By Nikki Phipps
While I am not opposed to eating healthy vegetables, I do enjoy consuming meat. However, I was surprised to learn, from my nephew (a vegan), that there is more to the vegan lifestyle than simply refraining from the consumption of animal products. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegans, on the other hand, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal products or by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products.
The vegan lifestyle revolves around restraint from the use or ingestion of animal products as well as avoiding products that have been tested on animals. There are various reasons why people become vegans. Some people are simply concerned with our environment and want to support both environmental and animal rights. Some are prompted to become vegans due to health problems. Others have strong moral, ethical, and religious reasons for living vegan lifestyles.
Like any other form of diet, some vegan diets are more nutritionally complete than others are. A healthy and varied vegan diet is important and includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Almost all foods except for alcohol, sugar, and fats are good sources of protein. Vegan diets are free of cholesterol and are generally low in fat. Replacing animal foods with plant foods reduces saturated fat and cholesterol and research has shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can decrease the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, protect against a variety of cancers, lower blood pressure, and guard against loss of vision.
These days more and more products are marked as vegan, making it easier to determine what is or is not an appropriate vegan food. I also learned that you could replace animal products with an array of substitutes, from vegan ice cream to vegan burgers. There are also numerous vegan alternatives for common products containing animal-based ingredients like clothing, make-up, or household products. Vegan guidebooks are provided for those wishing to become involved in this type of lifestyle, offering loads of helpful information.
While the vegan lifestyle may not be for everyone, it does seem to be a healthy and environmental-friendly alternative for those that choose to follow its standard of living. So whether or not you agree with it, the vegan lifestyle should be respected; after all, they aren’t hurting anyone.