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What makes someone go vegan? Health reasons are a major motivator, as they are for three out of four vegetarians. That's what drove Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich (a Democrat, not surprisingly), Congress's sole vegan. Feeling bloated from a campaign diet of Cleveland's famed pierogies, he took up veganism at the behest of his girlfriend. Having given up steak for breakfast, he insists he feels much better starting his day with miso soup, brown rice or oat groats. It's not easy living like a monk in a meat-and-potatoes culture. It takes constant vigilance and a thick skin. Kucinich, not surprisingly, gets his share of ribbing, especially from the beefy Texas delegation. But though life without milk or honey may seem impossibly ascetic to the rest of us, vegans say they don't feel deprived. They maintain there's a world of good eats beyond tofu hot dogs and wheat gluten — especially the Thai, Chinese, Indian and Malaysian delicacies that much of the world enjoys. From Time Magazine
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