What Vegan Really Means

Becoming a vegan isn’t as tough as one might think, and it certainly doesn’t make you sick or weak. It’s simply a decision you make to improve your health and protect animals from needless slaughter.

 

 

The word vegan was introduced in 1944 by Donald Watson, the founder of the Vegan Society. He took the first and last letters of the word vegetarian to create his version of vegetarianism.

A vegan is someone who does not eat or use animal products. Some people prefer to call this way of eating 'a plant-based diet'. Unlike a vegetarian diet - where people don't eat meat or fish - a vegan diet avoids all animal products like dairy, eggs and even honey as well as meat and fish. You won’t see a vegan wearing a leather belt or using soaps made from animal parts.

Becoming a vegan isn’t as tough as people think, and it certainly doesn’t make you sick or weak. It’s simply a decision you make to improve your health and protect animals from needless slaughter.

Natura Market offers a wide range of Vegan Products. Shop your favourite!

 

Why People Become Vegans

• Many vegans are against the exploitation and slaughter of animals for profit and human consumption.
• Vegans want to improve their health.
• Eating vegan helps to protect the environment. Operations like factory farms are a drain on our natural sources. Animal agriculture is the main cause of overexploitation of natural resources and greenhouses emissions.
• Vegan people feel socially responsible. Resources like grains and vegetables that are used to feed farmed animals can be used to feed people in need. 

 

What Vegans Can’t Eat

 A vegan diet excludes animals and their byproducts. Vegans do not eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs, honey and milk and dairy products. They avoid products that contain animal-derived ingredients, even in small amounts. For example:

• Gelatin (prepared from collagen taken from animal body parts), which is used in many sweets, like fruit snacks, frosting and other confections.
• Confectioner’s glaze, which is a sweet glaze that contains shellac, made from crushed bugs.
• Egg wash on the outside of baked goods.
• Natural flavours derived from chicken or dairy

 

What Vegans Eat

 Luckily, vegan foods are abundant, delicious, filling, and cruelty-free, which makes them ideal for people at any stage of life.

• Grains
• Beans
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Mushrooms
• Oils and vinegar
• Herbs and spices
• Condiments and sauces
• Fruits and vegetables

Shop Vegan Foods today!

 

Can Vegans Eat Products Containing Milk?

If a food product doesn’t have milk in the ingredients but is labelled as “may contain milk” or “may contain traces of milk”, it’s totally suitable for vegans. It means that the food is produced in a shared facility where dairy products are also produced, so there may be cross-contamination. That means the label is important to people with dairy allergies, but to vegans who do not want to consume or spend money toward dairy, the food is completely appropriate to eat.

 

Vegan Substitutes for Meat, Poultry and Fish

• Tofu, made from whole soybeans, which is full of protein.
• Beans and lentils.
• Seitan, made of wheat flour, protein-rich food with a chewy texture.
• Nuts and seeds, which have both proteins as well as healthy fats.

 

Benefits of Going Vegan

• The Vegan diet is rich in many nutrients.
• It protects against type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
• It promotes weight loss.

 

Any dietary change can result in temporary discomfort. The important thing is to introduce new foods slowly. Your body needs time to get used to a new lifestyle. Consult with a nutritional specialist or a physician about your specific diet and any deficiencies you might have to correct. With a dietary change, you may find it beneficial to take some supplements, such as iron or B-12 vitamin. Give yourself at least two weeks to get used to the change before making up your mind about the results and how you feel.

 

Natura Market offers a wide range of Vegan Products. Shop your favourite!