Vegan diet and Nutrition.
Although some people may perceive a vegan diet as extreme, people who follow this lifestyle choice do so for many different reasons. This may include:
- Concerns for animal welfare,
- Health,
- Environmental Concerns or,
- Religious/Spiritual beliefs.
However more thought does need to put into the foods eaten as, diary, eggs, fish and in some cases honey are now excluded from the diet.
Vegans do need good sources of essential fats in order to maintain good hormonal health as the saturated fats from animal produce has now been totally excluded (saturated fats are not as bad for us as you may think!)
I do not want to get into the whole for and against arguments of a vegan diet. This section is more about vegan nutrition i.e what special considerations need to be considered for maintaining optimum health and fitness.
Also some myths will be dispelled, such as the most common one "vegans do not get any protein" (this one is usually spread by hardcore bodybuilders who have not researched the vegan diet enough).
It constantly amazes me how some people are ready to jump to certain conclusions about how other people live there lives but this is because they have not researched the topic.
From my own personal point of view I respect other peoples choices to make such a commitment and the strength of their convictions.
However certain nutritional elements can be quite difficult but not impossible to obtain.
But we live in an advanced age where fortiefied cereals or supplements can help (such as Vitamin B12 - read article).
Personally I choose to eat a diet that is comfortable and acceptable for me from a moral and ethical position, again it comes down to individual choice.
Remember....
A vegan lifestyle could be a very healthy one if proper care and attention is made to the foods eaten. The Vegan society points out that:
A vegan diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and obesity. As with any diet, it is important to ensure that the vegan diet is well balanced."
Read more about a vegan nutrition here.
Remember I am not a nutritionist or dietician so this page is intended only to inform you and allow you to make your own desicions. If you decide that a vegan lifestyle is right for you then read the articles on this site to help you make the right nutritional choices.
If you are considering becoming vegan you might find it hard at first to make these changes and feel overwhelmed with all the information you need to learn but at the end of the day it does not have to be hard and hopefully the information that you will find here will help you understand that you can get a great physique from going vegan.
Explore the articles and information in this site for help but I do recommend visiting The Vegan Society pages as they offer full and comprehensive information on all aspects of veganism.
