Are you eager to know about veganism? Have you just adopted the vegan lifestyle recently? Choosing vegan food is a great decision. Just like you, people who follow a vegan diet get to make some awesome food choices throughout the day that are beneficial for their own health, the environment, and the animals as well.
What does veganism actually mean?
- Veganism is not just a diet, but a way of life that involves complete abstinence from the use of animal products.
- People who have chosen to go vegan don't consume any animal-derived products such as meat, milk, eggs, dairy products, or even honey.
- Some vegans are also refraining from using products made from leather and fur that are obtained after exploiting animals.
What does a vegan diet consist of?
- As the word "vegan" indicates, the vegan diet consists of plant-based foods, mainly vegetables, but not completely so.
- Vegans also consume nuts, whole grains, pulses, cereals, tofu, seeds (flax and chia), and fresh fruits as well.
- All vegan foods are a rich source of fibre, iron, and vitamin E.
The health benefits of a vegan diet
- A vegan diet consists of foods that are rich in fibre and low in cholesterol, salt, and proteins.
- Following a vegan lifestyle is known to reduce the chances of the occurrence of certain cancers and Type 2 diabetes as well.
- Since a vegan diet consists of low salt, it reduces blood pressure and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the body too.
Each vegan can save animal lives
- Each vegan can save about 30 animal lives in one year.
- In the food industry, millions of animals are killed worldwide.
- Most of these animals live their lives in factory farms under distressing conditions.
- Animals in the food industry are killed, crammed, and abused just for the purpose of profit.
- Businesses use some malpractices that are really disturbing in nature towards animals.
Origin of the word ‘Vegan’
- The term "vegan" was coined by Donald Watson, founder of the Vegan Society, in 1944.
- He took the first and last letters of the word "vegetarian" to create the word "vegan."
- The purpose behind coining the term "vegan" was to differentiate people who don't consume any animal products from those who only avoid eating meat.
Vegan diet is rich in proteins
- It is a myth that only animal foodstuffs and meat are rich sources of protein.
- A vegan diet is also rich in plant-based proteins.
- Some of the protein sources that are a part of the vegan diet include beans, soya, lentils, tofu, seeds, nuts, quinoa, chickpeas, peanuts, tempeh, seitan, and others.
Adapting to a vegan lifestyle
- Getting comfortable with a vegan diet may take a few days, weeks, or even a few months.
- The vegan journey is a personal one since some may feel comfortable almost immediately, while others may feel some sudden withdrawal (detoxification) symptoms like headaches, fatigue, irritation, etc.
- Many people struggle to adapt to a vegan diet due to certain emotional and mental barriers.
Fish in the oceans could be gone by 2048.
Pollution, overfishing, habitat destruction, global warming, and climate change are some of the factors that are responsible for the destruction of the marine ecosystem. If the animal food industry does not change the practises it has been following, a study conducted by scientists suggests that the oceans could run out of fish by 2048. Thankfully, veganism has the potential to save the oceans and marine life.
Many social justice activists have supported veganism.
Many social justice activists have been fighting hard to save animals and have taken a firm stand on protecting farmed animals. Some of the social justice warriors that have been involved in animal rights and saving animal lives are Angela Davis, Rosa Parks, Cesar Chavez, Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and many others. These activists have exposed the brutality of the companies involved in the animal food industry and also how animals are being exploited in the name of food.
Accepting the 22-day vegan challenge to try veganism
- The most popular challenge for veganism is to try a vegan diet for 22 days.
- For most individuals, this vegan 22-day challenge is the first step towards a vegan lifestyle.
Vegan food has a lot of variety and is delicious too
Many people believe that a vegan diet is all about eating plants and leafy vegetables. However, this is not true. With the popularity of veganism growing rapidly, many companies are launching new vegan products like vegan ice cream, vegan milk, vegan meats, cheese, and much more.
Veganism can help solve the hunger crisis in the world
Rather than feeding crops to animals and then eating them, directly consuming crops can feed an additional 4 billion people worldwide. Not just this, it will save animal lives too.
Veganism can save the environment
Animal farming results in habitat destruction, deforestation, emissions of greenhouse gases like methane, global warming, and water shortages around the world. Adopting a plant-based diet through veganism can help save the planet, save animals, and help humans live a sustainable life.
Now that you have complete information about veganism, are you ready to follow a vegan lifestyle, not just for the environment, animals, and surroundings but for yourself as well?
