what vegans DON'T eat.
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what vegans DO eat.
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so why vegan?
For many people who follow a plant-based diet, being vegan extends beyond food and into the realm of fashion, beauty, and home life. Vegans tend to favour (or perhaps exclusively use) items that have no animal products. Items including leather, suede, certain glues, ivory, and some vaccines are avoided by many vegans, despite them having no relation to diet.
For me, I say I am a vegan because it is a lifestyle that best describes how I express my values. However, I encourage you to shake all predispositions you have regarding veganism, and to simply use the term as a guideline to help you accommodate a person's lifestyle choices. It is not an attack on your diet. It is not an attack on your lifestyle. It is an open statement of my personal choices and an invitation to discuss them with you.
I like to equate my label of "vegan" to that of a religious label. I do not not submit to every detail of the definition of "vegan," just as I do not submit to every detail of a particular religion. I would be thrilled to see a world where everyone was vegan, but this is largely because it would suggest that everyone embodied the same values as my own. And do we not all believe our values are the proper ones to hold? Upon analyzing my morals and critically reading research papers, I have come to the conclusion that animal farming and consumption is unnecessary for human survival, detrimental to the environment and population's health, and unsustainable.
As an extension of my values, I also prefer public transport over personal, re-useable water bottles, and thrift clothing stores. Do you now feel a need to tell me all the reasons why you drive a car or shop at department stores? No? So when I tell you I do not eat animal products, do you feel a need to justify your choice to eat meat, eggs, or dairy? If you truly believe that using animals for your benefit aligns with your morals, then go on and inform me. I may not agree, but I'll listen and consider your perspective. If using animal products does not align with your morals, then perhaps your justifications for choosing an animal-based lifestyle are more excuse-based than ethics-based, and I would encourage you to adopt veganism (even if only for one day a week) and see how it makes you feel.
For me, I say I am a vegan because it is a lifestyle that best describes how I express my values. However, I encourage you to shake all predispositions you have regarding veganism, and to simply use the term as a guideline to help you accommodate a person's lifestyle choices. It is not an attack on your diet. It is not an attack on your lifestyle. It is an open statement of my personal choices and an invitation to discuss them with you.
I like to equate my label of "vegan" to that of a religious label. I do not not submit to every detail of the definition of "vegan," just as I do not submit to every detail of a particular religion. I would be thrilled to see a world where everyone was vegan, but this is largely because it would suggest that everyone embodied the same values as my own. And do we not all believe our values are the proper ones to hold? Upon analyzing my morals and critically reading research papers, I have come to the conclusion that animal farming and consumption is unnecessary for human survival, detrimental to the environment and population's health, and unsustainable.
As an extension of my values, I also prefer public transport over personal, re-useable water bottles, and thrift clothing stores. Do you now feel a need to tell me all the reasons why you drive a car or shop at department stores? No? So when I tell you I do not eat animal products, do you feel a need to justify your choice to eat meat, eggs, or dairy? If you truly believe that using animals for your benefit aligns with your morals, then go on and inform me. I may not agree, but I'll listen and consider your perspective. If using animal products does not align with your morals, then perhaps your justifications for choosing an animal-based lifestyle are more excuse-based than ethics-based, and I would encourage you to adopt veganism (even if only for one day a week) and see how it makes you feel.
egg-cellent substitutions.
As found on No Meat Athlete, one of my preferred websites for vegan references! After all, it's hard to say veganism can't support certain lifestyles if you can be a VEGAN BODYBUILDER!
useful resources! |
famous vegans. |
Free vegetarian cookbook!
http://www.lbveg.com/download/lbvcookbook.pdf Is my alcohol vegan? http://www.barnivore.com/ Where can I get my nutrients? http://inourishgently.com/every-single-nutrient-vegan/ If David Suzuki says so... http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/science-matters/2016/05/eating-less-meat-will-reduce-earths-heat/ Looking for social support in your community? See if there's a vegan Facebook group for your town! |
Al Gore
Alanis Morissette Beyonce Bill Clinton Carl Lewis Carrie Underwood Ellen Degeneres Mike Tyson Miley Cyrus Natalie Portman Russell Brand Usher |