“Yes, I can chew gum still,” I say when someone asks me of my veganism.   This is just one of the strange questions I get when I tell people that I’m a vegan.

I know this might be surprising, but not every vegetarian or vegan is not a peace-sign flashing, flower-power hippie. Most are just normal people, trying to live healthy lives and eat clean food.

When people ask why I’m a vegan, I don’t really have a clear answer for them, there are a lot of reasons. From ethical, to health to the fact that I just feel better off of meat.

Many people stop eating meat and products that come from animals because they are concerned about the treatment of animals in factory farms or testing facilities. This is certainly a side to consider, but there are also tons of health benefits of going vegetarian or vegan. The health aspect of going vegan was my primary catalyst.

First and foremost, you avoid the horrors of the meatpacking and dairy industries – the hormones, antibiotics and unnatural diets fed to animals to grow them fat, fast.  Also, eliminating meat and cheese from your diet can have a significant effect on reducing cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

Many that consider abandoning meat, especially athletes, worry about getting enough protein. The truth is, you can get adequate protein not only from beans and lentils, but you can also add protein powder to any meal to compensate.

People also tell me that they could never give up meat or dairy, and I usually just say, “yeah, it’s hard,” but really it’s not been hard for me at all. It’s just about what you get used to.

When I talk about vegetarian or vegan options to meat, such as tofu or beans, people just look at me like “are you kidding?” when actually they would like them too if they just got used to the taste.

I often hear “what can you eat?” and in my head I’m always thinking, “I can eat whatever I want, but I just choose to eat vegan,” but in response I typically just explain that there are endless amounts of specifically vegan foods out there, but also I can eat food that is “normal,” like pasta, PB&J’s, oreos and nut butters.

Another common belief is that being vegan is not convenient.  However, you can order something vegan at almost every restaurant.  It’s similar to if you had an allergy to some food.  You just explain to the restaurant that you can’t eat that particular food and they can accommodate your request.

In conclusion, vegetarianism has many health benefits, and becoming one doesn’t mean not eating delicious food. You also don’t have to be a hippie to be a vegetarian.  Vegetarians can be completely normal people.