Yesterday I received an invitation to attend a vegan cookery-cum-lunch session being held for a charitable cause. Is it fashionable or healthy to be a vegan? It’s certainly a healthy trend but if it has to be fashionable to be healthy, so be it.
A vegan is one who avoids all animal products – clothes, foods, accessories, furnishings, etc. I’m not sure how many people in this world or in India are completely vegan, but I know a lot of people are followers of vegan food habits.
A vegan diet eliminates all animal foods – meat, poultry, fish, egg, dairy, animal fats and sometimes even yeast. So many non-vegetarians and vegetarians who take dairy products in their diet wonder if a vegan can be well nourished. Fortunately, vegans do get all the nutrients from a variety of plant foods like cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. The only nutrient lacking in a vegan diet is vitamin B12. This can be obtained thru supplements. A vegan’s diet can be very healthy, if all the foods are taken in the right proportion. Studies have shown that vegans who eat right have lesser chance of getting lifestyle-related diseases like adult diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, etc. It’s also easier to shed weight with this diet.
Try it sometime for a few days and you might feel the difference.