Welcome to our vegan* message board!
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Hi! This is a message board for vegans and people who plan to go vegan. Welcome!
[Vegan * (pronounced 'vee-gn'): A person who is against killing and harming living, feeling beings, and who doesn't use (ie. eat, buy, cook) meat or dairy products. Vegans also avoid using other animal products as much as possible.]
[What's a vegan anyway?] Vegans are against using (buying, cooking, eating) meat - from any animal, fish, chicken or other living creature. The reason a vegan sometimes also is called a 'pure vegetarian', is that he or she also avoids egg, dairy and other animal products (ie. gelatin) whenever possible. [But isn't it only natural to drink milk?] No animals drink milk from other species. There is no doubt that human milk is healthy for babies, but other animals are breastfed throughout their lives. [Isn't it boring to eat only plant based food?] Europe and USA both have had a relatively poor vegan/vegetarian food tradition. This is changing rapidly. Many parts of the world have long traditions with plant based food – it's not at all difficult to eat gourmet food every day and still be a vegan. [Don't we need meat and milk to become strong and healthy?] Elephants, horses and lots of other strong animals are live on a plant based diet. (Almost?) all animals that humans eat are plant eaters. A varied vegan diet is rich in proteins and other nutritients. Health problems is more of an issue for non-vegans - some of them actually choose to switch to a vegan diet for a while only to improve their health. But there is one nutrient vegans pay extra attention to - vitatmin B12. 'Omnis' often get their daily quota of B12 by eating animal products. Even if you can buy vegan B12 supplements or B12 fortified food (many vegans do), plant based food contains a lot less B12 than animal products. Humans and animals store B12 mainly in their liver, and if you eat an animal who have stored a lot B12 in his body, you'll get the B12 too. We are all 'B12 banks'. If you rob a bank, you'll probably find more money than if you work and earn the money yourself. The same is true about eating living 'B12 banks'.... But does this mean that 'robbing' is the way to go? We don't think so. Our drinking water, soil and food is so filtered, exposed to chemicals and processed (read: free from natural, good microorganisms and bacteria) that the a lot of the B12 is gone; that's why vegans are concerned about B12... as opposed to 'B12 exists only in animal products, which is a proof that we're meant to eat them'. "The diets of about 100 vegans were recorded for a week and were found deficient in calcium, iodine and vitamin B12. Using the same standards, though, the standard American diet are deficient in 7 nutrients! The diet of your average American is not only also deficient in calcium and iodine, it's deficient in vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber, folate, and magnesium as well" (from a link posted in our board). [Is it difficult to switch to a vegan diet?] That depends on your habits, and how good you are at breaking your own patterns. Some of us even enjoy variation and challenge, and like to experiment with food. [But you are saying that vegans have to pay attention to what they eat - if they want to make sure they get the nutritients they need?] Yes. Just like people on other diets. [I don't know if I'm able to live such a restrictive life...] The planet is full of delicious, plant based food (that even looks tempting!). Think about it: onions and garlic, nuts and coconut (milk), pumkin and sesame seeds, bean stew, refried beans, chana masala, lentils, green peas and chick peas, orange and apple juice, avocado and other fruits, olive and sesame oils, ratatouille, tomatoe sauce, tahini sauce, basmati rice, all kinds of vegetables, basil, coriander and all the other herbs, chili, ginger, bay and curry leaves and all the spices you've ever heard of... Don't forget soy sauce, tofu or seitan. Veggieburgers. Spaghetti. Rasperry sorbet, baked apples, blueberry pie and strawberry jam. Porridge and cereals and corn flakes. Chocolate and peanut butter. Nachos. Then there's all the recipes with mushrooms. And mid-Eastern food: Hummus, falafel, tabulleh and baba ganoush. Mexican food: Guacamole, salsa, corn and tortilla chips. Thai food. Indian curries. Chop suey. Even pop corn and potatoes are vegan. Plus a billion soups, pates and casseroles that haven't even been invented yet. After a relatively short period you'll probably wonder how you could consume all that other stuff. A vegan is not an ascetic. [OK... but what are your main reasons for becoming vegans?] People go vegan for all kinds of reasons; respect for animals and their right to live, health, spiritual reasons, care for our environment or most likely for a combination of different reasons.
Now it's your turn: What are some good arguments pro eating animal products - are there any? Maybe the reason meat and dairy products are so popular, simply is that that we got used to that kind of food when we were kids – and therefore simply happen to like it?
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