It’s a challenge to stick to a diet let alone a lifestyle that abstains from the most common acts that we perform every day. Veganism, the new nutrition and lifestyle trend that has been booming lately, is either a walk in the park for some, or absolutely impossible to achieve.
So what is veganism exactly?
It is the rejection of the notion that animals are in any way the property or resources of humans. Vegans try their best to not eat or use anything related to animals or their by-products, believing in their rights as living beings.
It goes far beyond refraining yourself from eating meat, chicken, fish, honey, milk and eggs. It entails the abstinence from using fur, leather, cosmetics and soaps with animal ingredients.
Sounds difficult, right?
It isn’t for those who believe in animal welfare and bravely expose themselves to what goes on behind the curtains in mass production farms and cosmetic factories. Things have changed drastically since our hunter-gatherer days. We’re now producing such a vast quantity of animal products that we are decimating our natural resources and destroying our environment in the most gruesome ways. To a vegan, cows and chickens are just as cute as our furry dogs and cats and shouldn’t go through the suffering solely for our own pleasure.
So what about the nutrients we’re missing out on? No protein?
That actually isn’t true.
Vegans can eat any type of fruit, every type of vegetable, nuts and seeds, carbohydrates, beans and legumes (tofu, edamame, hummus, black beans, chickpeas, lentils), non-dairy milks, chocolate (made from coconut, soy or rice mlik), junk food (fries, onion rings, cookies, cake, candy), etc. They get their protein sources from: lentils, tofu, peas, peanut butter, almonds, spinach, whole wheat bread, potatoes, broccoli, kale. Meat alternatives could be veggie burgers, vegan sausages, tempeh bacon, deli sandwich slices; the list is endless. The good part is you usually can’t notice the difference in taste.
Begin by getting informed. See how animals are being treated due to our over consumption in factories and animal farms. Check your wardrobe, the makeup and beauty products that you use to make sure they don’t test on animals. Slowly, begin decreasing your intake of animal based products to whatever extent you can at first. Allow yourself the occasional cheat family meal, favorite food until you get the hang of it. Don’t shy away from the idea of veganism simply because you can’t follow it 100 percent correctly at first. Being partially vegan is still a start!
It’s important to be aware of what goes on behind the scenes with the food and commodities that are made for our consumption. By not buying that fur coat, you are minimizing the industry’s possibilities to boom and clearly say you do not support their actions.
