In a previous post I wrote about choosing the best diet. While I don’t like labels as a way to choose your eating style, I do think it’s important to have a general understanding of some of the broader categories of eating, such as carnivore, vegetarian and vegan. A person described as a carnivore eats meat products and a vegetarian has a vegetable, bean, grain and legume style of eating. For this post I’d like to describe vegan style eating in detail.
What is a Vegan?
A vegan is someone with a commitment to not use of consume animals or animal products for any purpose, including food (dairy. honey, meat, eggs) clothing (silk, wool, leather) and entertainment (animal racing or hunting.) Source: International Vegan Association.
From this definition you can see there is a moral though not universal component related to the decision to become vegan. Some vegans limit their commitment to the food they eat while others apply it to their clothing and entertainment choices as well.
Vegans are different from vegetarians in that they do not eat any foods derived from animals like cheese or eggs.
What Is a Vegan Diet?
It is a diet consisting of plant-derived foods. Vegans eat soup, stews, stir-fries, salad and casseroles, all made from plant based foods. There are 4 basic food groups in a vegan diet: whole grains; legumes, nuts and seeds; fruits; and vegetables. Like all eating styles, those who choose to eat a vegan diet must carefully monitor their combinations of foods to be sure they are consuming aderquate nutrients. Those considering a vegan diet may worry or be warned they won’t get adequate protein if they abstain from meat and dairy, but as much as 10-20% of calories in legumes, vegetables and grains are proteins.
Balance Is Essential
Balance is always the key word when it comes to eating. It is what creates healthy blood cells, regulates blood sugar and all your electrolytes. It stabilizes your mood and regulates your energy. It supports hormone balance. Having a healthy diet is vital to your overall well-being.
You can achieve a healthy balance when you eat vegan. It takes a true commitment to preparing healthy balanced meals every day. If you do not, you will develop cravings and discomfort, the body’s way of saying things are not working well.
Vegan Recipes
Visit my blog and enter the word Vegan to find a variety of vegan recipes.