Veganism and the vegan diet
May 15th, 2012Just what does being a vegan mean?
Veganism, an extreme version of vegetarianism, is the individual choice of cutting out the utilisation and consumption of all animal items, including eggs, dairy and honey. This approach to life commonly also excludes those animal goods that do not demand the demise of the animal, like wool, down and cosmetic products or chemical products tested on animals.
By comparison, the large majority of vegetarians merely do not buy clothes made of leather, fur or any type of animal product which demands the killing of the animal.
Veganism is a relatively small, but growing, movement. In 2007, 0.3% of the UK population termed themselves vegans. A 2008 Harris Interactive study of 5,050 respondents learned that “approximately 0.5%, or 1 million [Americans] are vegans, who consume no animal products at all.”
Just what is the background of veganism?
The expression “vegan” was created in England in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of the British Vegan Society, to mean “non-dairy vegetarian”. The Vegan Society additionally was against the use of eggs as food items. This description was later extended (in 1951) to mean “the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals”. Then, nearly a decade later, the American Vegan Society was founded and was linked by its founder (H. Jay Dinshah) to the Jainist principle of ahimsa – the avoidance of violence against living things.
Nonetheless, the philosophy of flesh-avoidance can be tracked back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean cultures. In fact, vegetarianism is first described by the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos around 500 BCE!
Around the world, veganism is seen in different ways. In various regions, there is national and even legal support, such as in India and the United Kingdom, where food labelling is in place which can make it a lot easier for vegans to recognise foods compatible with their eating habits.
Why do people become vegans?
Veganism is deemed to be a natural extension of vegetarianism and revolves around living a cruelty-free approach to life. Of course, the reasons why people opt to live their lives as vegans are personal and varied. For instance, many vegans choose their lifestyle as a consequence of dietary or health reasons. Having said that, usually, veganism is an ethical option. Such vegans work to create equity and freedom by eradication of their privilege from the exploitation that targets and oppresses animals. It is also considered by some that veganism might be more environmentally supportable than a eating plan based around animal goods.
Health and fitness reasons
Many vegans choose their diet because they worry about the possible health problems regarding the use and consumption of animal products. For instance, the consumption of animal fats and proteins has been linked with cardiovascular disease, bowel and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, high blood pressure and being overweight. Additionally it is their opinion that, whilst cows’ milk carries excellent amounts of fat and protein for small calves, it’s much too much for humans. Likewise, they keep away from eggs because they include high levels of cholesterol, leading them to be a contributor to heart related illnesses. In comparison, vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes are typically low in fat, have low cholesterol levels and are commonly rich in fibre, minerals and vitamins.
Animal welfare
So-called “ethical vegans” fight against the commodity status of animals along with the use of animal products for any purpose, whilst dietary vegans or strict vegetarians remove them from their diet only.
Vegans believe that commercially-raised dairy cows and egg-laying chickens, whether or not factory-farmed or “free range”, are killed when their production levels decrease. It’s understood that these cows and chickens live their short lives caged, drugged, mutilated and deprived of their simplest liberties.
Ecological factors
It is believed by vegans that animal agriculture takes a heavy cost on the planet, as an inefficient method of supplying food. Mainly because, for example, feed for farm animals requires land, water, fertilizer along with materials that might otherwise have been employed directly for producing human food.
It is usually suggested that animal agriculture’s requirement of increased yields speeds up topsoil erosion on farmlands, rendering land less productive for crop cultivation, therefore forcing the conversion of wilderness to grazing and farm lands. Additionally, it is probable that animal waste from huge feedlots and factory farms is a leading cause of pollution in our groundwater and rivers.
Animal agriculture has been connected to several environmental troubles, including contamination of aquatic ecosystems, soil and water by manure, pesticides and fertilizers; acid rain from ammonia emissions; greenhouse gas production and depletion of aquifers for irrigation.
Smart diet planning
In theory, vegans can get a well-balanced diet, including protein, from legumes (e.g. beans, tofu, etc) and grains (e.g., rice, corn, whole wheat breads and pastas); calcium from broccoli, kale, collard greens, tofu, fortified juices and soymilks; iron from chickpeas, spinach, pinto beans, and soy products; and B12 from fortified foods.
Then again, the truth is, this may be more difficult than it sounds. For instance, lots of people who are vegans also opt (or, on account of an allergy or intolerance, need) to live gluten, wheat or sugar free. Another common problem is that, frequently, vegans don’t take in enough calories or protein to maintain their weight. Unless their diets are well planned, it is easy for them to come to be deficient in any number of nutrients – not everybody likes beans!
Plant-based diet regimes thus cause particular challenges that vegans should bear in mind. For example, they often times have a particularly low intake of protein, calcium, iron, zinc and Omega-3 fatty acids. There’s also particular nutrients (notably B12) that happen to be located primarily in animal-based products or don’t seem to be taken in as well in their plant form.
For that reason, if you’re a vegan trying to make certain you have a well-balanced diet, despite your lifestyle choice, exactly what positive steps can be taken?
Well, nutritional supplementation is a simple and obvious answer. Nutrients-fortified meal replacement powders, protein powders and health supplements are all great ways to boost the nutritional content of a vegan diet and ensure that you are obtaining all of the protein, minerals and vitamins which you will want each day.
Specialist Supplements Ltd has a wonderful and extensive range of products that happen to be suitable for vegans, including organic superfood powder blends and organic superfood multivitamins. Take a look now and, specifically, don’t miss our dairy and gluten free meal replacement, MEALtime Protein Drink. MEALtime is a soya-based protein drink liquid meal loaded with quality protein, complex carbohydrates and nutrients. This protein drink powder (with added psyllium husks for colon detoxification and cleansing), is the perfect solution for vegans looking to maintain optimum nutrient intake and high stamina. On top of that, it is dairy and gluten free, which makes it appropriate for individuals with sensitive stomachs and people who suffer from coeliac disease and dairy allergies.