What Is Vegan? Why Vegan Lifestyle Is What You Need in Life?

What is Vegan? What is Vegan food? Why should you include a Vegan diet in your meal? In this article, we would like to better help you understand the Vegan diet and Vegan principles.

What is Vegan?

To answer the question “What is vegan?”, we must first understand the term "vegetarian.". No one knows exactly where the word came from, but historically, the word “vegetarian” came into widespread use in the 1830s. During this time, it was used in campaigns, and demonstrations to ask the government to ban alcohol (on that day, the church encouraged vegetarianism).

Vegan, however, doesn't just stop at being vegan (no meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, honey...). It is a lifestyle based on a commitment not to use any products of animal origin: meat, fish, eggs, milk, honey, white sugar, furs, silks, feather, leather, etc.; and pledge not to support any activities based on animal exploitation, torture, and kill. Vegans are those who follow this way of life.

What is a Vegan lifestyle?

Recently, the movement of consuming vegetarian food is taking the throne because of its miraculous health benefits. Around the world, there are many diets that deny the use and exploitation of animals. But in English, we have 2 quite similar words, “vegan” and “vegetarian”. So how do we understand them?

What is a Vegetarian?

Vegetarians are people who practice a diet of excluding only meat, poultry, and fish but still use products such as eggs, milk, honey, white sugar, cheese, etc. They refuse to consume any animal product that was made with the aid of slaughtering.

What is a Vegan?

Vegans are people who not only refuse to eat all foods from animals (meat, fish, eggs, milk, honey, white sugar, cheese, etc.) but also refuse to use products and cosmetics of animal origin. They deny using leather and fur clothing, footwear, and furniture; do not use products tested on animals, do not support animal circuses, and do not support all activities that exploit, torture, and kill any type of animal. Vegans consider every animal to be protected and loved, and everything that belongs to nature is needed to be treated with kindness. 

What are the benefits of the Vegan lifestyle?

To the environment

Veganism emphasizes respect for animals in particular and all species in general, which means respect for all life on Earth. Veganism is a very environmentally friendly lifestyle choice.

To our health

Aside from the nutritional benefits of being a vegan, the Vegan way of life reminds us to consume everything selectively and respectfully of all species, thereby ensuring a happy life. A happier, more relaxed, and more prosperous life, so that our soul is complete.

To teach us the lesson of life

The Vegan lifestyle teaches us to love and care for others, from humans to nature including every plant and animal. This will serve as a solid foundation for all types of education that lead people to nurture life on Earth.

Why Vegan lifestyle is important?

Create a better and happier lifestyle

A vegan diet is extremely good for your health. Vegans are statistically less likely to suffer from heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or high blood pressure than meat eaters. Plant-based foods provide us with all the nutrients we need to stay healthy, such as protein, fiber, and minerals, while meat contains substances such as cholesterol and saturated fatty acids.

Become slimmer but always full of energy

A Vegan will typically be much lighter and easier to get in shape than a meat eater. Unhealthy diets will always leave you exhausted (because it takes more energy to digest meat and sugar). So, if you live a vegan lifestyle, you will save more energy, and food will convert more quickly into nutrients, leaving you full of energy.

Avoid diseases from animal-based products

Meat is frequently contaminated with blood, other bodily fluids, unsafe food processing, and even chemical products which are the leading causes of food poisoning in the United States. We are no longer surprised by reports of contaminated meat, so reducing consuming animal-based products in your daily meal is one way to help your health from suffering diseases.

What are the main principles of the Vegan lifestyle?

Vegan means abandoning species discrimination

A Vegan is a person who recognizes the difference but does not discriminate in the treatment of all animals who experience fear and pain. They oppose the exploitation of human labor, so they must also oppose the exploitation of animals. Animals have emotions and they have a large part in building the ecosystem, even their existence is much longer than humans. Therefore, protecting animals is a way to protect our planet.

Vegan means equality

Do not compete with others for the sake of gaining an advantage. No species discrimination implies no racial discrimination, no rich-poor discrimination, no origin discrimination, and no gender discrimination. Being Vegan is not about siding with one species against another (for example, humans to protect animals), but about establishing equal treatment for all species based on their natural needs.

What to do to start a Vegan lifestyle?

Veganism means avoiding all animal products (meat, poultry, and wildlife), including skin, fat, eggs, milk, and even honey. Many people find it difficult to transition from a fish-rich diet to a completely vegan diet. So you can begin by defining a vegetarian diet one day, two days per month, then reduce it to one to two days per week, then switch to a meat/fish only diet one or two days per week, one or two days per month... And with that, you are ready to completely eliminate meat and fish from your diet.

Do not respond to forms of entertainment that harm or exploit animals, such as animal circuses, bullfighting, horse racing, cockfighting, and so on. Use clothing, jewelry, and accessories of non-animal origin, and start replacing some furniture in your house with others that are more nature-friendly.

Use natural products and begin to replace animal-based products that are tested on animals including supplements and vitamins also. You could look for many brands that provide you with plant-based ingredients and only buy from brands that have clear product details. Take additional plant-based vitamins through smoothies and fruit juices. We must be aware not to use these products while also looking for products whose production and consumption processes are more beneficial to the environment and animals. 

Conclusion

Adopting a Vegan lifestyle may not be easy for most of us at first, especially when we are still in the midst of deciding whether or not to choose this lifestyle. However, with our growing unity and love, this ideal choice is not difficult to make. Connect with vegans that you know or in the vegan community for more guidance! You can read more articles and reviews on vitamin supplements, tips on diets, or top plant-based products on FindCouponHere. They have some of the most throughout reviews on lifestyle, fashion, and so on that you don’t want to miss.