Frequently asked questions about Veganism and vegan diet are answered here.
Learn more about vegetarian and vegan related topics.
Vegan definitionVeganism means living on products that come from plant, with exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, animal milk, and all dairy industry product (cheese, butter, yogurt, etc.), eggs,honey, and all other foods of animal origin.
It also excludes the use of animal products such as fur, wool,leather, and silk, items like clothing.
Vegans make efforts to avoid all animal secretions,oils, etc., that are used in many industries such as cosmetics, toiletries, household goods,and other everyday commodities.
Veganism encourages alternatives for these and all other materials from animal sources.
More On : Veganism explained
Choosing a vegan lifestyle has become very common in recent years and is on a steady rise. The reasons are different and varied. But surely efficiency for our environment, our body and especially our conscience. Humans who previously lived under basic conditions in order to survive have reached a point where abundance ishes their world and blurs the boundaries between good and evil and what is not allowed.
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Take it slow when transiting to veganism, do it right and not just an overnight choice. Try new things related to veganism, new vegan recipes, new lifestyle…Keep learning and don’t stop on your first day, ask for help from other vegan people and remember why you are transiting to veganism. The most important thing “Don’t give up” because there are times when you might feel really lonely and you will have to accept the fact that your favorite restaurant doesn’t have a vegan menu.
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A vegan is an individual who abstains from consuming, wearing or using any animal or animal products. It means saying “no” to cruelty and the destruction of the environment and “yes” to a compassionate, healthy life.
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For most people of average build and physical activity, protein requirements fall in the daily range of between 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Of course, the range is broad and affected by your weight and amount of physical activity exerted on a daily basis.
Where do vegans get their protein?People not familiar with veganism often assume that it’s impossible to get enough protein on a vegan diet. This is largely do to the misconception that plant-based foods do not contain protein. The truth is that it’s easy to get enough protein on a vegan diet if you eat multiple servings of high-lysine foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains (example: quinoa) on a daily basis.
More info : Vegan protein sources
People have this misconception that a vegan diet is limiting but I find it to be the complete opposite. I started frequenting markets, shopping online and following some vegan cooking blogs and it turned out the possibilities are endless. I’m an advocate for whole, natural foods so just because Oreo’s are vegan doesn’t mean you should eat it. On a vegan diet you can enjoy: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, oatmeal, soups, pancakes, burritos. cakes, lasagna, tempeh, vegetable milks and cheeses…the list goes on and on and on.
What is clean eating?Eating clean is the practice of eating fresh, whole foods as close to their natural form. It also means avoiding processed foods which unfortunately make up the majority of the standard American diet such as white bread, hydrogenated oils, table sugar and preservatives. A good rule of thumb is if a food won’t naturally decompose within a week or two it should be avoided. Pop-tarts would survive a zombie apocalypse so imagine the impact they have on your health and waistline.
More information : Vegan Diet
Undoubtedly yes! Most people that transition to a clean eating vegan diet note weight loss as a positive side effect but of course the trick is eating clean. You can be a junk food vegan who eats Oreo’s, chips and other processed garbage but to lose weight and live a healthy life you need to eat whole, natural foods.
Check out my story : How I lost 20 kg in 6 months with just a vegan diet
The health benefits that come along with eating a vegan diet are a huge motivator behind people’s decision to make the change. The consumption of less animal based foods and more plant based ones leads to lower blood pressure, weight loss, increased amounts of energy, healthier hair skin and nails, lower cholesterol, decreased chance of cancer and other degenerative diseases and a total reversal of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.
More Resources : The Benefits of Going Plant Based
Restaurants are becoming more aware of the vegan health movement and are starting to cater more to our dietary needs. Large cities tend to have more strictly vegan eateries, I’m looking at you Portland, but since we all can’t live in a big city there are tricks to ordering vegan items from some of your favorite restaurants.
Always ask for your food to be cooked in oil instead of butter or better yet lose the fat all together. Meals can easily be modified without meat, egg or cheese and remember to always do your research before eating out. I recommend using the Happy Cow which is a searchable dining guide for vegetarian and vegan restaurants and please, please, please always carry healthy snacks with you so you never have to turn to unhealthy, processed, non-vegan foods.
For more resources check out this article : Eating Out While Vegan
There are claims of vitamin deficiency for those who are vegan or eating a vegetarian diet. However, these claims are not conclusive. Many recommendations mention that both Vegans and non-vegans alike should take Vitamin B12. It used to be that people who ate animal food were getting the B12 they needed, but with food becoming compromised, B12 is prolific.
What documentaries do you recommend?There are a number of documentaries that we recommend for people who want to learn more about veganism or vegetarianism:
Forks Over Knives
Food, Inc.
Vegucated
Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead
All of these vegan documentaries are available on Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon.
We all know that B12 can easily be derived from meat products. That is why it is an FAQ if there will be ample amounts of protein one can get from being a vegan. When it comes to this, it is true that you can get less amount of B12 in eating vegan diet but you can still get the B12 requirement of your body by means of consuming B12 supplements. These supplements are usually sublingual and can already provide you with the nutrient that you need.
Is Being a Vegan Expensive?There are people who find it hard in transitioning to a vegan diet and there are also some who find it very easy to be a vegan. In order to become a vegan, you do not need to instantly adapt to the changes happening in your manner of eating. If you are abstaining from eating meats because you need to follow strict rules, then you will find it hard to be a vegan. The tendency is to return to the original diet that you are used to.
The best thing to do is to gradually introduce vegan diet in your lifestyle. Even a single cutting of meat in a day will already help. If you are already prepared to become a vegan, then you can start eating vegan diet in a whole day. Chances are you can easily become a vegan in the next couple of weeks.
Read More : How to Go Vegan on a Budget
The answer depends primarily on your own definition of vegan. There are no animal products that you can get from refined sugar. If you will base it from the real definition of vegan, sugar is considered as a vegan food.
But there are some sugars made with component of bone char from animals. This is a charcoal which is utilized in order to eliminate minerals, impurities and color of the sugar. The charcoal used is not actually found in the composition of sugar but this is just used in the process of filtration. So sugar is qualified as part of vegan diet especially if you will base it from the real definition of vegan diet.
If you will adapt the process based meaning of vegan, then there are other products available which cannot be considered as component of vegan diet. For example, filtered water is derived by means of using vulcanized rubber and steel, then this will be eradicated in the list of vegan foods. Even a pasta box will also be removed from the list of vegan foods because this is transported with the use of steel truck. If you will adapt this kind of definition, you will certainly find it hard to choose the right component of your vegan diet.
The bottom line here is that you must focus your attention in animal products that are too obvious. Example of this is to avoid processed foods.
For the second time around, this depends on your interpretation. Traditionally, honey is considered as vegan. There are several vegans which do not oppose the use of products from insects because they consider insects cannot sense pain. But given the fact that insects can experience pain, honey is still considered as component of a vegan diet because this is made without the involvement of pain.
Read : Top 10 Vegan Honey Substitutes
This is a common question that is bombarded with lots of debates. But in order for you to ensure that you are safe, you can exclude honey when you are preparing a vegan food.
If you are concerned with this thing, there are several animal ingredients lists that you can use in order for you to determine if there are hidden animal ingredients in the vegan food that you purchased in the market. But there are some instances where the foods you can obtain in the market are unlabeled. Because of this, you are not sure if there are possible hidden animal ingredients in it. To give you solution to this, it is recommended that you put your focus on animal ingredients which are too obvious.
Is Fish Products Component of Vegan Diet?First and foremost, fish is an animal. Automatically, this will be eliminated in your list of vegan foods. Secondly, fishes have brain. This means that they are aware of painful sensation. If you will look back in the definition of vegan foods, pain is a factor which will let you exclude the foods in your vegan diet chart.