VEGANISM 101:
Q: What's a vegan?
A: A vegan (pronounced VEE-gun) is someone who, for various reasons, chooses to avoid using or consuming animal products. While vegetarians choose not to consume flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals. [vegan.org]
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Q: Why go vegan?
A: * For the Animals * For the Environment * For Your Health [vegan.com provides a detailed explanation]
Veganism, the natural extension of vegetarianism, is an integral component of a cruelty-free lifestyle. Living vegan provides numerous benefits to animals' lives, to the environment, and to our own health–through a healthy diet and lifestyle. [vegans.org]
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Q: Aren't we the top of the food chain? Why not eat animals?
A: Beyond the obvious health and environmental implications, perhaps the most common reason that people adopt a vegan diet relates to concerns over animal cruelty. More than 10 billion farmed animals are raised each year in the United States. Worldwide, the number exceeds 55 billion. The overwhelming majority of these animals are subjected to appalling cruelties.
The conditions at animal farms merit the attention of every compassionate person.This twelve minute video offers perhaps the most accurate summary of how animals are raised.
Even the best alternative farms may rely on practices that most caring people would find outrageously cruel.
It is immensely satisfying to sit down to a delicious meal and to know that not a single animal has suffered or died to produce it. [vegan.com]
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Q: How do vegans get enough protein?
A: It seems people are obsessed with protein. Vegans are bombarded with questions about where they get their protein. Athletes used to eat thick steaks before competition because they thought it would improve their performance. Protein supplements are sold at health food stores. But...
The concern about protein is misplaced. Although protein is certainly an essential nutrient which plays many key roles in the way our bodies function, we do not need huge quantities of it. [Vegetarian Resource Group]
The WHO (World Health Organization) says humans need about 5% of their daily calories to come from protein to be healthy. The USDA puts this figure at 6.5%. On average, fruits have about 5% of their calories from protein. Vegetables have from 20-50% of their calories from protein. Sprouted seeds, beans, and grains contain from 10-25% of their calories from protein. So if you are eating any variety of living plant foods, you are getting more than adequate protein. Numerous scientific studies have shown the daily need for protein to be about 25-35 grams per day. So if you ate 2,000 calories per day, and ate raw plant foods that had an average of 10% of their calories from protein, you would get 200 calories worth of protein, or 50 grams. This is more than adequate to support optimal well-being. [Living Foods]
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Q: What is a Raw Food diet?
A: If 75-100% of a person's diet consists of raw food, then he or she is considered a raw foodist or living foodist. Raw and Living Foods are foods that contain enzymes. In general, the act of heating food over 116 degrees F destroys enzymes in food. (Enzymes start to degrade in as little as 106 degrees F). All cooked food is devoid of enzymes, furthermore cooking food changes the molecular structure of the food and renders it toxic. Living and raw foods also have enormously higher nutrient values than the foods that have been cooked. [Livingfoods.com]
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Q: Why are enzymes important?
A: Enzymes are important because they assist in the digestion and absorption of food. If you eat food that is enzyme-less, your body will not get maximum utilization of the food. This causes toxicity in the body. (Can you guess why over 75% of Americans are overweight?)[Livingfoods.com]
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Q: What are the benefits of a Raw Food diet?
A: From RawFoodLife.com
- Whole, live foods carry electrochemical energy and other complex nutritional messages that vibrate with frequencies that energize your body.
- Raw, Live fruits and vegetables contain all the original vitamins, minerals and essential enzymes which are easily destroyed by heat.
- Eating raw foods builds your immune system making you more resistant to disease and allergies.
- Oils, animal fats, nuts and seeds are chemically changed by heating, creating toxic substances harmful to the body.
- You have more energy & vitality when you eat raw foods.
- You look better & healthier when you eat raw foods.
- You can lose weight quickly & easily without counting calories or limiting how much you eat.
- Many people heal chronic diseases by eating a raw, living foods - often in addition to fasting, juicing, exercising and meditating.
- It just tastes better! Live, raw foods “cleanse the palate” so your toungue actually responds more sensitively and positively to the presence of the nutrition your body needs. Everything tastes so good that you probably won’t even miss cooking!
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Q: Why is it so important to buy organic?
A: When juicing or eating foods, it is very important to choose to consume only organically grown produce. "Conventional" or "industrial" produce are grown with pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, and other chemicals that are toxic and/or harmful to your body. Organic foods are grown without the use of these harmful substances, taste better, and are more nutritious. [Livingfoods.com]
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Q: Doesn't rinsing off produce remove the pesticides?
A: Rinsing with cool water will remove some surface pesticide residue, but not the pesticide that was absorbed into the produce as it was grown. Some of the most severely tainted types of produce are strawberries and bell peppers. Some of the least tainted: carrots and avocados. [Livingfoods.com]
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Q: Why are dairy products a health concern?
A: Here are 10 reasons to eliminate dairy products from your diet.
1. Fat and cholesterol. Dairy products, especially cheese and ice cream, are loaded with fat and cholesterol. Studies comparing ovo-lacto-vegetarians and vegans have proven that while both are healthier than meat-eaters, vegans have healthier hearts than vegetarians who consume dairy products.
2. Iron Deficiency. Dairy products are low in iron. Clinical studies have shown that infants consuming cows' milk lose small amounts of blood from their digestive tracts.
3. Diabetes. Epidemiolo-gical studies show a strong correlation between the use of dairy products and the incidence of insulin-dependent childhood diabetes. This is only an association, but researchers have long suspected that an autoimmune reaction sparked by dairy protein is a cause of this disease.
4. Ovarian Cancer. When dairy product consumption exceeds the body's capacity to break down galactose (a sugar formed when the body processes the milk sugar lactose), a buildup in the blood may affect the ovaries --causing the risk of ovarian cancer to triple in some women. The problem is the milk sugar, not the milk fat, so nonfat dairy products cannot solve it. In fact, yogurt and cottage cheese are of most concern because the bacteria used in their manufacture increase the production of galactose.
5. Cataracts. The galactose that is a breakdown product of lactose appears to damage the lens of the eye, leading to cataracts.
6. Lactose Intolerance. Many people, particularly Asians and Africans, are unable to digest the milk sugar, lactose. Diarrhea and gas can result.
7. Allergies. Respiratory problems, canker sores and skin conditions can all be triggered by dairy products. Many people oftentimes never even know that they have a dairy sensitivity.
8. Toxins. About a third of all milk products are contaminated with antibiotic traces. A study by the Environmental Defense Fund found pesticide contamination of human breast milk to be twice as high among the meat-and-dairy-eating women as among vegans.
9. Osteoporosis. Dairy products, despite common myths, do not stop osteoporosis. Numerous studies have shown that the countries with the highest intake of dairy products also have the highest incidence of osteoporosis, and that consuming large amounts of diary products simply will not maintain bone density.
10. Colic. One of every five babies suffers from colic. Pediatricians learned long ago that cows' milk was often the reason. We now know that breast- feeding mothers can have colicky babies if the mothers are consuming cow's milk. The cows' antibodies can pass through the mother's blood stream into her breast milk and to the baby.
Go to PCRM for all the detailed health info.
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Q: Do I really need to give up cheese?
A: It's your call, but take this into consideration. Since dairy cattle are generally kept in pretty heinous conditions (standing on dirty pavement hooked up to machines all day and never getting to see the sun or step foot on grass) they tend to get an infection of their udders called mastitus which causes the area to become inflamed, pus-filled and really painful for cows. Pretty much all milk and cheese in the U.S. contains unbelievable levels of pus. Really, do some reading here:
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Q: Don't vegans have a hard time getting enough B12?
A: Vitamin B12 is needed for cell division and blood formation. Neither plants nor animals make vitamin B12. Bacteria are responsible for producing vitamin B12. Animals get their vitamin B12 from eating foods contaminated with vitamin B12 and then the animal becomes a source of vitamin B12. Plant foods do not contain vitamin B12 except when they are contaminated by microorganisms or have vitamin B12 added to them. Thus, vegans need to look to fortified foods or supplements to get vitamin B12 in their diet. Although recommendations for vitamin B12 are very small, a vitamin B12 deficiency is a very serious problem leading ultimately to anemia and irreversible nerve damage. Prudent vegans will include sources of vitamin B12 in their diets. Vitamin B12 is especially important in pregnancy and lactation and for infants and children. [VRG]
For further Vegan B12 sources check PCRM and Living Foods.
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Q: Don't vegans have a hard time getting enough calcium?
A: Vegans easily get enough plant-based calcium in their diets.
This myth you can pretty much thank the dairy industry for. Thanks to years of dairy-sponsored "health information", and the blatant lies behind the "Got Milk" ad campaign, people seem to be more convinced than ever that sufficient calcium only comes from cow's milk. Like protein, it's almost impossible to become calcium deficient if you're eating a varied diet with sufficient caloric intake. Take a look at the dietary comparison of calcium in foods at the SoyStache site and you'll see how easy it is to get sufficient calcium in your diet almost without trying!
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Q: How do I go about becoming a vegan?
A: Becoming vegan is not about cutting animal-based foods out of your diet, it’s about crowding them out. The key here is to make an ongoing effort to sample unfamiliar [plant-based] foods. Of course, you won’t like everything you try. But you’re certain to like some of it, and you’ll most definitely stumble upon foods you adore. Every time you find a healthy food that you really like, you can incorporate it into your regular diet. Over time, whenever you get hungry, you’ll find that the first foods that come to mind just happen to be [plant-based]. [vegan.com]
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Q: Can I still eat out?
A: YES! Most restaurants have a vegan option or are happy to accomodate when asked. A few chains that come to mind for quick vegan options are Pei Wei, Chipotle and Baja Fresh. Of course there are more upscale restaurants as well, and some of our favorites are local restaurants. Check the menu in advance, but don't be afraid to call and ask if they accommodate vegans. There are also some great online guides to help you find the best options in your neighborhood. Check out our Veg Dining page for online guides.
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Q: Where do I begin?
A: Join the 21-day vegan kickstart developed by PCRM (Physician's Committee For Responsible Medicine) to receive tips and recipes to get you started. During the kickstart a mealplan is provided to take the guess work out of eating vegan. This program is great for anyone wanting to explore the benefits of a vegan diet.
For additional vegan recipe ideas check out nutrionmd.org.
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