by Lane Wright
Lately, there is much press about going vegan. So what is vegan? There are a few definitions for the word vegan, having to do with the background motivation of the person involved, and whether you are defining vegan to be a description of your diet or your lifestyle.
If someone is using the term vegan to define their style of eating, then they are saying they eat no animal products. This means they do not eat any part of an animal, nor to they eat eggs, milk, and other products derived from animal secretions. Eating vegan is also called strict vegetarianism. And just in case you werent sure animal includes fish and fowl so no chicken McNuggets and no filet-o-fish.
Others strongly believe that the term vegan is an ideological description and that you must be an animal rights activist to be truly vegan. Generally these people have come to veganism through a strong desire to prevent the mistreatment or slaughter of any animal.
Vegans who are motivated by ideology will also eschew all other animal products to the best of their abilities. They will not buy leather products, or products made from animals, such as leather, fur, or ivory. Nor will they buy products that have been tested on animals.
Since it is impossible to live in society today and not consume animal products in some fashion, the philosophical vegan will strive to eschew animal products. There are hidden animal products in many products you would never expect. Sheetrock often contains horsehair. Violin bows are usually made from horsehair. Violins are often glued together with animal based glue. Rubber is processed with animal products. Most vegans live with this conundrum by accepting that they cannot be perfect vegans. Therefore they strive to do the best they can.
Most people who are not vegan can understand the motivation to vegetarian, even if they would not consider it themselves. But they, and most vegetarians, wonder why someone would go one step further and give up milk, cheese, and eggs. When animals are being killed, the motivation is understandable, but animals are not killed to provide dairy and eggs. However, they are often treated very badly. Often they are confined in such small spaces that they do not have the ability to turn around. And the few hours or days en route to the slaughterhouse are sheer torture. Vegans are motivated by a desire to prevent this cruelty.
Other reasons to give up dairy and eggs revolve around health issues. There is a wealth of data which supports a vegan diet is much healthier than the Standard American Diet (SAD). Instances of cancer, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes are dramatically lower in the vegan population.
Finally, there is significant evidence pointing to the fact that eating animals and animal products increases global warming. It takes significantly more energy to produce food from animals than it does to produce food from vegetables. This uses more resources, and causes more pollution.
Lane Wright, who along with his wife, has been living a happy, healthy life eating a vegan diet for several years. He shares his experiences and offers a wealth of information about how to become a vegan in his column. You can learn about quinoa recipes and other delicious meals at his website.