the years Lindsay has influenced her mom to take a second look at what she considers a healthy, happy diet