Going Vegan is More Than a Fad!

Thinking of going vegan? If so, you may want to do some research first. A vegan lifestyle is not just a current fad, but a commitment to a new way of living. Many people turn vegan due to the benefits attributed to the vegan diet. Eating a vegetable based diet can increase the levels of fiber, magnesium and potassium in the body, as well as lowering harmful levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. The life of a vegan doesn't just involve what they eat though, but how they behave and what they believe in. A vegan, by definition, is a form of vegetarian that excludes all animal and animal byproducts from their diets and any form of abuse of such animals from their lives.

The popularity of the vegan lifestyle has been increasing over the last sixty years and it is now estimated that at least 1% of the nation now considers themselves vegans. There are many famous vegans in our society today. Among these are actresses Alicia Silverstone and Tea Leoni, as well as athletes Carl Lewis and Martina Navratilova. Vegan beliefs are not something new however, it has been said that historical icons Leonardo DaVinci, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison had personal beliefs that parallel those of the modern vegans.

What can and can't you eat if you decide to become a vegan? First, of course, you cannot eat anything that comes from another living creature. No consuming beefs, pork, bird or seafood product. This wouldn't be too difficult if you don't care for meat anyway, but you also cannot eat anything that came from or in contact with any part of an animal. The obvious forbidden things would be eggs, milk and cheese but there are less obvious things as well. An example of this would be refined sugar. Sugar is run through animal bone filters during the refinement process, which is actually how it turns white. Vegans use only unrefined brown sugar since it hasn't touched animal parts in any way. Another example would be honey. Some vegans believe that you shouldn't consume honey because the bees may have been killed during the destruction of the honeycombs they lived in. You also cannot assume something is safe to eat just because it is packaged as vegetarian. Many vegetable-based meat and cheese substitutes actually contain milk and egg products. When eating vegan, all product labels must be checked carefully.

What can you eat on a vegan diet? Vegetables, fruits and vitamin supplements will be your dietary mainstays. Different forms of soybeans act as a substitute for the meat you previously ate and instead of dairy milk, you will drink milk made from soybeans or rice. Why will you need vitamin supplements as part of your diet? Since a vegetable-based diet lacks essential nutrients such as iron, calcium and B-12, you will need to take mineral supplements to stay completely healthy. Nutritional yeast and soy protein powders may also be used to maintain helpful levels of these vitamins in your body. This is especially important when pregnant or nursing since low levels of B-12 have been linked to neurological disorders in children.

The vegan diet, however, is only a portion of the vegan life. As I said before, vegans believe in their own philosophy pertaining to the use and treatment of all living creatures. This system of beliefs is summarized by the acronym AHIMSA:

Abstinence from animal products

Harmlessness with reverence for life

Integrity of thought, word and deed

Mastery over oneself

Service to humanity, nature, and creation

Advancement of understanding and truth

A true vegan will not participate in any activity that involves the harming or confinement of a living creature against their will. A vegan will not support any company or use any product that effects the welfare of an animal in any way. If you want to follow the vegan philosophy, it will mean no longer visiting the zoo or circus and no longer investing in companies that serve meat or use animals in product testing. Many vegans try to not even walk on grass. The grass being considered a living thing, vegans do not want to harm it or the insects living within the lawn.

Many people are of the opinion that it is too expensive to live their lives according to the vegan philosophies. How much extra it costs though, really depends on how much your current lifestyle already costs you. If you already spend three dollars for a pound of meat, a mix that makes a pound of meat substitute will not cost you any extra. Cheese with absolutely no animal additives may cost you around nine dollars for 8 oz., but many people spend that on specialty cheeses anyway. You may actually save money by shopping at your local farmer's market for fresh produce, rather than spending the majority of your grocery budget on expensive meat. If you tend to stick to generic personal care products, however, then you will definitely notice an increase when you start purchasing all natural products. While a bar of soap will cost about the same, all natural lotion and shampoo will cost between seven and twelve dollars a bottle. The greatest increase to your budget will come from the dietary supplements you will need in addition to your groceries. The various minerals and protein powders that your body will need to stay healthy could add up too many extra dollars out of your pocketbook.

Now that you have an overview of some of the pro's and con's of living by the vegan philosophy, you can make a more informed decision about what would be the best way for you. Remember, though, before making any drastic change to your diet, you should always consult with your doctor first. Even if you choose that the vegan lifestyle isn't the right choice for you at this time in your life, it doesn't mean you care any less about the environment. We can all appreciate and help protect mother nature in our own ways.