Wednesday, September 28, 2011

What is Veganism?

What is veganism and why do people follow this diet?

We've already established that veganism is a diet where absolutely no animals or animal-byproducts are consumed. Very simply, there is no meat or fish, eggs, or dairy. Seems quite simple doesn't it? That's what I said too!

"Oh that means I'll just start subbing for soy in my latte, sub the sunny side up, and give up my sushi (*yelp!*)"

When it comes down to how many FOOD PRODUCTS contain the restricted foods however, it shines in a different light and does seem quite challenging. Some common foods that contain eggs or dairy include (some will seem obvious):
  • Mayonnaise (made of eggs)
  • Whey protein
  • Some pastas
  • Some breads
  • ice cream and yogurt
  • CHEESE!
  • Butter (considering myself as a baker, this is a HUGE deal! Although butter can be substituted, it is a staple ingredient in most baked goods such as pastries, pies, cookies, cakes, breads, etc)
I'll miss the baking but I'm excited to try vegan baking and recipes as well!

So why veganism? Why do people do it?
There are two main reasons, one is ethical and environmental and the other is for health-related purposes. Environmentally, a vegan diet is kinder to the Earth.

How is it good for your body? Going back to Science 10 ( ahh!) we learned about the trophic pyramid and transfer of energy from one trophic level to the next. We learned that foods that have a higher trophic level receive less and less of the initial energy that comes from foods on the 1st trophic level. People believe that by eating foods on the primary trophic level (plants and veggies) will give them the most energy, and will result in cleaner and more efficient eating and use of that energy. Vegans claim that they are more abundant in energy, and have a very little amount of toxins in their body.

If you want to learn more, you can go to www.vrg.org or if you are interested in some vegan foods and how they vary or differ, you can visit some of my favourite vegan blogs:

www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com
www.ohsheglows.com
www.veggie101.com
www.blog.fatfreevegan.com

Enjoy! :)



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