Being Vegan is increasingly becoming a popular lifestyle choice. And as celebrities like Kareena Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat, and sportsman Virender Sehwag turning vegan while others like Vidya Balan adopt vegetarianism, it’s only gaining in India.
With this month being the official month of Veganism (World Vegan Day was observed on November 1), this is the best time for health and animal-cruelty conscious people adopt the lifestyle. But before you do, there are some things you need to understand about Veganism.
What is it
“If a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth, beings who considered themselves superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals, would you concede them the rights over you that you assume over other animals?” Quoted by the famous writer George Bernard Shaw, it is the philosophy behind Veganism.
Contrary to popular beliefs, being vegan isn’t just the food choice one makes to lose weight; vegans are vegetarians who, apart from not consuming meat, also say no to dairy products and foods of animal origin like honey and eggs. A vegan also stays away from goods produced from animals like fur and leather bags and clothes and avoid cosmetics that have used animals for manufacturing or testing.
Given that this means being a vegatarian in total, the health benefits are plentifold, but the idea isn’t just sustainable living for humans but for the eco-system in general.
For several people, the choice of veganism is as a result of the treatment meted out to farm animals. Criticism of the unnecessary killing and use of animals and that the use and consumption of animal products is not fundamental to the well-being of humans are the underlying fundamentals of being a vegan.
A growing concern is the way animals like cows, pigs and chickens are ‘manufactured’ and ‘stored’ in cramped and inhabitable places where they cannot move or behave as they would in their natural habitat. Moreover, these animals are forced to produce milk and eggs at a much faster rate than their body can take. This coupled with the unhealthy conditions of living, often leads to their death.
Benefits
For many, the abuse to animals in some factory is intangible, but the choice to live healthy is what drives them to be vegan. Vegans believe that the fat and protein content of cow’s milk is not suitable for the human body and thus avoid dairy products as well.
Whole grains, fruits, pulses and vegetables are zero in cholesterol, low in fat and even fulfil the human body’s requirement of protein, fiber, vitamins and calcium, making them the ideal dietary choice. Vegans also include a healthy diet of green leafy vegetables in their everyday meals which reduces the risk of cardiac arrests, several types of cancers, arthritis and hypertension. Many food companies are recognising the market in veganism and are coming up with vegan supplements for many foods. Thus, turning vegan, when it comes to food, is no longer going to be as much of a hassle as it was about five years ago.