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Originally posted by ILoveMyAbbyGirl
Veganism
I'm sure you've heard of vegetarianism. Maybe you've heard of vegans. Here I will briefly supply you with some facts and info about the vegans, in hopes of giving you a better idea of what goes on in a regular vegan diet.
Here's a few facts. In Wisconsin alone, 39% of all animal abuse cases are by neglect. Twenty-six percent is from mutilation or torture. I myself am very much against animal abuse, and so is every vegan. Vegans believe it is totally wrong, and vegans eat no meat of any kind, and no products that come from animals, such as milk, butter and yogurt, which comes from cows. Vegans refuse to wear animal products, such as leather, wool and cosmetics that come from animals.
Vegans choose to be vegan because of ethical reasons. They believe killing animals is totally wrong, and they refuse to support anything that is derived from animals. Many vegans choose to be vegan to promote a humane lifestyle. They know that no one is perfect and they try to do their best to make a change.
A vegan diet contains many veggies, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. As for getting the needed amount of protein, vegans can do it easily by keeping their calorie intake adequate. Most foods, excluding alcohol, sugar and fats are good sources of protein. As for fat, the vegan diet does not contain much fat. High fat foods are used very sparingly. Vitamin D is not found in a vegan diet. By exposure to sun, vegans can gain the amount of Vitamin D needed to keep them healthy. At least 10 minutes of exposure to sun on the hands and face of an adult can give them the required amount of Vitamin D. Calcium that is needed to make bones strong, for many Americans, is found in milk. Since vegans do not drink milk, calcium is found in many dark green vegetables, tofu processed with calcium sulfate, and many other common foods, such as okra, sesame seeds, turnip greens, figs, bok choy and broccoli.
Zinc comes from grains, legumes and nuts, which are eaten regularly in a vegan diet. Dried beans and dark vegetables are a great source of iron, more often than not, a better source of iron than meats on a per-calorie basis. Iron can come from soybeans, black beans, prune juice, raisins, bok choy, watermelon, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, kale and many other things along the same lines. Most vegans do not need Vitamin B12, but it is very important for pregnant women and children.
Some very common vegan foods are oatmeal, spaghetti, apples, macaroni, fruit smoothies, popcorn, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, guacamole, homemade pancakes, soy ice cream, veggie burgers, pumpkin casserole and many other things! Veganism sounds bad in the beginning, but it's not that bad. Every nutrient is subsitituted. You can still eat most foods you enjoy, by subsituting most things with soy or tofu based ingredients.