|
Recipes Soups Starters Main Courses Vegetables Salads Snacks Breakfast Bread Sauces Cakes Biscuits Desserts Valentine Easter Christmas Kids |
|
What's a vegan? A vegan is somebody who does not eat or use animals or animal products. That means that vegans don't eat meat, eggs or dairy products, and also that they avoid other things that have been produced by animals, such as leather, wool or silk. Why? Why on earth would you want to go to all that trouble!? Three reasons, but mainly the first one. 1. I wouldn’t want it to happen to me. I believe that animals feel pain and that animals suffer when they are used for commercial gain. I don’t like that thought, and I don’t want to be responsible. 2. Eating a diet high in fresh fruit and vegetables and low in animal protein, saturated fat and cholesterol is healthier and can help to prevent diseases such as heart disease. There’s also a potential health risk from the hormones and antibiotics that are present in animal products. Many humans also have an allergy to milk proteins or they are lactose intolerant. This is common in all animals as they don’t continue to drink milk (let alone the milk of another species!) after they have been weaned. 3. Using animal products is not good for the environment. Farming animals uses more fossil fuels, and the animals produce waste and methane in large quantities, polluting the land, water and air. Don’t take my word for it, find out more for yourself. You could start with these articles: BBC - Is it ethical to eat animals? Viva - Factory farming is cruel. Milk sucks - Drinking cow’s milk can cause many health problems. BBC - High IQ linked to going vegetarian. New Scientist - Going vegan is better for the environment than giving up your car! Why not? To me, the question isn’t "Why should you be vegan?" but "Why shouldn’t you be vegan?". It’s not difficult (especially with the wide range of products available these days) and you get everything that you need from vegetable sources if you eat properly. Some studies have shown that vegans are more likely to have lower levels of some vitamins and minerals, most notably vitamin B12, so it’s worth checking that you are eating food that is supplemented with vitamin B12. I know for a fact that I’m getting the B12 I need because it’s in the soya milk, margarine and stock that I use, amongst other things. People often ask me "But where do you get your protein/iron/b12?" and I can answer all those questions confidently. I worry more about where many of the population are getting their nutrients from - particularly when I walk past fast food restaurants or look in people’s shopping trolleys. Vegan Diets Deficient in Three Nutrients? Well, Meateaters are Deficient in Seven! |
Everything © Cherry 2006. Questions, comments & corrections welcome. email me!