Veganism: Radical? Ridiculous? Right for You?
photo credit: Philippe RomagonYou are probably familiar with the term “vegan.” Maybe you know a good deal about it already, or possibly you think the word is some anarchist, hippie term whispered in patchouli-scented coffee shops. However you think about this eating and lifestyle choice, this article will help dispel any myths about what veganism really is, help present the facts on its benefits and drawbacks, and guide you in your considerations for your own health and wellness choices.
What is Vegan?
Vegan, or veganism, is a diet lifestyle choice that seek to exclude the use of all animal products. For eating, this means no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no cheese, nothing that comes from any animal whatsoever. Some vegans also chose to not wear or buy any products made from leather, suede or other such animal items. Simply put: if it has any animal-based components, strict vegans avoid it. How far you take veganism would be completely up to you.
There are some vegans who choose to eat a vegan diet, but don’t make it a strong point to avoid leather. For the uber-vegan, you won’t see a leather shoe or belt in their closet, and you may even see them protesting at your local pork store. As with any lifetsyle choice, the beauty of it is that you make it work for your own life.
The Benefits of Veganism
Because so many people worry about their diet and overall health, it’s best to begin explaining the virtues of veganism by speaking about the dietary benefits. Studies have shown that a vegan or vegetarian diet can decrease the risk for colon cancer, heart attacks, high blood pressure, prostate cancer, stroke and can help lower cholesterol. Because vegan diets are naturally lower in fat, people often find themselves losing weight as well. People who avoid meat have a lower BMI (Body Mass Index) than those who eat the traditional American diet (meat and potatoes anyone?). If you’d like to ensure living a long full life, studies show that vegans and vegetarians have a lower mortality rate than their meat eating counterparts.
Beyond the benefits for your body and mind, many vegans have chosen to eat/live the way they do based on environmental concerns. A vegan lifestyle consumes far less resources and causes less environmental damage than a meat-based diet. In other words, your environmental footprint is significantly lightened. Animal agriculture, the raising of animals for food and other products, has been associated with climate change, water pollution, land degradation and a decline in biodiversity. A report created by the Livestock, Environment and Development Initiative called “Livestock’s Long Shadow” concluded that the livestock sector (mainly pigs, cows and chickens) emerges as one of the top two or three impactful contributors to all of our environmental issues. Livestock is the largest contributor of greenhouse gasses, responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gases with the world’s motor vehicles only contributing 12%. Because of statistics like these, the British Medical Journal The Lancet concluded that reducing the consumption of animal products should be a top priority, especially in developed countries where such action would also contribute heavily to health benefits. Another study conducted by the University of Chicago estimates that one person switching from the standard American diet to a vegan diet would help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,485 kg per year. Some feel passionately about a vegan diet and lifestyle due to the ethical reasons. For years people have been protesting against animal testing and other forms of animal cruelty, and many vegans feel that consuming and purchasing animal products is just another form of cruelty toward animals. Animals raised for slaughter live in less than ideal conditions, are pumped full of hormones to create more meat on their bones and often times inhumanely slaughtered. To learn more about the ethical issues around veganism, check out “Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating” by Erik Marcus.
Potential Concerns of a Vegan Diet
You may have been reading through this article thus far thinking “Wow, veganism fits right in with my beliefs and values, and I would love to know I’m helping the planet while being good to my body!” It is wonderful to feel excited about exploring veganism, but it is a change that should be made with careful consideration. While the vegan diet does contribute significant health benefits due to the increase in vegetable, fruit and whole grain products, a poorly planned vegan diet can spell disaster. Without proper preparation and eating, a vegan diet can be lacking in B12, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids. A lack of these nutrients in your diet can lead to anemia, rickets, osteomalacia (a softening of the bones) and hypothyroidism (insufficient production of the thyroid hormone). Some vegans get lazy about cooking and planning, and will end up eating a diet of french fries, chips and bread. If you want to eat like a vegan, know that it will require extra work, research and planning around food choices.
Steps to Adopting a Vegan Diet
If you are ready to look into becoming a vegan, start with research. Do a Google search on the topic, find books at your local library, and truly understand why you are making this choice. If you’re doing it only to lose weight, that’s all well and good, but it may be like a fad diet and fade away with time. Having solid reasons and understanding of your choice of veganism can help make it a lifelong commitment. Before you take the plunge, think about how your regularly eat. Are there any foods you will be devastated to go without? Do you live for your late night grilled cheese sandwiches? Are you a hamburger fanatic? Look into how you can make tasty vegan alternative to these favorites to help make your transition easier. Next, spend some time wandering the supermarket isles. Read labels. You will be surprised to find animal products lurking in unsuspecting places (whey in breakfast cereals, gelatin in Gummy Bears), so you will need to learn to be a diligent foodie detective. Once you feel ready to start eating a vegan diet, clear your kitchen and pantry of all non-vegan items. For perishables, ask friends if they’d like your milk and eggs, and donate any cans of meaty soups to your local food kitchen. When you are ready for your first trip to the grocery store to buy, download and print out a guide like the following to help you in your purchases: http://www.vegcooking.com/pdfs/ShoppingGuideList.pdf Buy a vegan cookbook or two (Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero is a great guide for first-time vegans) to learn some new recipes and tips of the trade. Seek out online vegan communities
like veganporn.com, vegpeople.com and veggieboards.com for support, suggestions and to meet like-minded folks. Think, chat and eat-give veganism a trial run. If you find the lifestyle isn’t for you, then at least you can know you educated yourself and gave it a try.
Looking into a vegan diet is just one way to keep yourself healthy. Another is to be aware about health insurance options for yourself and your loved ones, and medhealthinsurance.com can help you to make informed and educated decisions. Visit today!
Tags: animal rights, diet, health, lifestyle, vegan, veganism
May 9th, 2010 at 5:59 am
I am also a vegetarian and my body has never been in a very good shape. Being a vegan can really make you much heathier.