Thompson - The Vegan Diet

Veganism is fast catching up with many people across the world. The noble idea behind veganism such as not wanting to exploit the less fortunate animal species of the world by taking what is theirs and selfishly using it for ourselves simply because they do not have the power to stop us is, perhaps, the primary reason for the growth in popularity of this concept.

However, in addition to the above extremely thoughtful reason, the health benefits and other great things about veganism are all sufficiently powerful causes for the expansion of the idea of veganism across the planet. This book is written with an intention to exhort newcomers to try a one-month vegan challenge that has the power to change not just your lifestyle but also your entire outlook on life.

Before you decide to try to change your lifestyle to vegan, there are a few things you must know and understand about it. This book aims to do exactly that by giving you a detailed overview in the following areas:

What is veganism?

A brief history on veganism

How is veganism useful to you?

Meal Plans for a one-month challenge along with recipe outlines

How to stay committed to the cause?

You know who vegetarians are. They do not consume poultry, meat, or, fish in their diet. Vegans, additionally, do not consume or use any animal products and/or by-products such as dairy products, honey, eggs, leather, silk, fur, and soaps and cosmetics made from animal sources. Vegans are the superset of vegetarians. All vegans are also vegetarians but not all vegetarians need be vegans.

Vegans believe that veganism is not just about their diet but a way of life. As far as possible, vegans avoid exploitation of animals in any form including but not limited to food, clothing, or other purposes. They also avoid items that have been tested on animals before being commercialized. In addition, unbelievably, there is a vegan diet for all kinds of diets ranging from the junk food lovers to the raw food lovers and those in between, too.

History of Veganism

Veganism, although not known as veganism, has been around for many centuries. Examples of prevention of exploitation against and cruelty to animals have been written in history books. Lord Buddha of India and Pythagoras both advocated this concept and had put in rules to ensure their followers ate only plant-based food and completely avoided meats and animal products.

The earliest modern-day veganism is known to have occurred around 1806 CE. During that time, the great English poet P B Shelley and Dr. William Lambed publicly objected to consuming dairy products and eggs by humans on ethical grounds. This incident seems to have laid the foundation for modern-day veganism.

In November 1944, six non-dairy vegetarians including Donald Watson and Elsie Shirley called met together and discussed the topic on non-dairy vegetarian s lifestyles and diets. Despite strong opposition, these six members founded the new movement and became actively involved in this new project.

When the Vegan Society was formalized and registered as a charity organization in 1979, the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the society-defined veganism as:

a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclud e as far as possible and practicabl e 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 .

This book deals only with the dietary aspect of veganism giving you amply sufficient reasons to shift your lifestyle to this healthy and noble one. While the benefits of turning vegan are discussed in another chapter, the kind of foods that you can include in your diet while keeping your energy levels and health not just unchanged but also improved than earlier is huge.

Here is a small list of foods that are known to be totally vegan:

All kinds of grains and cereals

All kinds of beans and legumes

All fruits and vegetables

Other vegan foods include soymilk, vegan mayonnaise, vegan ice cream and cheese, vegan hot dogs, and more. Moreover, many companies have come out with mock meats that give vegans a sense of eating meat.

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