Vegan diet - what for and why?
Veganism is a variant of vegetarianism, which involves eating only plant-based foods. This means that the basis of the vegan diet is primarily vegetables, fruits, legumes and their preparations, grain products, so-called pseudo-cereals, nuts, almonds, seeds, seeds and vegetable oils. The diet of vegans, however, completely excludes meat, fish and seafood, eggs, milk and dairy products, as well as honey.
Why do people choose this particular diet?
The vegan diet is derived from veganism, a lifestyle that aims to exclude the use of animals that results from the production of food, clothing or cosmetics. However, this is not the main reason why people choose to switch to a vegan diet. The change in diet is increasingly dictated by concern for one’s health.
The following are some of the primary reasons for following this particular diet:
YOU WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUFFERING OF ANIMALS
Every year, 50 billion animals are raised and killed for meat. Add to that the fishing industry, or 1-3 trillion fish. That’s a huge scale. I don’t think many people believe the fairy tales sold by the meat and dairy industry anymore, in which cows graze with their calves in the meadow, pigs are happy and chickens run freely. Such an image is supposed to make our decision to buy meat and dairy easier, the “production” of which in reality involves the CRUCIAL USE OF ANIMALS. Often animals live in conditions unsuitable for any being. There are usually far too many animals in one box. We do not have to contribute to this cruelty.
YOU CARE ABOUT THE PLANET AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Massive animal farming and unsustainable fishing have huge consequences for the planet. We are poisoning the Earth, destroying it, and the simplest step we can take to help the planet is to convert to veganism. In order to feed the 50 billion farmed animals, we need to produce feed for them, which involves cutting down forests for large-scale crops. It should also be mentioned that if these crops were destined for humans, it would be possible to solve world hunger. Industrial animal farming causes huge carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, and farm excrement pollutes land and water. Excessive fishing leads to fish extinction and dead zones in the seas and oceans.
FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
A balanced plant-based diet is healthy for everyone A sensible plant-based diet provides the right amount of protein and all the amino acids necessary for humans, and is rich in vitamins and micronutrients. In the new food pyramid, the basis of a balanced diet is plant-based products, and meat consumption should be limited to a maximum of 0.5 kg per week. There is a lot of confirmed information about the negative effects of eating zoonotic products on health. By choosing veganism, we reduce the risk of colon cancer by half and protect ourselves from diseases of the circulatory system.
YOU WILL LEARN NEW AND INTERESTING FLAVORS
A vegan diet is a huge choice of flavors and a variety of colors. When we choose a plant-based diet, we have a large array of products we can use, and food manufacturers are rapidly introducing new assortments for vegans. We can conjure up great dishes based on rice, groats, pasta, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. We have a large selection of plant-based drinks from soy to almond, oat or coconut. Many meat substitutes have emerged, such as seitan or jackfuit, so we don’t have to exclude burgers from our menu. Besides, even traditional dishes can be easily modified and prepared in a plant-based version. Look for new recipes, get inspired and cook, and you will see that vegan dishes can be delicious, healthy and colorful.
Supplementation of the vegan diet
A vegan diet is healthy when care is taken to eat foods rich in nutritional value. A diet consisting of processed and high-fat products will not add to your health, even if it is vegan. If you suffer from chronic diseases or are pregnant, be sure to consult your doctor or a nutritionist before changing your diet.
Avoiding animal protein can affect your lower intake of ingredients your body needs for tooth, bone and heart health, among other things. These include protein, calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin B12 and D, and Omega-3 fatty acids.
You can supplement some of these ingredients by including special plant-based products in your diet. For example, nuts, soybeans, beans or quinoa are good sources of protein. Calcium is rich in soy milk, broccoli, kale or calcium-fortified products. Iron can be found in beets, tofu, peanut butter and spinach. Omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed and vegetable oils. Vitamin B12, on the other hand, is mainly found in meat, so on a vegan diet you should consume it in supplement form. The same is true for vitamin D.
