There are a million sites on the www that have tons of information about going vegan.
Now, for the uninformed, which I was until I perused said sites, there is a difference between a vegetarian and a vegan. Who knew? For years I thought that vegan was just “short” for vegetarian!
A vegetarian is someone who abstains from eating meat. A vegan takes that idea a step further and refuses to eat meat or any products from animals, including eggs, milk, cheese and even honey.
The vegan, or at least what I’ll call an “ethical” vegan, chooses not to contribute to the horrific (and they are) practices of meat producers. The unnatural way that the animals are treated on large industrial farms is a travesty. For example, chickens are kept from pursuing their natural urge to peck by having their beaks cut short, and cows are not allowed to roam freely as they have in times past.
It is believed that cow’s milk is intended for baby cows, not baby (or grown) humans! I think it’s an interesting thought, and given the years of “training” I’ve received about the so called “virtues” of consuming milk, I have to wonder if the researchers who discount said “virtues” don’t have it right. After all, the lovely posters that were plastered all over the school lunchroom were created by the USDA, which has a conflict of interest as far as I’m concerned. They are supposed to represent agricultural interests AND consumers? What if the interest of the two are not the same?
Some people choose to become vegan because of their health. When they start eating a plant based diet, they start to realize how much better they feel, and the energy that they gain, not to mention the diseases that they avoid.
A large study, conducted on peoples living in China, has indicated that the more meat products in an individual’s diet, the more likely they are to contract chronic diseases.
If you have been feeling out of sorts lately, or you want to do everything within your power to avoid getting sick, then check out T. Colin Campbell’s book, The China Study, which tells all about this awesome research!
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