A vegan is someone who does
neither eat, nor wear any animal products. This includes, of
course, meat, fish, bird, eggs, dairy products, honey, etc.
Most vegans also avoid wearing clothes made from
animals.
The following is some advice and information on veganism.
Quick access...
Why vegan?
Ethical Reasons
The meat industry is sick, and
the cure is veganism.
Eating another animal actually means killing it. Who has
given us human animals the right to slay other beings?
Cows, pigs and poultry are imprisoned immediately after
being born. They are allowed to live only for a short period
of time, until someone decides to have meat for dinner.
During this brief lifespan, the animals are treated worse
than you could possibly imagine.
Cows are raped every year, only so we can drink their
milk. The milk that was meant for the young calf, and not
for an entirely different species.
A cow is capable of living up to 20 years, but due to the
dairy and meat industries, they seldom live to see their
fourth birthday.
The calves are put in non-metallic cages, and are
undernourished so that their meat will look good on the
plate.
Hens and chickens live in extremely small cages, unable
to spread their wings, or even move. This stressful
situation causes them to pick on each other. To prevent them
from doing this, their beaks are cut off.
Since the prison cells are cleaned once a year or less,
large quantities of antibiotics are given to the animals to
prevent diseases.
Most animals are brutally murdered in front of their
friends. The animals are stunned before being attached to
meat hooks. Many animals aren't stunned properly, and so
they are very much conscious while being killed.
Conscious or not - the killing is wrong and the murderers
should not get away with what they are doing.
Cows, pigs and chickens are not the only animals to be
mistreated. Dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, hampsters and many
others are put in cages and experimented on.
Monkeys are being exposed to lethal doses of radiation,
so that we will know whether we'll live or die in a nuclear
war. Rabbits' eyes are subject to testing how much shampoo
it takes to make someone blind. Scientists are giving mice
cancer to see how long it takes before they die.
Hampsters are fed with new medicines to see if they have
any secondary effects.
The fish in the sea is near extermination. Dolphins and
porpoises are caught in the nets, and die a slow death.
Seals are slain for their skins.
The above mentioned is but a glimpse of the reality that
many choose to disregard.
Why vegan? Environmental
Reasons
The meat and dairy industries are
responsible for the deterioration of our world. Earth is
slowly dying because nobody cares about it.
A great deal of energy and water is needed to produce the
meat that people eat.
The large quantities of grain needed to feed ONE cow,
could easily feed TEN times more people than if you were to
let them eat the cow.
To get as large crops as possible, heavy fertilisation is
needed.
This contaminates the soil as well as the subsoil water.
It takes 2500 gallons (9500 litres) of water to produce
one pound (0,5 kg) of meat. To produce one pound of wheat,
you'll need 25 gallons.
Cows are a big cause of the greenhouse effect. When cows
digest their food, they produce methane gas, which causes
depletion of the ozone layer.
Why vegan? Health Reasons
It is not only for the sake of
others that you should choose the vegan way. Your body will
be very grateful, when you leave animal products behind you.
Animal products contain too much protein. They also
contain cholesterol and saturated fat, which contributes to
cardiac diseases. Meat and milk are big reasons to the
depletion of the calcium in your bones.
Why vegan? Other Reasons
Humans are not meat eaters. A
long time ago, man ate fruits, nuts, leaves and berries.
Animals were left alone. But the climate started changing,
and soon it became difficult finding enough to eat. Man was
forced to eat animals.
Not like a normal predator would; raw, and with the bare
teeth. No, the humans made weapons to kill the pray. And
they prepared it before eating it.
If they hadn't done this, it would have been impossible to
eat.
Humans are not meat eaters, because...
A) We have no natural weapons. Therefore, we
cannot kill an animal to eat.
B) We must prepare the meat. Why? Our teeth can't
grind it enough, if it's raw. It becomes impossible to eat.
C) When we eat meat, our bodies start producing
white blood corpuscles. They do this, because it is trying
to defeat the virus that has entered the body. When we eat
raw food (non-animal of course), this does not happen.
Eat what, then?
There are LOTS of beans, grains,
cereals, vegetables, turnips, algae, fruits, nuts, berries,
etcetera that most non-vegans have never heard of. By simply
combining them you can prepare tasty and nutritious
meals.
But how does one find a replacement for milk, you may
wonder.
The answer is simple; soy milk. Soy milk is made out of soy
beans, which are rich in calcium and protein. Eggs are also
easily substituted for. One tablespoon of soy flour does the
job.
What about nutrition?
Vegan meals are often more
nutritious than other meals, thanks to the vegan's awareness
of the importance of proper nutrition. Protein,
polyunsaturated fat, carbohydrates, minerals & vitamins
are all essential to us. By knowing where to look for them,
nutrition will no longer be a problem. What vegans must be
extra careful to get is protein, calcium, vitamin D, B12 and
iodine.
What are vitamins?
Vitamins are chemical substances
that take care of the metabolic processes.
There are about 20 to 30 known vitamins today. They are all
essential and irreplaceable. If one or more are missing,
growth and health will be affected.
Vitamins are divided into two groups; fat based (A, D, E, K)
and water based (C, B). Fat based vitamins are stored in the
body's fat reserves and mustn't be overdosed. Water based
vitamins must be supplied daily. All surplus comes out of
the body via sweat and urine.
What are minerals?
Unlike vitamins, minerals are not
organic. They can be found in the soil, and are picked up by
the vegetation. Up to this date there are 92 known natural
elements, of which most are minerals. It is crucial to our
well being that we get several minerals every day. Some are
needed in almost ridiculously small doses, but they are
still extremely important.
Calcium, iron, iodine and zinc are a few extremely important
minerals.
What is protein?
Our bodies consist to eighteen
per cent of protein. Protein is needed for the edification
and maintenance of cells, and also for the formation of
hormones, antibodies and enzymes.
Vegetable foods do not contain the same high amounts of
protein as animal foods, which means that you'll have to
combine several different vegetable foods to get all the
various types of protein needed.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates are the most
important sources of energy. These, usually, sweet tasting
substances provide fast energy. When you eat carbohydrates,
the surplus is stored in liver and muscle tissue. Too much
carbohydrates will cause overweight.
What is fat?
Fat is needed in very small
amounts. It protects our nerves and keeps the body
temperature at the exact right level. Without any fat, the
reception of vitamins A, D, E and K will be disturbed.
There are three types of fat; saturated, unsaturated and
polyunsaturated.
Saturated fat (mainly found in animal products) increases
the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Heated saturated fat
may cause cancer.
What are algae?
Algae are the food of the sea.
They grow at the bottom of the sea at depths between 10 and
30 meters. There are many types of algae, which vary in size
from a few micrometers to several tens of meters. Algae are
rich in minerals, vitamins and protein. They also contain
natural antibiotic substances and keep us clean from heavy
metals and toxins.
Pronunciation?
The official pronunciation in the
UK and the US is "vee-gun", although some local variations
do occur in the US.
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