I want to talk to you about veganism, what is a vegan ?
Many people when they hear the word vegan think that is something like being a beatnik or a nomad, but most people are just confused.
Strictly speaking , it’s the practice of abstaining from the consumption of all animal products, in practice, it’s very personalized. In fact, it’s actually falls along a continuum, on one extreme end is what we call an ethical vegan. It rejects the use of animal products of any type, that includes food apparel made of materials such as silk, wool and leather , as well as lifestyle products like cosmetics , toiletries and even leather seats in their cars. It’s much more than merely a diet or a preference, it’s a core life philosophy, it’s a guiding sense of principles, it’s almost a religion.
The early roots of ethical veganism can be traced back to the sixth century BC to Pythagoras who felt that all living beings are kindred souls. His feeling was founded upon a moral basis not on human health, and that’s pretty much how it went for centuries until about the mid 1800s.
Adherents of a strict plant-based diet were just simply called vegetarians. In the middle of the continuum is what is often termed as environmental vegans, they’re less strict but reject animal products because they feel that it harms the environment, and is therefore unsustainable in the long term. Their motivation is more political than it is spiritual.
Now, at the other end of the continuum , are those they’re in pursuit of optimal health or who are just grossed out by eating animals, they’re called dietary or nutritional vegans, and range from a hundred percent Rob vegetarians to those that might be termed as veganish, because they’ll consume eggs, dairy products honey and some cooked foods.
At the extreme end of that is what I call a flexitarian, and that’s because they consume 50 to 70 percent vegan, and then though cheat for the other 30 to 50 percent.
The term vegan was first coined in 1944 by Donald Watson to describe a non-dairy vegetarian, and since that time November 1st of each year has been observed as an annual world vegan day.
Approximately 2% of the population of the United States and Britain identify themselves as vegan, and it’s becoming more mainstream all the time. Now there’s no doubt that a poorly planned vegan diet may be deficient in certain nutrients, especially things like vitamin b12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, omega-3, calcium and iodine.
The American Dietetic Association and the dietitians of Canada have stated that a well-planned vegan diet is healthy for all stages of life including pregnancy. The Physicians Committee for Responsible medicine suggests that vegans eat at least 3 servings of vegetables a day, including dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, and dark yellow and orange such as carrots. 5 servings of whole grains which would be breads, rice and pastas, 3 of fruit, and 2 of legumes like beans peas or lentils.
There are many proven health benefits of a raw plant-based diet, such as a decrease in weight, heart disease, cholesterol blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon and prostate cancer, cataracts and even bone fractures.
In the book veganism, author Ren Barry states despite the seeming hardships of a vegan diet imposes on its practitioners.
Veganism is a burgeoning movement, especially among young Americans. In endurance sports such as the Ironman Triathlon and the ultramarathon, the top competitors are vegans who consume much of the vegan food in its uncooked state. Even young weight lifters and bodybuilders are gravitating to the vegan diet, giving lie to the notion that eating animal flesh is essential for strength and stamina.
Finally let me recommend one of my favorite books : Chicken flavored Tofu Soup for the vegansoul.
Dr. Weston
Penguin Party Zone 