The Vegan Diet-Find The Foods You Enjoy
It used to be that anyone who was a vegetarian or vegan was considered a little "weird" and I suppose there are still some parts of the country that would think that way (like where I live....Northwest IL...almost in Wisconsin). But more and more people are making the switch to either a vegetarian or vegan diet.
For those of you who aren't sure what the difference between vegan and vegetarian is, it is this: vegetarians don't eat meat but they will eat animal products such as eggs, milk, and cheese. Vegans, on the other hand, don't eat any animal by-products at all. No eggs, milk or cheese.
There are a lot of reasons people choose to become a vegan. Sometimes it is a health issue. Cutting meat out of your diet has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels. Since meat tends to have quite a bit of saturated fat and cholesterol, even cutting back on meat may make a fairly large and positive change in your weight and cholesterol levels.
Another reason many people opt for a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is for ethical reasons. They simply don't think it is right that animals are mistreated while they are being raised for food. In some cases they don't mind the idea that the animal will be someone's dinner at some point, what they object to is the inhumane way it is treated during its life. They just think there is no reason to mistreat the animals.
Whatever your view on the issue is, learning how to become a vegan may be a good choice for you. . When you first start out your vegan diet there are some points you need to be aware of:
1. For one thing, when you cut meat and all animal products out of your diet, you are greatly reducing the amount of protein you get into your diet. This is easy to overcome, just add a supplement daily and/or eat more nuts and beans. These are loaded with protein and if you eat the right amounts, they will more than compensate for the protein you no longer get from meat.
2. If you ever get hungry for a hamburger (or hotdog or sausage) there are many meat-free vegan options on the market today that will replicate the taste and in some cases the texture of meat. This can be a good way to incorporate some variety into your daily food plan.
3. If you have any special health considerations make sure you talk to your doctor before you go on such a restrictive diet. I doubt she or he will have a problem with it especially if you assure them that you will still get enough protein (but I don't know you and I am not a doctor and cannot give advice on the matter... so ask your doctor).
If you want to become a vegan, don't worry too much about what anyone else's vegan diet is all about. Find the foods you enjoy.
It used to be that anyone who was a vegetarian or vegan was considered a little "weird" and I suppose there are still some parts of the country that would think that way (like where I live....Northwest IL...almost in Wisconsin). But more and more people are making the switch to either a vegetarian or vegan diet.For those of you who aren't sure what the difference between vegan and vegetarian is, it is this: vegetarians don't eat meat but they will eat animal products such as eggs, milk, and cheese. Vegans, on the other hand, don't eat any animal by-products at all. No eggs, milk or cheese.
There are a lot of reasons people choose to become a vegan. Sometimes it is a health issue. Cutting meat out of your diet has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels. Since meat tends to have quite a bit of saturated fat and cholesterol, even cutting back on meat may make a fairly large and positive change in your weight and cholesterol levels.
Another reason many people opt for a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is for ethical reasons. They simply don't think it is right that animals are mistreated while they are being raised for food. In some cases they don't mind the idea that the animal will be someone's dinner at some point, what they object to is the inhumane way it is treated during its life. They just think there is no reason to mistreat the animals.
Whatever your view on the issue is, learning how to become a vegan may be a good choice for you. . When you first start out your vegan diet there are some points you need to be aware of:
1. For one thing, when you cut meat and all animal products out of your diet, you are greatly reducing the amount of protein you get into your diet. This is easy to overcome, just add a supplement daily and/or eat more nuts and beans. These are loaded with protein and if you eat the right amounts, they will more than compensate for the protein you no longer get from meat.
2. If you ever get hungry for a hamburger (or hotdog or sausage) there are many meat-free vegan options on the market today that will replicate the taste and in some cases the texture of meat. This can be a good way to incorporate some variety into your daily food plan.
3. If you have any special health considerations make sure you talk to your doctor before you go on such a restrictive diet. I doubt she or he will have a problem with it especially if you assure them that you will still get enough protein (but I don't know you and I am not a doctor and cannot give advice on the matter... so ask your doctor).
If you want to become a vegan, don't worry too much about what anyone else's vegan diet is all about. Find the foods you enjoy.
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