Veganism, like vegetarianism, is a philosophy and a lifestyle that seeks to reduce cruelty and exploitation towards animals, from food, clothing, or any other purpose. Worldwide, it is estimated that there are around 75,300,000 vegans.
The most common is to start a plant-based diet, avoiding meat, fish, shellfish, insects, dairy, eggs, honey, and any component that derives from cruelty.
The Vegan Society claims that people have chosen to avoid animal products for more than 2,000 years. For example, in 500 a. C, the philosopher Pythagoras helped promote benevolence in all species and followed what can be described as a vegetarian diet. In a near time, Buddha also discussed related subjects with his followers and from there the concept and its practices have evolved.
So what do vegans eat?
Unlike veganism, and in addition to eliminating meat, vegans choose to eliminate dairy, eggs, and fish. This type of diet is very diverse and includes fruits, grains, nuts, vegetables, seeds, beans, legumes, among others. There is actually an infinite number of combinations that you can make to stay on your vegan diet.
What is being vegan about beyond food?
Being vegan, although the diet is essential, is more than that. In fact, if you only eliminate animal meat, you would be becoming a vegetarian because this is a philosophy that avoids any exploitation that may exist towards the animal.
Compassion is one of the reasons why this lifestyle is chosen, eliminating makeup, clothing, accessories, among others, that have caused damage in its creation.
Some vegans also choose to eliminate medications, since the main reason is that these must be tested on animals, before being considered for human consumption, however, this must be medically founded.
Along the same lines of animal exploitation, vegans do not support animal-based entertainment such as aquariums, zoos, circuses, among others.
Types of vegans
Ethical Vegans
Ethical vegans are those who have chosen this lifestyle due to animal cruelty, so these types of people avoid being related to the exploitation of animals.
Environmental vegans
E Vegans these have the philosophy of a greener lifestyle and friendly to the environment, who believe, in this way, put your bit to improve the health of the planet.
Vegan health
Health is one of the biggest drivers of acquiring this lifestyle. Health vegans consider generating greater awareness of their nutrition and health, through the reduction of diseases, reducing animal meats.
Religious vegans
Those who choose this diet as a result of religious beliefs, for example, Jainism, where its believers consume strict vegan diets; Also, along the same lines, you can find vegan Buddhists.
Types of veganism according to their variations in the diet
Just as there are variations in a vegetarian diet, there are also variations in lifestyle choices and variations in veganism. Some types of veganism include:
Fruity vegans
Este type of vegan diet is low in fat and crude. This subset limits high-fat foods like nuts, avocados, and coconuts. Focusing on fruit instead relies primarily on fruit.
Whole vegans
This diet is based on whole foods such as legumes, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and seeds.
Diet vegans or plant-based eaters
They are those who avoid foods of animal origin but continue to use clothing and cosmetics from their abuse.
Junk Food Vegans
They are those that provide their diet with a large percentage of processed foods such as vegan meats, frozen dinners, French fries, among others.
Raw Food Vegans
They are the ones who only add foods cooked at temperatures below 48 ° C or, failing that, raw to their diet.
How are vegans different from vegetarians?
Unlike vegans, vegetarians can vary their philosophy and their diets. On the one hand, being a vegetarian can be better nutrition and thrifty decision, on the other hand, vegans base their entire life and every aspect of it on zero cruelty.
Keep in mind that if he eliminated eggs or dairy from his diet he is a strict vegetarian and remains in that category. Remember the types of vegetarianism since in some cases animal products continue to be added to their lives such as clothing, accessories, among others:
- Lacto-Ovo vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products.
- Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products, without eggs.
- Pescetarians do not eat meat from birds or mammals, but they do eat fish and shellfish.
What should a vegan diet have?
In addition to eliminating animal meats and all products from them, some main ingredients that you can taste will be:
- Vegetable dairy.
- Tofu
- Sweeteners like molasses or maple syrup.
- Beans, lentils.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Tempeh.
- Vegetables.
Taking into account some nutrients required by the body, and the ease with which they can be forgotten to ingest them, it is important to focus the vegan diet on ingredients such as protein, fat, calcium, and other vitamins, which may be lacking in a diet without dairy products and meat.
- Your diet should include at least three daily servings of protein. Vegetable options are beans, tofu, soy products, peanuts, and walnuts, among others.
- Fats should always be present and you can find them in avocados, seeds, nut butter, vegetable oils, among others.
- Even if you feel that you have a balance in the diet, in many cases the taking of nutritional supplements of vitamin B12, iodine, and vitamin D is required separately, since it is complex, sometimes, to find them in food.
- Without dairy products, be careful of losing calcium in your diet. Include foods rich in this vitamin with kale, turnip greens, fortified plant milk, and some types of tofu.
Benefits of adopting a vegan lifestyle
Positive impact on your health
Remember that a balanced vegan diet offers many benefits to your health, some such as reducing the risk of heart disease, obtaining more fiber, antioxidants and plant compounds benefits. It will help you lose weight, lower blood sugar levels, and improve kidney function; it will prevent you from suffering from colorectal cancer, among many more.
It is important to be clear that you have to strengthen the vegan diet with foods enriched in B12, fortified cereals, soy milk, among others. Usually, the correct diet tends to be high in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, iron, and phytochemicals, lower in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol. In this way, it is advisable to follow medical or nutritional recommendations if this lifestyle is to be adopted.
Positive impact on the environment and for animals
Each year, more than 150 billion farm animals are slaughtered. Industrial agriculture and animal agriculture have an impact on the environment and agriculture is estimated to be responsible for 37 percent of all methane emissions, 3 million acres of rainforest destruction, 90 million tons of dioxide of carbon, 260 million trees from deforestation, and in general, from the increase in the rate of global warming by up to 50 percent.
Imagine reducing the impact generated in the said industry through this lifestyle. According to the UN, it is possible to combat the worst effects of climate change through a plant-based diet and a study by the University of Oxford, published in the journal Climatic Change, shows that meat consumers are responsible for almost twice as much greenhouse gas emissions than vegetarians and about two and a half times more than vegans.
How to start being vegan?
If you chose to go vegan you can do it gradually or completely. If you decide to do it the first way, try to eliminate one animal product at a time, either daily or weekly.
Subsequently, increase the number of days, of animal proteins, until it is completely done. Otherwise, if you decide to gamble radically stay focused on the reason why you are doing it, this will help you facilitate your progress and prevent you from consuming meat again.
Also try connecting with communities that follow this lifestyle, as they will support you in your process of change, as well as recipe tips and local restaurant recommendations, among others.
Veganism is beyond a type of diet, it is a philosophy and lifestyle based on reducing cruelty and the environmental state of the planet. Following a rigorous and well-planned diet will be important to avoid long-term health problems.
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