Veganism 101

Why do some people choose to go vegan? The question arises, because this way of life can seem complicated and limiting. Why, in fact, deprive ourselves of the foods we are used to consuming from birth?

People choose to go vegan for different reasons (and sometimes even for all of them):

Health: many do it for their health and to extend their life expectancy. Eating meat greatly increases the intake of saturated fat. Saturated fat is believed to be responsible in the long term for the development of several types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. As for fish and seafood, these can contain contaminants such as mercury, a heavy metal that the human body cannot evacuate, and which builds up in the body. In the long term, mercury can cause nervous system disruption. Scientific studies have shown that people who only consumed plant-based products had a lower body mass index, easier to control their weight, had more energy, better skin, and suffered less the little pains that are normally attributed to the aging process. Vegans generally have better overall health.

The environment: Unless we live on another planet, no one is unaware that our way of life causes enormous damage to the environment. Raising animals for slaughter uses a lot of water resources and a lot of space. The deforestation that is practiced on a global scale is often to make way for livestock, because the consumption of red meat is said to be on the rise in the world. In the Amazon rainforest of South America, nearly 80% of deforestation is due to the creation of spaces for cattle ranching. To produce a kilo of beef, you need 15,000 liters of water. To produce a kilogram of soybeans, you only need 2,000 liters of water. To produce a kilo of fruits and vegetables, between 500 and 1000 liters of water are needed. It is easy to see that consuming red meat regularly is a disaster for the world ecology. In addition, to advocate ecologically in favor of a vegan lifestyle, cosmetics and household cleaning products with a vegan composition are almost all organic and free of chemicals, in addition to being biodegradable. They are therefore much less toxic to the environment. And most importantly, they are not tested on animals.

Respect for animal life: unfortunately, the large-scale production of animals for human consumption often brings its share of abuse. The animals are most of the time gathered in intensive breeding environments, where promiscuity and living conditions are often questionable. The places can be unsanitary, and the lighting is mostly made of artificial light. Some animals rarely see the light of day, never feel the breeze of the wind on their bodies or the joy of being able to wander freely and frolic in a field. It also happens sometimes, unfortunately, to see animals mistreated and/or treated harshly by the workers who take care of them. This is especially true during transport to the slaughterhouse, where the poor animals are stressed, stuck on top of each other. They are pushed into dark and disturbing corridors, sometimes with electric sticks, under the cries of the attendants who want to end it as soon as possible. The animal rights organization Mercy for Animals, thanks to undercover agents, regularly reports unspeakable acts uncovered in certain breeding farms and in several slaughterhouses. Of course, not all breeders treat their animals badly, far from it. But factory farming often leads to abuses unworthy of our species, and we must be aware of this.

The transition to veganism comes with certain challenges. But these challenges can be stimulating and achievable! The health of the earth, and ours, is worth it! Most people can’t switch to a 100% vegan lifestyle all at once because it’s hard to give up the way they live. The ideal is to gently integrate these products into our daily lives. Very often, people who try the experience end up integrating this way of life completely, after seeing the benefits.

There is no right or wrong way to become vegan. Some people go vegan within weeks, months, or years, while others do overnight. The best is to go at your own pace and set achievable goals. Becoming vegan is an individual journey, where everyone does the best they can achieve their goals: better health for themselves, for the planet, and better respect for animals!

Choosing to go vegan is a great adventure, but it can also be a bit worrying! When you want to become a vegan, you ask yourself lots of questions and look for answers. Here is a list of 10 useful tips for an easier and smoother transition to veganism.

1. Define your reasons for becoming vegan

Write on paper why you want to become a vegan. Is it a health issue? To lose weight? To avoid or cure a chronic disease? To have a better concentration? To have a more beautiful skin, free from skin conditions, like acne, psoriasis, eczema? To reduce your allergies? For the respect of animal life? To save the planet? To achieve some inner peace? Record your reasons on paper and post them where you can see them every day, such as on the refrigerator door. This will motivate you to persevere.

2. Research and information gathering

Before changing your lifestyle, it is always a good idea to do some research beforehand. So, you will know exactly what to expect. Look for information on what vegans eat or do not eat. Learn about the benefits of becoming a vegan. What are the obstacles and challenges facing vegans? This will help you make an informed choice.

3. Find good recipes

It is necessary to find and build a good collection of vegan recipes. Because your way of eating will change radically. You need to find quick and easy recipes, because at some point, the daily grind might make you too busy to cook, and you might fall back into your old ways.

Gather a wide assortment of vegan recipes, such as recipes for breakfast, lunches, dinners, snacks, cakes, desserts. The web is a great place to search. You will find their sites entirely devoted to vegan food, but also electronic or traditional cookbooks, to order. Just make sure you have your vegan recipe file well prepared, so you have variety in your meals.

4. Inform family and friends

Let your loved ones know that you are making the decision to become a vegan. This will ensure that when you visit them or when they visit you, food will not be a problem. If they know about your new way of life, it will be easier. They may be trying to get you to change your mind. But explain your reasons. Perhaps you will gain followers!

5. Be ready to resist cravings

When you stop eating certain foods that you have been eating for a long time, you will inevitably experience cravings from time to time. Be prepared for this, and make sure you have healthy snacks, or easily accessible frozen pastries, so you do not give in. Try to find recipes for “vegan clones” of your favorite meals and snacks. You can then put something in your mouth that is very close to the object of your desire. Some professional vegan chefs have written an assortment of electronic recipe books to meet just that kind of carnivorous urge: veggie burgers, veggie shepherd’s pie, vegan spaghetti sauce: the choices are endless. You must persist remember the reasons for your choice of life.

6. Know the brands of vegan food

Nowadays supermarkets and health stores are adapting to the needs of vegans, so you should not have any trouble finding meatless and dairy free snacks like vegan cheese, tofu, vegan chocolate, health bars, ’’fake’’ bacon, and cereals. Try them all and get to know your favorites.

7. Stay motivated through the Internet

There are many support groups on the Internet for vegans. You will find discussion forums and blogs that you can visit to interact with other vegans. This will help you stay motivated and encouraged. It will also help you realize that you are not the only vegan on the planet, and that everyone is going through the same things.

8. Buy lots of fruits and vegetables

You will eat a lot fresher now that you are vegan. Find fruit and vegetable markets or food stores that offer quality products at a reasonable price. Take the opportunity to encourage local and organic merchants and producers. You will help the planet! Remember that supermarkets are often more expensive. Do not be afraid to try new products. You will bring variety to your diet, and you may discover delicious products!

9. Prepare your own healthy treats and snacks

Since you will be more limited in buying treats and candies, make your own vegan treats such as healthy brownies, cakes, and muffins. Make them regularly and keep them frozen. It will be easy to draw on your reserve when you want a treat. Again, you can find a host of vegan dessert, candy and treat recipes on the Internet.

10. Don’t give up easily

The transition to the vegan lifestyle is often more difficult at first. After a while, it will get easier and easier. It will become second nature to you. So, if you are a beginner, the idea is not to give up at the first temptation and to persevere. If you succumb to a certain moment and give in to a desire, this is not the end of the world. You must understand that it can happen, and you must give this new way of life a chance. Pick yourself up and try to persist. Chances are, after a few months, you will be extremely proud of yourself and your improved health. The rewards and benefits of this lifestyle always outweigh the challenges you may face.

Remember the reasons that led you to adopt a vegan lifestyle. They will give you the courage to persevere, and over time, when you see the benefits of this lifestyle for health, for the planet and for animals, you will never want to go back!

What is the difference between veganism and vegetarianism? A lot of people think of “vegan” and “vegetarian” to be the same thing. For some, these names refer to people who only eat salad! Many do not know exactly what these words mean, or what the difference is between the two. Finally, a lot of people also don’t understand why a person could choose to live a vegan or vegetarian life.

What they have in common: vegans, like vegetarians, do not eat animal meat – beef, pork, chicken, deer and wild meats, fish, seafood, or any other living creature. This decision may be based on health concerns, or on the inhumane treatment given to animals that are farmed, or that are hunted or fished. For both ideologies, raising animals for human consumption has enormous consequences for the environment, and many choose these lifestyles in order to reduce their environmental footprint.

The difference is that the vegan diet goes beyond the vegetarian diet by eliminating all other animal products. Vegans do not eat eggs, dairy products (milk, cheese, etc.) or honey, as all of these products come from animals. This decision is sometimes based on the fact that eggs and dairy products have been linked to health problems and allergies in humans. But most of the time, the decision to go on a 100% vegan diet is a matter of animal welfare.

Vegetarian thinking says it’s okay to eat animal products like eggs and dairy products, because animals aren’t killed to get them. Vegans, on the other hand, consider that farm animals, even to obtain products other than meat, are subjected to sometimes difficult living conditions.To produce milk, a dairy cow has to undergo forced and repeated pregnancies. Calves are separated from their mother at birth. In the case of laying hens, they are often crammed into cramped cages that do not allow them to move at ease.

Unfortunately, farms that allow animals to live in the wild are rather rare. And the living conditions of the animals are not always pleasant. It should be noted that at the end of their milk or egg production life, old animals, even if they have lived in freedom, are sent to slaughter, often in inhuman conditions. A farm is a business that must be profitable. When the animal no longer meets this criterion of profitability, freedom or not, we get rid of it.

Veganism is not just about maintaining a diet of animal-free living. Veganism aims to eliminate the exploitation of animals for the benefit of humans as much as possible. Vegans choose household and personal care items that do not contain ingredients of animal origin, and that are not tested on animals. They do not use wool, leather, fur or other animal products. They also don’t exploit animals for entertainment, as they do in zoos, rodeos, and circuses. Because this entertainment is often a source of cruelty to animals. Being vegan means making choices to reduce animal suffering.

So, veganism or vegetarianism? Vegetarianism is often the gateway to veganism. Seeing the benefits of this lifestyle, a large number of vegetarians take the ideology even further by switching to pure veganism. However, some vegetarians will tell you that if no one eats milk and egg any longer, certain breeds of animals may become extinct. Who will breed hundreds of breeds of cows or chickens for the pleasure of keeping them. Likewise, if someone keeps chickens at home, well treated, free range and happy, what is wrong with consuming their eggs, which will be laid anyway whether we eat them or not? Vegetarians will also tell you that if beekeepers stop producing honey, hundreds of hectares of plants intended for human consumption will no longer be pollinated, as beekeepers help maintain and reproduce bees. hey are not wrong.

Should we judge each other? Absolutely not! For the earth and the animals, every small action counts. If every carnivorous human on earth were to cut their meat consumption by only half, the environment would benefit greatly. So, the idea is not to throw stones at others, but to inspire them to try another way of life, and to improve themselves. The planet cries it out to us every day, it is urgent!

 

There are some famous vegans, like the singers / singers and actors / actresses that we have already talked about (These celebrities are vegans!). But there are a lot of people working very hard, sometimes behind the scenes, who have done a lot for the cause of veganism, animals, and the environment. Listing them is not easy, as many people campaign for these causes. But some stand out from the crowd, due to their exceptional involvement. We would like to let you know and pay tribute to them. These are people who care not only about the dietary side of veganism, but also about animal rights, and the preservation of the environment. Because of all of their work, we can call them ‘Super Vegan’!

Well-known icons of the vegan movement:

Dr. Jonathon Balcombe: Dr. Balcombe is an ethologist, a scientist who studies the behavior of animals. He is currently Director of Animal Surveillance at the Human Society Institute of Science and Policy and Chair of the Animal Studies Department at Human Society University in Washington, DC (Wikipedia). His work brings a huge contribution to the animal rights movement, and in turn to the vegan movement. He has written many very interesting books on the subject.

His famous speech,’’ Why Vegan? Lessons from An Animal Scientist’’, easy to find on the internet, is worth listening to.

Gary Yourofsky: Mr. Yourofsky is an outstanding animal rights activist and an extremely eloquent speaker. He gave an exceptional conference, very pointed and complete, to the students at Georgia Tech in the summer of 2010. He is an activist very present on the ground, which means that he was arrested more than one fifty times for demonstrating. It is forbidden to stay in more than 5 countries.

Gary Francione: Mr. Francione is an important activist in the abolitionist approach to the use of animals in the food industry. It is a lonely and healthy voice. This man considers vegetarianism to be a crucial first step in the process of honest and viable recognition of animal rights. Besides, we recommend that you read its brochure “Animals Rights: The Abolitionist Approach Pamphlet”. Gary has also written several books on the subject.

Dr. Michael Greger: Dr. Greger is a doctor who adopted the vegan lifestyle. He is a little less known, but his work is very important, because he speaks and writes a lot about veganism, in relation to our health and animal husbandry. He attended the famous Cornell University.

He was even called as an expert witness in famous trials, including that involving Opray Winfrey for defamation. Its new website, Nutrition Facts (https://nutritionfacts.org/), contains literally hundreds of videos on diet, health and veganism. He has also written many books on the subject.

Robert Cheeke: Mr. Cheeke is a vegan bodybuilder. And beware this is a fitness model. He breaks the stereotype that vegans only eat salad and are weak for lack of nutrients. He is a recognized expert whose image proves that plants can make you very strong! A natural bodybuilder, Robert has been vegan for over 15 years. He is a tireless activist for the vegan cause.

The fact that Mr. Cheeke practices fitness proves that a vegan diet can provide enough protein to help build muscle. Besides, he shares through his website ’’Vegan Bodybuilding and Fitness’’ his best tips for successfully sculpting his body.

Sarah Kramer: Ms. Kramer is a Canadian vegan who has had great recipes since 1998. Her love of cooking has led her to write several books, including “La Dolce Vegan” and “Vegan Go-Go”. These books are easy to read and the recipes simple to make. She also produces a vegan calendar.

Dr. Neal Barnard: Dr. Barnard is a doctor and author, and probably the best-known figure on this list. He is working hard to end the abominable use of animals in research laboratories. He has also worked to provide ample evidence of the benefits of the vegan lifestyle on the health of the body and mind.

He is the founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and inventor of the 21-day Vegan kickstart. This website is a great resource for those considering becoming vegan. Filled with about ads, delicious and easy-to-make recipes, and much more! After 21 days, you will not want to leave this lifestyle! Dr. Barnard has also published many books on how to become a healthy vegan. His writings are worth reading.

Bob Linden: Mr. Linden is a radio host who has been bringing to life a very popular vegan show: “Go Vegan with Bob Linden” for over 10 years. He has been vegan for over 25 years.

On his program, he tackles subjects such as animal rights, civil liberties, and freedom of expression. He also offers reviews of vegan products, allowing his audience to discover them. He has a wealth of interviews with giants of the vegan movement, including John Robbins, Gary Francione, and Professor Steve Best.

Dr. Steven Best: Dr. Best has been voted one of the 25 most fascinating vegetarians by VegNews. He is a tireless activist who delivered very eloquent speeches. He launched a call to action for vegans around the world.

Steven considers that eating meat leads to a chain of suffering for animals, but also for humans and the planet. For him, we must break this chain. A deeply ecological and caring philosopher, Steven is at the forefront of the movement for the abolition of the use of animals for human consumption, but also for the great movement in favor of justice and equality for all. inhabitants of the Earth. Clear, compelling and thought-provoking, Dr. Best is a ray of hope in these dark times for the planet.

Each of the above-mentioned people works in their own way to make the world a better place, for all humans and animals on earth. There are, of course, a huge number of people working for the well-being of the vegan cause around the world, and it is impossible to list them all. But whether they are known or less known, each of them can provide us, through their life experiences and their knowledge, with confirmation that this choice is the right one: that of veganism!