Everything You Need To Know About Living Vegan: Facts, Fiction, And A Healthy Debate
First of all, what is veganism? We must bring some clarity to the definition before getting into the thick of it. Let’s get one thing settled: Veganism is not a diet. Veganism is a liberation movement that looks to reduce the amount of harm and suffering that we cause to all animals in this world, human or non, through food and lifestyle choices that exclude the use of animals.
People who practice veganism don’t eat the flesh of nonhuman animals, or consume anything stolen from nonhuman individuals; they don’t consume animal-based dairy products or eggs. They don’t wear leather, wool, or fur. They avoid products tested on animals. They avoid going to circuses, aquariums, rodeos, zoos, and other places of animal exploitation. So while veganism itself is not a diet, it does ask us to change our diet to avoid supporting the domestication, confinement, torture, sexual violation, and ultimately slaughter of nonhuman animals. Animal abuse has been normalized by human supremacy and speciesism, so we must work to topple them both.
You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers
I recently recorded a podcast episode with a (dare I say?) pre-vegan. After living vegan for around 8 years now and eating a diet that is free of animal flesh or secretions, it is easy for me to forget about all of the questions, worries, and criticisms I had about this lifestyle and ethical choice before embracing it. So, I put a call out into the world wide webs for someone who might be on the beginning of that journey that I embarked on years ago.
My guest, Ahlix Gunn, came to the conversation harboring some thoughtful questions about about vegan ethics, a plant-based diet, animal rights activism, and much more. As we dove deep into the world of veganism, I took a non-judgmental approach to a conversation that can often and easily turn into a heated debate. (For good reason!) So come one, come all! Vegans and non-vegans alike! Let’s talk about truth, ethics, activism, and the future of the planet. You can listen to this thought provoking episode here:
Ahlix presented multiple questions in this episode that deserved thorough and thoughtful answers. In addition to listening to our conversation, you can read more on the topics discussed here throughout this post.
Answering Common Food & Nutrition Questions About A Plant-Based Diet:
Q: Where do vegans get protein?
A: LiveKindly says: “If you are consuming enough calories, it is difficult to actually be deficient in protein. […] There are lots of different healthy, delicious sources of vegan protein, including seitan, tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds. But less obvious foods such as peas, broccoli, and other green vegetables, along with pasta, and even potatoes, all contain protein. For example, 1 cup of lentils or split peas = 16g of protein and 0g cholesterol.” Click here to learn more.
Q: What are some healthy plant-based fats?
A: Healthy, plant-based fats are plenty and you’re already probably consuming some of them on a daily basis in your diet. Nuts, avocados, chia seeds, cacao, and olive oil are just some examples. Click here to learn more.
Q: Can vegans still workout, body build, or gain muscle on a plant-based diet?
A: Yes, people often having a better experience working out, building muscle, and body building on a plant-based diet. Switch4Good says: “A dairy-free lifestyle has the power to make you feel fantastic, now and in the long-term future. Expect to experience increased energy, less bloating, improved digestion, clearer skin, reduced asthma symptoms, less inflammation, and other lasting health benefits when you make the Switch4Good. Additionally, ditching dairy significantly reduces post-exercise inflammation, allowing you to get back to training with renewed vitality faster than those who consume dairy. The bottom line: a dairy-free diet helps you get better—faster—and sustain these gains longer in virtually every discipline.” Learn more about being a plant-based athlete with an abundance of Information on the Switch4Good website, or check out some seriously impressive vegan athletes.
Answering Common Ethical Questions About A Plant-Based Diet:
Q: What about “humane” meat and dairy?
A: Free From Harm answers this question in incredibly impactful detail, so please check out their article on this subject. To offer up a quick answer to a very complex question, they say: “But any time consumers of meat, eggs or dairy advocate for “humane” treatment of farm animals, they confront an unavoidable paradox: the movement to treat farm animals better is based on the idea that it is wrong to subject them to unnecessary harm; yet, killing animals we have no need to eat constitutes the ultimate act of unnecessary harm. Scientific evidence has irrefutably demonstrated that we do not need meat, milk or eggs to thrive, and that in fact these foods are among the greatest contributors to the leading fatal Western diseases. […] When we have plentiful access to plant-based food options, and a choice between sparing life or taking it — there is nothing remotely humane about rejecting compassion, and choosing violence and death for others just because we like the taste of their flesh, and because they cannot fight back. Might does not equal right.”
They go on to say that “The Humane Facts website provides a full list of current welfare-related packaging claims, and can help you understand the various cruelties still permitted under terms like “cage free” and “free range.” Ultimately, no matter how well they’re treated, there’s nothing humane about harming and killing animals we don’t need to eat.”
Q: Is it vegan to consume honey?
A: When answering this question, it is important to know why bees produce honey in the first place. LiveKindly explains: “A typical jar of honey requires an astounding one million flower visits. One colony can produce between 50 to 100 jars of honey per year. […] Bees put in a lot of work to make honey with good reason. According to BeeSpotter, the average colony consists of around 30,000 resident honeybees. It’s estimated that the bees will use between 135 to 175 gallons (or about 2,100 pounds worth) of honey annually. Pollen is the primary food source for honeybees. But multiple members of the colony also consume honey, from the workers and drones, who need it to keep their energy levels up, to the larvae.
One of honey’s most important uses is during the winter, when worker bees and the queen cluster together and metabolize it to generate heat. There are few flowers to pollinate after the first frost, so honey becomes a vital food source. The action helps protect the colony from cold weather, keeping it at a cozy 85°F. If honey supply falls short, the colony will perish.” They go on to explain that:
“‘Honey is made by bees for bees, and their health can be sacrificed when it is harvested by humans. Importantly, harvesting honey does not correlate with The Vegan Society’s definition of veganism, which seeks to exclude not just cruelty, but exploitation.‘
The production of conventional honey may also hurt bees. When honey is harvested, it is replaced with a sugar substitute that lacks micro-nutrients. It’s also not as quaint as wild bees buzzing to-and-fro collecting pollen. Colonies may be culled post-harvest in the name of keeping costs down. Queen bees, which would typically leave the hive to start new colonies, have their wings clipped.” LiveKindly offers up some great bee-free honey products and explains more about veganism and honey in this insightful article.
Q: But what about [xyz, excuses to not live vegan]…?
A: Free From Harm has done the world a huge favor by putting together an article that lists the most common arrangements one may hear against veganism, and debunks the ridiculous myths that we are almost all fed at a young age about needing animal flesh or secretions for human health, that animals were “made for us”, that if we didn’t eat them they would take over the world, and more.
Free From Harm says: “We are all impacted by a lifetime of cultural conditioning that has profoundly shaped our worldview in favor of eating animals. This conditioning has led to deeply-entrenched prejudices against farmed animals which are expressed in a variety of the justifications we discuss here. These justifications surface when we are confronted with the facts about animal farming and the opportunity to make more compassionate choices. Each justification is followed by a response, which may include links to supporting sources.” Address our most common justifications for eating animals here.
Q: What about eating eggs from backyard chickens?
A: There are so many powerful reasons not to eat the eggs of chickens that live in your back yard, or the backyard of a friend or neighbor. To tackle a couple, Free From Harm says: “Chickens bred for egg laying lay their entire body weight in eggs every 24 to 30 days (during prime laying period). The weight of each egg, in proportion to the weight of the hen, is comparable to the weight of a human newborn, and anyone who has observed a hen straining and pushing to lay an egg for hours can easily liken this to a human mother going through labor. The fact is that these birds are irreparably harmed by the selective breeding that has forced them to lay an unnatural and unhealthy number of eggs — between 250 to 300 a year — resulting in a host of painful and life-threatening reproductive diseases and premature death.”
They go on to report that: “As mentioned earlier, backyard chicken keepers often portray their relationship with their chickens as a “win-win.” They provide their chickens with a great life and, in return, their chickens provide them with eggs. There are at least two problems with this position. First, it ignores the fact these eggs exist only because of the systematic manipulation and re-engineering of the chicken hen’s reproductive system which forces her to produce an unnatural and unhealthy amount of eggs. Secondly, it is impossible for chickens to give their consent to such an arrangement. It assumes that they desire to make a sacrifice for us, but in reality, their intensive egg-laying — and the adverse consequences that come with it — is simply forced upon them by no choice of their own.”
This article by Free From Harm is incredibly insightful and one of my personal favorites when it comes to the subject of bayckard eggs. The article also addresses common questions in this area such as, What do we do with the eggs if we don’t eat them? and Isn’t it wasting eggs if we don’t eat them?
Additional Resources On The Unruly Travel Blog And Beyond
Many people often come to me and ask if eating plant-based on a budget is possible, how to find vegan-friendly food at nonvegan restaurants, and where to even start when it comes to making plant-based food.
Eating Plant-Based On A Budget
It’s often times possible to eat an entirely plant-based, vegan-friendly diet on a low budget. But not always. Because of how our food system is set up in the USA, folks don’t aways have access to fresh produce or healthy foods. Keeping in mind that we all have different experiences, resources, and incomes, there are some simple tips that you can follow to reduce food costs while keeping animals and their secretions off your plate.
Finding Vegan-Friendly Food At Non-Vegan Restaurants And While Traveling
I’ve been vegan for about eight years now, and I’ve visited 5 continents, over 20 countries, 34 states, and 20 national parks during that time. Two of these trips at the beginning of my travel life were extremely challenging, putting my vegan food finding skills to the test. The first trip was to South America; more specifically, to Chile for a year. The second was when I went across the United States, on a bicycle, with almost no money at 19 years old. I ate well as a vegan, easily, on both trips. Finding plant-based food wasn’t hard… seeing all of the nonhuman animal suffering across the globe was. Learn how to find vegan-friendly food at non-vegan restaurants all over the globe.
Exploring Plant-Based Meals And Vegan Eating
If you’re like me, you may not be the best cook in the world, and that’s OK. While being skilled in the kitchen can surely help while switching to a plant-based diet, it is not necessary. Thankfully, there is an abundance of free resources on the web that teach you how to make easy, vegan-friendly meals. It’s helpful to begin by looking at some plant-based meal plans, and by taking a peek at the ultimate plant-based food guide, even if you have allergies.
More Resources To Explore
This article wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t offer up some of my favorite vegan organizations and resources. If you’re looking to answer more questions that you have when it comes to human health or being a vegan athlete, take some time to browse the Switch4Good website. If you’re a mother who wants to learn more about why mothers across the world are ditching dairy for good, check out these compelling stories by Mothers Against Dairy. The AfroVegan Society is a wonderful nonprofit that is making vegan living accessible to everyone, and offers up a free African-American Vegan Starter Guide.
VINE Sanctuary is an “LGBTQ-led farmed animal sanctuary that works for social and environmental justice as well as for animal liberation”, and you can learn more about sanctuary work and intersectional activism on their blog. Free From Harm is chalked full of information and answers to your question on human health, animal welfare, ethical debates, and more. They even have a section on their website where you can hear from former animal farmers who now live vegan. Lastly, the Aotearoa Liberation League has a mission to “liberate humans from the industry-driven food myths that compel us to harm our bodies, our whenua, and millions of nonhuman animals.” I was lucky enough to interview them on the Unruly Podcast, where we also discuss vegan travel, animal rights activism, and more vegan topics.
