I have become vegan since july 2008,not for my health but because of the cruelty to the animals.  The health benifits of being vegan is a plus....   It is hard to be a vegan, not because of deprivations but because there is so much animal by-products hidden in food, that is what makes it hard and watching 0ut for bad ingredients like High Frutose Corn Syrups and MSG...