What is the Vegan Diet?
When it comes to special diets with food restrictions, there are so many that it can be easy to be confused about which rules apply to what. The Vegan Diet, for example, can easily be confused with vegetarianism, but it’s important to note that they are not at all the same things.
What is the difference? Simply stated, a Vegan Diet excludes any animal products or byproducts. This means that they don’t eat meat, poultry or fish, but they also won’t eat dairy, eggs, honey, or other products made by animals. Moreover, they also will not use products that were sourced from animals or animal by-products, such as fur, leather, wool, silk, and many soaps and cosmetic products that contain animal based ingredients.
On the other hand, vegetarians may eat some meats but not others, and may eat or use things made with animal byproducts. Some vegetarians won’t eat meat, but will eat poultry and/or fish, while others won’t eat any of those things but will eat eggs, milk, and other byproducts. The Vegan Diet doesn’t have variations of that nature. It simply excludes all animal products and byproducts.
There are many different reasons that people may choose to adopt veganism into their lifestyles. While some do it because of ethical reasons, others feel that it is more environmentally friendly or that it is better for their health. There are a wide variety of reasons that this choice can be made, but overall, the lifestyle is meant to promote a world that is just a little bit more humane. Even though it’s impossible for anyone to be perfect, this is the choice that some people make in order to be more responsible with regards to the impact they have on their world, without judging the choices made by others.
That said, the adoption of veganism should not be taken lightly. When excluding all animal products and byproducts, a very specific effort must be made to compensate for the nutrition that had previously been obtained from the foods that have been eliminated. A knowledge of nutrition and a focus on eating a variety of healthful foods is extremely important when keeping up this lifestyle.
For the first while, at least, it is a good idea to consult with a nutrition expert such as a nutritionist or dietician, in order to receive some guidance and to ensure that the result of veganism will not be nutritional deficiencies.
