The hardest part of this lifestyle is how your friends and family will react to you. Now, if you have a serious health condition that requires a diet change, they tend to be much more understanding. If not, they will poke fun, ridicule, make faces, and may even avoid you. They might even tell you, if you keep talking about your food, they will not want to hang out with you. They may stop following you on social media. This is, in part, likely due to their discomfort with you eating healthy and them not eating as healthy or in fact, eating horribly. You will be a reminder of what they are not doing. Many who eat unhealthily and have adverse effects from the food, will go to their doctor in search of a quick fix pill, which all have side effects; while you, with your doctor's blessing, wean off your medication.

When you find something as amazing as whole food plant-based living, you're so excited, you actually overly talk about it. It's understandable you want everyone to be healthy and you want them to know you're living it first hand, and it works!  Although you are trying to help, you do need to exercise restraint in talking about your diet in order to prevent being isolated. We learned the hard way, so hopefully, you won't make the same mistake we did.

Those who shun you will refuse to listen, read, and understand healthy plant-based eating. Why? Likely because they need to not feel guilty for what they are doing. If they "don't know" AKA avoid knowing, they can keep eating what they are eating.  I've met people who have been diagnosed with cancer and still refuse to read scientific research on how plant-based eating can reduce, or eliminate cancer growth. I've met people who have had strokes and still refuse to look into the scientific plant-based research after being told that plant-based eating would eliminate high cholesterol and high blood pressure, thereby greatly reducing the risk of heart disease and strokes. Not only that, even after a stroke, they still eat cholesterol. No doubt, addiction plays a major part in their decisions.

You may hear them say, the way I eat is all I know. It is how I was raised.  Ok, let's go with that for a moment. If you were beaten throughout your childhood, does that mean you should beat your own children? They will answer NO. At least, we hope they'd answer no... Just because you were raised one way, doesn't mean you can't live another way, and in this case, eat healthier. It is just an excuse to hold on to what they WANT, not what they NEED.

Eating meat and dairy is a cultural thing. It has been a way of socializing our entire lives. People can't comprehend that you can socialize with plant-based food. They, somehow think that if its plant-based, it can't taste good. They don't understand that once they detox from the food they have eaten for years (takes approximately 3 weeks), they discover that plant-based food tastes fresh and amazing. They don't understand that the food they eat now creates addiction and deadens the taste buds. They don't want to know or choose to ignore the fact that most meat contains added hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. That the advertisements that state, no "added" hormones, antibiotics and/or steroids, is a "legal" advertising tactic; because the slaughterhouses didn't add it; rather, the feed companies they buy the feed from, add it. All a legal play on words. They don't know or choose to ignore learning how the process food industry adds addictive chemicals to "enhance" flavor, but its just a way to keep the consumer hooked on their products. They may not realize that the meats are injected with a chemical solution that preserves the flesh while increasing the weight so they can sell it for more (cost per pound).

To make matters worse, most doctors are not trained in nutrition. And shame on the education system for not setting up programs to teach doctors about nutrition. It is because agribusiness and the process food industry are funding college programs while encouraging the schools not to educate doctors on nutrition. Many never even took one course in nutrition. Supporting information found here:  https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2013nl/jun/sb380.htm and http://nutritionfacts.org/video/california-medical-association-tries-to-kill-nutrition-bill/

Furthermore, doctors and hospitals do not get paid for prevention, they get paid for treatment. For example, much of the money donated for "cancer research" goes toward buying equipment and erecting/remodeling buildings to treat more patients, rather than building a prevention wing and teach people how to eat to live. They claim that erecting a building is so they can do more research. They take advantage of loopholes in the donation laws. 

Turn on the TV, especially during the day, and you will see tons of drug commercials, process food commercials, and meat & dairy commercials. "Here, eat salt, sugar, and fat, and don't worry, we have a magic pill to mask the damage caused by excessive salt, sugar, and fat; and oh, don't worry, we have a pill to reduce certain side effects from the other pill you're taking. And did I tell you the drugs cost a lot, so make sure you have good insurance."  The more insurance used, the higher the insurance is for the collective. Insurance companies will find ways to recoup their costs, don't you worry. Healthcare cost is at a record high of 2.9 TRILLION a year. Chronic illness accounts for 86% of US care dollars. Big business is making money, hand over fist. 

In the end, all you can do is take care of yourself. During holiday dinners or parties, make and bring your own food.  Don't let their shaming steer you away from healthy plant-based eating. While others are dying longer, you'll be living longer.

We must change our demand for healthy plant-based food. If we do, the market will meet that demand, which will improve our health, save lives, reduce healthcare cost, reduce insurance cost, and save our environment.