What is a Vegan?

Veganism – a philosophy of lifestyle seeking to exclude the use of animal products.

Vegans do not to use or consume animal products. Common reasons for becoming vegan are health, ethics or moral conviction concerning animal welfare, the environment, and spiritual concerns.

This is nothing new. However, with the topics of “improved natural health solutions”, the “connection from food to climate change”, “sustainability”, “food security to feed the growing global population”, and “food sovereignty“, [the plant based diet] has been gaining much more widespread media and public attention as the #1 solution to ALL those issues.

Vegetarianism is the practice of following a plant-based diet including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, mushrooms, with or without dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat meat, including red meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, and shellfish, and may also abstain from by-products of animal slaughter such as animal-derived rennet, found in some cheeses, and gelatin.

Lacto-Vegetarian – Vegetarian who consumes dairy

Ovo-Vegetarian – Vegetarian who consumes eggs

Pescatarian – Vegetarian who consumes seafood

Raw Foodist – Consumes uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods. (technically may include raw meat and dairy)

Fruitarian - Vegan who consumes only fruits, nuts and seeds

Liquidarian – Consumes liquids only

Breatharian – Does not eat or drink, anything! Sustains life by prana and enzymes taken in by the air through the skin and breath.

Solarian – Also does not eat or drink. A breatharian who sustains life by focusing on taking in the energy in sunlight (according to Ayurveda, sunlight is one of the main sources of prana).

Obviously, some of these are pretty extreme for most people. That being said, implementing a plant based diet is scientifically proven to improve health.

What’s the first thing doctors tell you to cut out if you’re having major health problems? Right, red meat. Why not cut it out before you have health problems!?

The reasons for a plant based diet are obvious: Health, Ethics, Compassion and Humane Welfare for Animals, Environmental Sustainability, etc.

But so what?

What are the benefits of a vegan diet? Now that’s a more valid question, right?

How about increased energy and vitality, faster physical recovery time, trim fat/flab/cellulite, better digestion, less constipation, clearer skin, maintain physical youth, cure allergies and many other health problems, don’t have to worry so much about food poisoning, save money, longer life, avoid heart disease, smell better, look better, feel better, taste better, and the list goes on and on!!

Okay, simple answer: It’s better for your health and the environment.

Just look at someone who eats a lot of meat compared to a vegan…. Better yet, look at a group of people who eat meat compared to a group of vegans.

Okay, these pics may be a bit extreme…

And I’m sure some of you guys (and maybe girls) are looking at this picture going, “I’d eat that!”

But c’mon! What I’m saying is, what do customers of a steak house generally look like and what do customers of a vegetarian restaurant generally look like? ….Yup

I never thought I’d give up meat! I “had” to have meat for almost every single meal. I use to make fun of vegetarians! So why in the world did I become Vegan?

That’s a whole other topic. Join me in my upcoming post, “How Going Vegan Changed My Life”

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