What does being a vegan mean?
Veganism, an extreme form of vegetarianism, is the personal course of action of putting a stop to the use and eating of all animal goods, including eggs, dairy and honey. The lifestyle generally even excludes those animal products that do not demand the death of the animal, like wool, down and cosmetic products or chemical products tested on animals.
In comparison, the vast majority of vegetarians just do not buy apparel created from leather, fur or any sort of animal product which requires the harming of the animal.
Veganism is a small, but thriving, movement. In 2007, 0.3% of the UK population called 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 history of veganism?
The phrase “vegan” was coined in England in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of the British Vegan Society, to mean “non-dairy vegetarian”. The Vegan Society also opposed the use of eggs as foodstuffs. This description was subsequently extended (in 1951) to mean “the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals”. Then, nearly a decade later, the American Vegan Society was established and was linked by its founder (H. Jay Dinshah) to the Jainist principle of ahimsa – the avoidance of violence against living things.
Having said that, the theory of flesh-avoidance can actually be traced back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean societies. In fact, vegetarianism is first mentioned by the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos around 500 BCE!
Around the planet, veganism is thought of in different lights. In many regions, there is social and even legal support, such as in India and the United Kingdom, where food labelling is in place which can make it less difficult for vegans to distinguish foodstuffs compatible with their diet plans.
Why do people become vegans?
Veganism is thought to be a logical extension of vegetarianism and revolves around living a cruelty-free approach to life. Of course, the causes why consumers decide to live their lives as vegans are personal and assorted. For example, a lot of vegans pick their lifestyle on account of nutritional or health reasons. Yet, quite often, veganism is an ethical decision. Such vegans work to build equity and freedom by reducing their privilege from the exploitation that targets and oppresses animals. It is also considered by some that veganism is a lot more environmentally maintainable than a eating plan reliant upon animal goods.
Health motives
Several vegans decide on their diet because they are concerned about the possible health concerns linked to use and consumption of animal products. As an illustration, the intake of animal fats and proteins has been linked with cardiovascular disease, bowel and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension and weight problems. It’s also their view that, whilst cows’ milk contains perfect amounts of fat and protein for little calves, it happens to be way too much for humans. Likewise, they keep away from eggs because they have high levels of cholesterol, making them a contributor to cardiovascular disease. In comparison, vegan foods, such as whole grains, fruit, vegetables and legumes are often low in fat, have low cholesterol levels and are normally rich in fibre, nutrients.
Animal welfare
So-called “ethical vegans” fight against the commodity status of animals along with the usage of animal products for any reason, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only.
Vegans think that commercially-raised dairy cows and egg-laying chickens, no matter whether factory-farmed or “free range”, are killed once their output levels decline. It’s believed that these cows and chickens live their short lives caged, drugged, mutilated and deprived of their simplest liberties.
Environmental factors
It is claimed by vegans that animal agriculture has a heavy cost on the earth, as an inefficient means of producing food. Mainly because, for instance, feed for farm animals usually requires land, water, fertilizer along with other resources that might otherwise have been employed directly for creating human food.
It is usually claimed that animal agriculture’s requirement of larger yields boosts topsoil erosion on farmlands, making land less productive for crop cultivation, thereby compelling the change of wilderness to grazing and farm lands. Additionally it is likely that animal waste from large feedlots and factory farms is a principal cause of pollution in our groundwater and rivers.
Animal agriculture has been connected to several environmental problems, 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.
Sensible diet planning
Theoretically, vegans can have 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.
Having said that, the truth is, this can be trickier than it sounds. For example, most people who are vegans also choose (or, on account of an allergy or intolerance, require) to live gluten, wheat or sugar free. Another common problem is that, quite often, vegans don’t take in enough calories or protein to keep up their weight. Unless their diets are well planned, it isn’t difficult for them to come to be lacking in any number of nutrients – not everyone likes beans!
Plant-based eating plans therefore pose specific difficulties that vegans should bear in mind. To illustrate, they tend to have a particularly low intake of protein, calcium, iron, zinc and Omega-3 fatty acids. In addition there are particular nutrients (notably B12) that are seen mostly in animal-based products or aren’t assimilated as well in their plant form.
For this reason, if you are a vegan wanting to make sure you have a well-balanced diet, despite your lifestyle choice, what positive steps can be taken?
Well, dietary supplementation is a straightforward and obvious option. Nutrients-fortified meal replacement powders, protein powders and health supplements are all efficient ways to raise the nutritional content of a vegan diet and ensure that you are accessing all the protein, minerals and vitamins that you require on a regular basis.
Specialist Supplements Ltd has a great 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, in particular, don’t miss our dairy and gluten free meal replacement, MEALtime Protein Drink. MEALtime is a soya-based protein drink liquid meal high in high quality protein, complex carbohydrates and nutrients. This protein drink powder (with added psyllium husks for colon detoxification and cleansing), is the ideal solution for vegans seeking to maintain the best possible nutrient intake and high levels of energy. Best of all, it is dairy and gluten free, which makes it suitable for people with sensitive stomachs and people who suffer from coeliac disease and dairy allergies.