By Lauren Garrison

Since deciding on Monday to join Helen in her trial period of eating vegan, I've been preparing both physically and mentally for the start of my challenge on Monday February 22.

I've alternated between trying to eat up all the dairy in the house so it's not wasted, and "practicing" being vegan.

Yesterday, I ate only vegan food up to about 3 p.m., abstaining from the doughnuts at the Fat Tuesday paczki-eating contest in Ansonia I covered for the Register.

I even tried ordering a soy milk gingerbread latte at Starbucks, and while the Fairfield location had no trouble meeting my demands, I'm afraid the beverage was far too sweet, and the flavor too reminiscent of Play-doh, for my liking.
As I've been researching vegan food on the Web, perusing my cookbooks and making grocery shopping lists for this weekend, I've made a few observations.

1. Just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's healthy.

Every vegan I've met has been very thin, and I'll admit that I hope to drop a few pounds during this trial. When I became a vegetarian, many people asked me if I lost weight on the new diet. The answer was no, because I substituted plenty of cheese and pasta for the lean meat I was no longer eating. In my research, I've discovered lists of vegan foods that include such nutritional non-superstars as Oreos, Apple Jacks, potato chips... you get the idea. While in a way this is good news, as I'll still be able to enjoy some treats, it dispels my idea that the restrictions of a vegan diet would force me to eat healthfully.

Alas, I'll have to make smart choices and focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains if I want my new diet to be a healthy one.

2. Food companies don't like to shout "vegan" from the roof tops.

The Trader Joe's list (http://www.traderjoes.com/attachments/Vegan.pdf) of all its vegan products being the exception, I've had a hard time identifying which foods are vegan without first reading their ingredients lists. I've gone to the Web sites of companies such as Whole Foods and Kashi, which cater to nutritionally and environmentally conscious eaters, and was disappointed not to find any note of which products are vegan. I suppose I expected to find a little "V" symbol on box, similiar to the notation for Kosher foods. My husband's take on this: Non-vegans might be turned off by vegan food, thinking it won't taste as good. Maybe we could design a secret symbol that only vegans would recognize to make our jobs as consumers easier.

3. As I feared, my family and friends have been less than enthusiastic about my decision.

Responses have ranged from, "So now you're a vegan?" (as in, 'I put up with this vegetarian thing, but c'mon now!') to "You're going to starve" to "I won't think less of you if you cheat."I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I've assured these people, "Oh, this is just a trial run. Don't worry, I'm not going to be a vegan permanently." I think feel guilty knowing I'll cause more inconvenience for my friends and family than I already do when it comes time to share a meal. Although I myself have great respect for vegans, I also worry that people will think I'm weird or radical or that I'll want to "convert" them.

Truthfully, my hope is that the next few weeks will go well, and I'll stick with the vegan lifestyle, either completely or almost completely. I can envision myself being mostly vegan but making exceptions occasionally for dinner at a restaurant or a family gathering.

That said, I'm struggling with the "identity" part of being a vegan. After four years, I very much identify as a vegetarian. If I accidentally ate meat, I would feel kind of terrible. But the thought of slipping up as a vegan doesn't give me much pause. Perhaps that will change in time, but right now, it's hard to imagine.

4. And a question

Do all vegans eschew honey, and why? Do bees count as animals? Do they mind if we take their honey?