Linda Hartley doesn't eat meat or animal byproducts and other than a warm cup of tea, 95 percent of her meals are eaten raw.

"I've never felt so free," Mrs. Hartley told The Royal Gazette during Vegetarian Awareness Month.

"I've dropped 25 pounds since January without even trying," she said. "It is the greatest sense of freedom I have ever experienced. I am never hungry. I eat when I like."

She decided to go "cold Tofurkey" after discovering she was gluten and dairy intolerant, and also very sensitive to food with added monosodium glutamate (MSG).

"In terms of dairy and gluten, I was eating before, and enjoying it, but afterward I would suffer from indigestion, bloating and the feeling that I wanted to go to sleep," she said.

"Now I have so much energy."

Her stove has become so unnecessary that she recently brought a piece of glass to cover it to give herself more counterspace.

Mrs. Hartley is a member of the Vegetarian Society of Bermuda. During Vegetarian Awareness Month the group aims to show the community how diverse vegetarianism can be.

"People tend to have misconceptions about the different types of vegetarians that are out there, and the reasons people are vegetarians," said Nicole Stovell, another member of the Vegetarian Society of Bermuda.

She is also a raw vegan.

"My advice to people is just try it," she said. "Even if it is just for 24 hours."

"Sometimes people feel threatened," said Mrs. Hartley. "It is a bit like religion. Once you know the truth you have to do something about it. Once you know you should be eating right, you feel guilty when you don't."

Member Pamela Greyson said her life changed the year both her parents died of what she considered to be lifestyle-related diseases.

"My mother died of cancer and my father died of high blood pressure," said Mrs. Greyson. "They both smoked."

Mrs. Greyson decided to devote part of her life to educating the community about healthy eating.

"I became determined to try and educate people and put it out there that we have choices," she said.

She became one of the founding members of the Vegetarian Society of Bermuda in 1995, and she also teaches vegetarian cooking classes as part of the Government Community Education Programme.

Mrs. Greyson said that many of the people who take her vegetarian cooking classes are not necessarily vegetarian.

And those who are vegetarian aren't necessarily doing it from a health standpoint.

"One of my students is a teenager," said Mrs. Greyson. "She brought her mother. She came at it from a humanitarian standpoint. Most children will. She just could not continue to eat meat, knowing that the animal was being slaughtered for her benefit. So that is why she got off of meat."

Another student is a mother with a vegan son.

"He eats no meat, dairy or eggs," said Mrs. Greyson. "She wanted to be able to cook for him. They were all there from different perspectives.

"We did breakfast one week and they quite enjoyed it. We had scrambled tofu. For some people that may be a tough thing. My motivation is to expose them to it and they can choose for themselves. They enjoyed it."

During Mrs. Greyson's childhood, vegetables played second fiddle during a meal, but now they have a starring role.

"Salads are particularly important," she said. "That would include your leafy greens. The darker the greens the better (and also things like) tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers. I like cranberries. Then a vegetable and a starch. We do the whole grains. So it might be brown rice and whole wheat pasta. It is quite different from how we were brought up. We now know to put the emphasis on raw."

Since she became vegetarian her health has changed radically.

"Even this year, for instance, I had my eyes tested. My eyes actually improved. The doctor was amazed. He said that was rare for that to happen.

"He attributed that to the lifestyle I have been keeping. If you are exercising and eating right, and drinking enough water, then you really feel a whole lot better.

"My cholesterol is down to 150. It should be 100 plus your age. I will be 52 in December. People don't realise that cholesterol only comes from animal products. If you eliminate that from your diet you will keep your cholesterol down."

In answer to the question whether it has gotten any easier to get vegetarian meals in restaurants here, there is laughter all round.

"We have a lot of work to be done here," said Ms Stovell.

"My husband is vegan, and as a rule we don't eat out," said Mrs. Greyson. "A lot of the stocks are meat-based, even in supposedly vegetarian meals. My husband won't even eat a soup out."

And Mrs. Hartley said a lot of stocks contain hidden MSG whether they are vegetarian or meat-based.

But there are some positive stories about local restaurants.

"On our 25th wedding anniversary my husband said, 'We are not going to be victims'," said Mrs. Hartley. "He called up the Southampton Princess at the Newport Room, but it was closed for a month. We went to the Waterlot Inn instead. He gave the poor chef 24 hours' notice.

"But this guy did a phenomenal job. He made me an avocado ice cream that was delicious. Before we went, my husband said 'I suppose we'll have to eat again when we get back'. He is a big eater and he could not eat everything they gave us. They were really wonderful."

As part of Vegetarian Awareness Month, there will be a showing of the movie 'Simply Raw', on October 30 at 6 p.m. at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI).

The event is free to the public and is being sponsored by Mrs. Hartley.

'Simply Raw' is a documentary about six diabetics who, under clinical supervision, went off their medication or lowered their medication levels using a raw foods diet.

"Please, people shouldn't stop all their medication without medical supervision," said Mrs. Hartley. "They need to do something like this under the care of their doctor."

But she said the film is very inspirational.

In terms of starting a vegetarian diet, Mrs. Greyson warned that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.

"The best thing is to know what works for you," she said. "Our bodies are all different. What works for me may not work for you."

For more information, contact the Vegetarian Society of Bermuda, pgreyson@logic.bm.