Pepper - How to Go Vegan and Love It!

How to Go Vegan and LOVEit!

by
Howard Pepper

Published by Fun House Publishing LLC atSmashwords
Copyright 2012 by Fun House Publishing LLC

Smashwords Edition License Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Ifyoure reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.comand purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard workof this author.

Copyright 2012 by Fun House Publishing LLC.All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced orused in any form, or by any means, without prior written permissionof the publisher.

Table of Contents

Introduction

We can all agree that eating isimportant. Go more than six hours without food and your stomachwill remind you of this fact. For many people the routine of eatingis monotonous and tiring. While for many others, eating is a way oflife. In the past few decades society has begun to move faster.With longer work hours, more distant commutes and busier schedules,eating has become something that we do on the go.

Along with this faster paced lifestyle hascome an infinite supply of processed foods and fast food chains. Ifyou factor in the globalization of the international food trade, itis easy to see where we, as an eating community, have turned thewrong corner.

Not everyone though, is ready to lie down andgive up his or her right to good food and nutritional living.Inherent in each human being is the wisdom of what the body needsfor optimal survival. This innate intelligence has prompted manypeople to adopt lifestyles based around their eating habits. One ofthese groups of conscious eaters is known as vegans.

There is much to be said for eating a vegandiet. Beyond the diet itself, there are many moral, ethical, socialand political ideals associated with veganism that can be explored.What you are about to read in the following pages will give you anidea of what it means to be a vegan, how to incorporate veganisminto your life, and how to love the entire process. We hope youenjoy this information, and encourage you to dig deeper for ideas,inspirations and creative approaches along your path to becoming avegan.

What is a vegan?

So what exactly does it mean to be a vegan?In the simplest terms, vegans do not eat any foods that come fromanimals. Now you may say to yourself that this sounds likevegetarianism. It is similar, but veganism takes it all a stepfurther. Yes vegetarians do not eat meat, but many vegetariansstill use products that in some way stem from the mass productionor harm of animals. Vegans have added a bit more of a moral andethical agenda to their dietary lifestyle. Vegans refrain fromusing, consuming, or utilizing any products associated withanimals. As with any belief system, there are varying degrees ofveganism. There is a moderate version, and there is the extremeversion. Some vegans are quiet about their lifestyle, while otherschoose to be vocal in an attempt to change the way society harmsour environment and the animals that live in it.

Vegans believe that animals are not meant tobe used as a food source. They also believe that animals should notbe abused in any way for the benefit of mankind. They believe inloving and respecting animals as equals, and not as beings that aremeant to be manipulated by another species that considers itself tobe more superior. Most vegans are adamant about animal farming andthe unsavory techniques that have become commonplace in the modernfarming world. In addition to animal farming, the productionmethods used by most meat processing companies are abhorrent, whichfurther fuels the ethical argument for veganism. Vegans alsobelieve that the sustentation of animal farms and the peripheralindustries associated with them are harming our environment in theworst ways. Choosing to become a vegan is a healthy choice for yourbody, your community, and your earth.

Things you shouldnot eat or drink if you call yourself Vegan

It goes without saying that you should noteat meat if you are vegan. Many people would think that removingmeat from your diet would be the hardest part of becoming a vegan,but in actuality it may be the easiest. Understanding ethical andmoral animal rights can help a person make a conscious choice tomove away from eating meat.

Fish must also be deleted from your diet.Some people think it is easy to get rid of meat if they can stillhave fish, but fish fall into the category of meat. Included areshellfish, and if you are like many of us, the thought of no moreshrimp, lobster or scallops is really hard to stomach. Morally itmay seem less barbaric to eat a fish than say lamb or veal, butanyone who has ever caught, killed and cleaned a fish can see thatthey go through pain as well. When you look at the fishing industryas a whole, the ethical reasons not to eat fish may outweigh themoral reasons. With more and more pollution entering our oceans,rivers and lakes the nutritional value of fish can also becomequestionable.

Once you have begun to remove meat from yourdiet, you can start to sift through the list of other products thatyou may have a hard time letting go of. These include beer, eggs,honey, wine, certain breads, gelatin products, processed sugarproducts, milk, cheese, some salad dressings and many processedfoods. Right now you may be sitting agape, wondering how in theworld some of these products are associated with animals. The voicein the back of your head is telling you that there is no way thatveganism is for you. Fair enough. If you are still curious about avegan diet and the overall benefits leading to healthier life,please read on, as we have so much good information left to giveyou.

Dairy products such as milk, cheese andbutter come from cows. We know that you already know this, and wealso know that if you are going to cheat or slip as a new vegan,this is where you may allow yourself to fall. No harm done!Becoming a vegan should be educational and fun. No one is going tocrucify you if you want some butter on your toast. Sometimes abeautiful piece of cheesecake will call your name as you pass bythe dessert counter at a local coffee shop. It is to beexpected.

Speaking of coffee, if you love your morningbrew with a little touch of milk, removing dairy from your diet maybe like pulling out your own hair. Take it slow, and be ready toforgive yourself when you wake up craving a glass of milk or a bowlof yogurt in the morning. We will tell you a little bit more lateron that will help you fight the urge to sneak some dairy into yourday.

Eggs are used in so many things that we eat.Take a moment and go for a look through your shelves in thekitchen. Do you think it is possible to make muffins without anegg? How about the cookies that you so love? You can probably betthat milk and eggs went into making those. You may be the kind ofperson that loves to eat a three-cheese omelet for breakfast, so itis understandable to feel the apprehension in your stomach at thethought of no more eggs in your life.

Every other day a new study is releaseddiscussing the negative effects of white sugar. Yes authoritieswill tell you that it is bleached and process, and can eventuallycause obesity or diabetes, but what they do not tell you is thatbone from animals is often used in sugar processing methods. If thehealth risks associated with white sugar were not enough to deteryou, then the idea of eating bone should be.

Bone is also used along with skin, hooves andother animal parts in the making of gelatin. Gelatin is used tocongeal and shape many foods that we eat. You would be surprised toknow how many boxes in your pantry will show gelatin as aningredient. Sure it is easy to identify products like Jell-O withgelatin, but did you have any idea that marshmallows and certaincereals rely on gelatin as a main ingredient? Well now you do.