"I'd rather die than be vegan," "all you vegans must hate your lives," "man up and eat a cheeseburger" and "but, bacon!" are just some of the things that vegans and vegetarians hear on an almost daily basis--and it's often the most frustrating thing of all about the process.

I am so tired of defending my decision to inflict less harm. I'm tired of being considered crazy, and I'm tired of being mocked for my beliefs. I'm tired of the gender stigma, and of the families who choose not to support their children's' beliefs. It's time to reevaluate how you view and interact with vegans and vegetarians.

There are countless reasons someone might choose to go vegan, but even if you completely disagree with every reason, you still owe your friends and family the respect they deserve. After all, you wouldn't go up to someone and say "I'd rather die than be Christian," would you? Choosing to be vegan is not only a diet but a world view and lifestyle change.

A large part of this problem stems from non vegans' need to defend or explain away why they could never go vegan. Stop. You don't have to. You don't even have to make a comment about it.

Just accept it and move along exactly like you would if you learned someone only eats kosher, or halal, or that they're lactose intolerant. And if you do want to know more about why we eat the way we do, just ask. We are usually more than happy to to tell you.

Another problem is the the way vegans are defined as only one kind of people. Only environmentalist, hippie, tree-hugging women are vegans. But no, people from all ages, backgrounds, and genders are vegan. Yet why is eating vegetables considered unmanly? It's like saying that taking care of your body and being aware of world issues is unmanly.

It's a shame that so many men are constantly being told to "man up" because "men need meat!" Hopefully the many vegan body builders can change some minds. It also doesn't help that companies help to perpetuate this view, but it doesn't come as a surprise, either, when meat and dairy products are subsidized by the government. But again, this is all arbitrary. Support your friends for their decisions about the lifestyle no matter the reason!

Still beyond those reasons, many people choose to vegan for health reasons. Animal products are wrought with fats and cholesterol and are a leading cause of extreme health conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

It is literally detrimental to your health to consume animal products, so reducing the consumption them is undeniably a step towards a healthier life style. This is not to say you can't be unhealthy as a vegan (you most certainly can), but choosing not to eat animals is definitely a healthy decision.

Our protein intake (which we don't have a problem with) is none of your concern either. Just like it's none of your concern if I eat an entire tub of ice cream, or two McDonald's cheeseburgers.

Making the kinds of comments mentioned above can seriously impact people who are struggling with body issues. Everyone is fighting their own battle, and you never know how your comment will affect someone.

So, in the future I hope you might approach the vegans a little more respectfully at the next holiday dinner. I promise you, we're only trying to do good by ourselves or for the world.