What Is Vegan And Veganism

Veganism is something more than an eating choice - it is a lifestyle or a movement.

The Vegan lifestyle choice is quickly gaining popularity in the United States and the rest of the world.

Vegan (pronounced vee-gun) refers to people who choose to forego meat and dairy products. Instead, their diets consist solely of plant-based foods. Not only do Vegans eliminate foods derived from animals, they also avoid clothing and products made from animal by-products.

You might be thinking that you got along so far by eating eggs, hamburgers, dairy products, hot dogs, poultry, beef, pork, and fish - so why should you go vegetarian, let alone vegan now?

Firstly, becoming Vegan means changing your whole lifestyle

Eating Vegan doesn't have to be boring. In fact, it is one of the most exciting way to eat! Fresh and organically grown plant-based foods are among nature's most healthful and delicious gifts

Being a Vegan has many benefits, but first, what exactly does being Vegan mean?

Most people are not exactly sure exactly what this term defines.

So here goes, a VEGAN is a person who not only consumes only plant products, but is also someone who does not support any product or food derived from the pain and suffering of any animal.

Then what is the difference between a Vegan and a Vegetarian?

A vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat any meat - In other words, they don’t consume meat, poultry, fish or other water animals or food made using animal fat, but they consume dairy products.

The main difference between a Vegan and a Vegetarian is that Vegans not only consume any animal by-products, which include eggs, dairy (including cheese, butter) or use products that have been tested on animals. Even honey is also avoided, as bees are killed during its production. And finally, Vegans also avoid wearing animal products like wool, silk or leather and don’t use cosmetics and toiletries that have been tested on animals or which contain animal ingredients.

To be a successful vegetarian or Vegan, you need to become more aware of nutrition. You learn what foods contain enough plant protein to satisfy your daily needs. You learn how to regulate the amount of carbohydrates and sugars you eat, to avoid the risk of diabetes. You start to understand the positive effects of a diet high in plant fibers, which help keep you regular.

Some benefits of being Vegan

It is believed, or at least I am of the firm belief that eating a meat free diet can definitely improve your health in addition to increasing your quality of life and as a result one tends to live longer.

The reasons?

Medical research has proven that a meat free diet considerably lowers ones chances of being diagnosed with ailments such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and even certain types of cancers.

Studies have also shown that not meat free diets provide more energy, in addition to building a more efficient immune system. It is also said that Vegans live six to ten years longer than average meat eater and also rid the system of pesky allergens that cause food allergies, ADHD, and asthma. Furthermore, it can also be said that Vegans have healthy hair, lower body weight in general and most importantly a clearer and suppler skin.

Most of us don't eat very well. We either eat fast food too much and even real sit-down restaurants are sometimes not always healthy for us. We are addicted to the bad habit of eating out of boxes, cans, and the freezer. In fact, when you eat at most chain restaurants, you're eating out of boxes, cans, and the freezer!

Most non-vegetarian foods are either processed or frozen, if not come in cans. When we eat high fat meats, low fiber processed foods, and fill our bodies with preservatives and chemicals, we're much more prone to high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol and other serious health issues.

Vegetarians (fruits and vegetables people) don’t suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and any other diseases which tend to be linked with being overweight. In other words, you can eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and yet not gain any weight. This goes on to indicate that the food eaten in a vegetarian diet helps with the fat burning process. It also indicates that eating vegetables helps with insulin resistance instead of the food being stored as fat it tends to get taken up by the cells and burnt off hence no weight gain.

But, despite calling myself a vegetarian, I have put on tremendous amount of weight. This goes to show that vegetarian doesn’t really mean only vegetables and fruits, but there are fats (sweets, desserts, syrups), carbohydrates (rice and others) – the list is endless. So there is no guarantee that you are going to lose weight by just avoiding meat. Meat taken at reasonable amounts can lead to a balanced weight

However, being a Vegan will completely rid your diet from any of these processed foods. It will also rid you of all the fat and poisons generally found in processed or fast food that your body just wasn't programmed to intake. In other words, a family can easily and safely avoid the chemicals, preservatives, growth hormones and other harmful toxins found in almost all of today's meats and over-processed foods!

If you project to people that they don’t abuse their car like they abuse their bodies – they would perhaps get the message a lot better. A car engine that hasn’t been tuned or isn’t getting the type of gasoline it needs simply will not run efficiently, nor "live" for as long as it was intended to do.

In other words, the human body shares the same concept with a car

So just for kicks, try eating vegetarian (fruits and vegetables) for a week or two. See for yourself if you feel different, more mentally acute and note any difference

Gets you thinking ...right?

Hence, going Vegan and eating in this manner is sure to you an incredibly healthier lifestyle.

Many familiar favorites and international specialties are naturally Vegan – Italian spaghetti with marinara sauce, pasta with garlic & olive oil, a cheese-less pizza piled high with toppings; bean & rice burritos smothered in vegetarian green chilly, sizzling fajitas with peppers, onions, squash and mushrooms, tortilla chips & guacamole dip; Middle Eastern falafel, hummus, stuffed grape leaves and lentil soup; Indian vegetable curries, samosas, dal, and rice biriyani; Thai coconut curries, spring rolls & rice noodle dishes; Chinese stir-fry veggies in various sauces, sesame tofu, vegetable dumplings; Japanese vegetable sushi; and french fries!

Some interesting vegan recipes can be found at... http://www.veganchef.com/