Vegan eating is receiving a lot of press these days. It seems to be the celebrity fad-du-jour. Even Oprah tried it for a few weeks. But what exactly does it mean to go vegan? Well that really depends on whether you are coming at it from the perspective of a dietary style or a lifestyle.
The term vegan is usually used to describe a diet. (I dont mean the lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks kind of diet, I mean how you eat.) In this context, vegans can also be called strict vegetarians. Both vegetarians and vegans forego the eating of meat, chicken, and fish. Vegans go one step further and dont eat eggs or dairy products either.
When the label vegan is used to describe a way of life, it means that the motivation for eschewing animal products comes from an interest in animal rights. The main motivation is not diet or health but animal welfare.
These philosophical vegans do not want to contribute to the mistreatment or slaughter of any animal. In addition to avoiding animal products in their food, the will not buy anything made from animal products. Examples would be leather shoes, wallets, purses, furniture, etc.
Of course, it is impossible to live in society today and be completely vegan. Often animal byproducts are used in many products you wouldnt expect. The rubber in your tires is processed with animal products. Sugar is often refined over bone char. Sheetrock contains horsehair. Musical instruments are often glued together with animal based glue. Vegans strive to live without consuming animal products, but that is not always a reality, and that is something all vegans must come to grips with.
While many people can understand and accept the idea that some people want to give up eating meat, after all the animal you are eating has been killed for your meal. Eschewing eggs and dairy is another story however. Since the animals arent being killed, it doesnt make a lot of sense to most people that there would be a reason to give up dairy and eggs. However, even though the cows and chickens are slaughtered for their milk and eggs, they mostly live in terrible conditions. In order to mass produce enough milk and eggs, farms have been basically turned into factory farms. Animals are crammed together in horrific conditions, often locked in a cage for the duration of their lives. And once they are no longer producing, then the route to their slaughter is often torturous. Vegans give up eggs and dairy in order to avoid participating in this cruelty.
Other people are motivated to eat vegan in order to lower their risk for a number of lifestyle diseases. There is plenty of data out there to suggest that a vegan diet will help to lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Vegans and vegetarians are also generally leaner than non-vegetarians, and this can have long term health benefits as well.
Finally, there is much data to support that a vegan diet is much better for the environment. Meat production uses more water, more food, more fuel, and creates more pollution and contributes to global warming.
The term vegan is usually used to describe a diet. (I dont mean the lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks kind of diet, I mean how you eat.) In this context, vegans can also be called strict vegetarians. Both vegetarians and vegans forego the eating of meat, chicken, and fish. Vegans go one step further and dont eat eggs or dairy products either.
When the label vegan is used to describe a way of life, it means that the motivation for eschewing animal products comes from an interest in animal rights. The main motivation is not diet or health but animal welfare.
These philosophical vegans do not want to contribute to the mistreatment or slaughter of any animal. In addition to avoiding animal products in their food, the will not buy anything made from animal products. Examples would be leather shoes, wallets, purses, furniture, etc.
Of course, it is impossible to live in society today and be completely vegan. Often animal byproducts are used in many products you wouldnt expect. The rubber in your tires is processed with animal products. Sugar is often refined over bone char. Sheetrock contains horsehair. Musical instruments are often glued together with animal based glue. Vegans strive to live without consuming animal products, but that is not always a reality, and that is something all vegans must come to grips with.
While many people can understand and accept the idea that some people want to give up eating meat, after all the animal you are eating has been killed for your meal. Eschewing eggs and dairy is another story however. Since the animals arent being killed, it doesnt make a lot of sense to most people that there would be a reason to give up dairy and eggs. However, even though the cows and chickens are slaughtered for their milk and eggs, they mostly live in terrible conditions. In order to mass produce enough milk and eggs, farms have been basically turned into factory farms. Animals are crammed together in horrific conditions, often locked in a cage for the duration of their lives. And once they are no longer producing, then the route to their slaughter is often torturous. Vegans give up eggs and dairy in order to avoid participating in this cruelty.
Other people are motivated to eat vegan in order to lower their risk for a number of lifestyle diseases. There is plenty of data out there to suggest that a vegan diet will help to lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Vegans and vegetarians are also generally leaner than non-vegetarians, and this can have long term health benefits as well.
Finally, there is much data to support that a vegan diet is much better for the environment. Meat production uses more water, more food, more fuel, and creates more pollution and contributes to global warming.
About the Author:
Lane Wright, who along with his wife, has been living a happy, healthy life eating a vegan diet for several years. He shares his trials and tribulations and offers a cornucopia of information about how to become a vegan in his column. You can gather additional information about vegan weight loss at his website.
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