What is Veganism? Understanding The Basics
We're constantly looking for ways to improve our health, look after our planet, and feel great about our bodies.
We may do so by practicing sports and mindfulness, making sustainable choices, or following a certain lifestyle.
As a brand with a strong belief in women's empowerment, we love nothing more than helping you find your identity and long-term preferences.
In today's blog, we decided to cover one of the fastest-growing lifestyles: veganism.
So, whether you started following a plant-based diet and you're looking to take it to the next level or you're a complete beginner, we created a guide with the basic information we hope will help you figure out if veganism is the right choice for you.
What is a Vegan Diet?
Veganism is a type of plant-based diet that exclude any types of animal-produced or animal-derived products such as meat, eggs, and cheese.
Beyond the dietary aspect, veganism also entailed avoiding any animal products in every aspect of life.
This means clothes made with fur, wool, or leather as well as medical and cosmetic products that were tested on animals.
Reasons Why Many People Are Following Vegan Diets
Not everyone follows veganism or any other lifestyle for the same motive, but the following are the biggest reasons why people of different ages, cultures, and backgrounds are adopting veganism as their dietary pattern and lifestyle.
-
Moral Reasons
Many vegans adopt this lifestyle for ethical views. The main objective is that animals are conscious beings that have the right to life and freedom.
They're against any animal exploitation that happens to make use of their meat, fur, or the products they produce.
-
Health Benefits
A healthy vegan diet is proven to prevent many diseases and assist in weight loss, and that's why health benefits are one of the biggest reasons why people follow veganism.
-
Positive Environmental Impacts
Many environment enthusiasts follow vegan diets as part of their sustainable practices.
They believe that animal keeping/farming consumes a lot of the earth's natural resources and is responsible for a lot of pollution and green gas which is a huge cause of climate change.
Veganism Vs Vegetarianism
While both vegan and vegetarian diets avoid meat, a vegetarian diet doesn't cut out all animal-produced products as they consume eggs, milk, dairy products, and honey. On the other hand, vegan diets tend to avoid all these animal-made products.
While people mostly follow a vegan lifestyle for moral or political stans, the biggest reason people follow vegetarianism seems to be nutritional values seeing as a vegetarian diet is high in fiber and low in harmful fats.
That doesn't indicate that vegetarianism is not followed for moral or ethical reasons too.
Types of Vegan Diets
Although veganism is one concept, people tend to practice it in very different ways, here are the most popular types of vegans.
Raw food Vegans:
These vegans tend to only eat foods that are raw and plant-based. If they cook any food it wouldn't be beyond 45 degrees celsius.
Dietary Vegans:
Like other vegans, dietary vegans eat foods that are plant-based and don't eat meat though, while they avoid including animal products in their diets, they still consume products that are animal-derived such as leather.
Whole Food Vegans:
They primarily consume whole foods such as fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables.
What Does The Vegan Society Count on For Nutrition?
If you choose to convert to veganism, we recommend talking to a nutrition specialist and getting a diet that is good for you and your dietary need.
Many experts also advise taking certain supplements that seem to be missing in a vegan diet such as vitamin b12.
Vegans eat anything plant-based, meaning plant-based oils like olive oil and coconut oil, whole grains, and legumes such as quinoa, beans, and peas.
They also consume seeds like sunflower and chia, vegetables and fruits, and nuts.
Alternatives To Animal Products
Plant-based Milk:
Oat, almond, and soy milk are all used as an alternative to cow's milk. Due to the lack of lactose, these kinds of milk are gentler on the stomach and easy to digest, which is why they're widely used by vegans and non-vegans.
Alternative Protein Sources:
Vegans don't get a lot of nutrition that meat eaters naturally get, that's why vitamins and protein alternatives are very important in a vegan diet.
Tofu and tempeh can be used in place of meat, and legumes such as lentils and chickpeas are also very high in protein making them another great alternative to animal protein.
Alternatives To Eggs:
Many vegans resort to plant-based egg alternatives to use in their baking recipes, some of these alternatives are flax seed, mashed bananas, chia seed, and applesauce.
Veganism In The US
More and more Americans are adopting a plant-based diet as awareness of issues such as animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and personal health increases. Just in the last three years, there has been a 600% increase in the number of vegans in the US.
Naturally, there are still a lot of myths surrounding being a vegan, and some individuals are afraid to make the switch.
Some people worry that a plant-based diet won't provide them with enough protein or other nutrients, while others are concerned about the price or the challenge of locating vegan-friendly meals.
Yet it's now simpler than ever to make the switch with so many delectable and healthy vegan options available.
Taking Steps To Self-Love
We hope you enjoyed this little guide on the basics of veganism, keep browsing our blog for more valuable content on different lifestyles, physical well-being, fashion, and nutrition!
Luxe Lady Fit has dedicated this blog to helping you learn about physical well-being, feel confident in your style, and love every day in your skin!
And if you're looking to tackle daily tasks in the ultimate style and comfort, check out our line of gorgeous sportswear that's specially made to help you look and feel your best.