Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Veganism: why it’s not just a diet, more a way of life

The vegan diet includes vegetables, nuts, grains and legumes, but there is so much more to veganism.
The vegan diet includes vegetables, nuts, grains and legumes, but there is so much more to veganism.

It’s not just about food, it’s a whole lifestyle – from the clothes and cosmetics you wear to the host of products you use every day. Here’s a beginner’s guide to how to live the vegan way

Veganism. When people usually hear that word they shudder away and think of people breaking into farms to rescue animals, or that they’re “dirty hippies”, or that they have a “holier than thou” complex. But that’s really not true for the majority of us.

When you think “vegan” the one thing that most commonly pops into peoples heads is “but what do you eat?” This is a question that I have personally dealt with so many times and the answer is simple: vegetables, nuts, grains, legumes, basically, anything that doesn’t contain any animal products. And yes, that does mean that eggs, even backyard eggs, and honey are off limits.

 
Advertisement

But veganism is so much more than a diet, it’s a lifestyle. The Vegan Society’s definition of veganism is “way of living which seeks to exclude – as far as is possible and practicable – all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals”.

So what about when you’re beginning on your vegan journey and you try to seek advice online in different Facebook chat groups, or other online forums? More likely than not, unless you’re in a specific beginners group you’ll be met with the “Vegan Police” who instead of helping and educating you, will berate you for not being “vegan enough”.

So here are a few simple things for you to look out for on labels of things you’d be less likely to think about than food to help you on your journey – because believe me, we’re not all bad people.

Cosmetics

There are a shocking number of animal products in most cosmetics including makeup, shampoo, body washes, soaps – there’s even pork fat in a well-known brand of toothpaste in the US – and animal testing is still widely used.