Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [18]
Looking amazing and feeling great about what you’re wearing are secret benefits of living vegan! See Chapter 11 for tips on vegan fashions.
Staying away from circuses and zoos
Circus and zoo animals live a bizarre and trapped existence. The training necessary to create an animal circus performer often requires violence and pain. Elephants, tigers, bears, and horses can be trained with whips, muzzles, electric prods, tight collars, and sharp hooks.
The deeply held belief that we as humans are far superior to any other creature allows us to torture and abuse these thinking, feeling creatures. Many countries around the world, including Austria, Costa Rica, India, Finland, Singapore, and Sweden have either banned or restricted the use of animals for entertainment. Because you’re sensitive to the realities of the world, as a vegan you’ll most likely want to avoid animal circuses and zoos. Luckily, several popular and stunning human circuses like Cirque du Soleil can provide vegans with fantastic humane entertainment!
While zoos and wildlife enclosures seem to be a kind method to connect humans with the natural world, what goes on behind the scenes can be cruel. Charges have been brought against some zoos and zookeepers for the trauma, stress, physical harm, and unnecessary discomfort inflicted on zoo animals. Some zoos also sell off animals to circuses. At least one instance was documented where the Minnesota Zoo sold more than 100 animals from its petting zoo to a slaughterhouse.
There are more humane ways to enjoy watching the majesty of animals. For instance, farm animal sanctuaries can be found all over the country. These kind operations rescue farm animals that have escaped factory farms or that were given away by their owners. Some wild animal sanctuaries take care of retired circus and zoo animals as well, offering them a safe place to live until they die. Nature programs, documentaries, and the Internet can be used to research and discover the beauty of the animal kingdom. To find a farm animal sanctuary, go to www.farmanimalshelters.org and look for a shelter near you!
Chapter 3
Transforming to Veganism
In This Chapter
Deciding whether giving up nonvegan foods all at once is for you
Understanding why making the switch slowly may be more effective
Following some basic guidelines when giving up meat and dairy
Changing your whole diet and lifestyle from the standard, modern method of doing things to a vegan way can be challenging without the proper planning. For most new vegans, their metamorphosis means more than just saying so long to hot dogs and ham and cheese sandwiches. Because this lifestyle encompasses health concerns, a deep environmentalism, and a way of caring about animals’ rights that is outside the norm, becoming vegan involves every aspect of a person’s life. But this way of living and being in the world will bring personal, emotional, physical, and global benefits.
No one can tell you how exactly these changes will occur in your life, because each individual has a unique set of circumstances to consider. Who you live with, where you live, what your job is like, and how much support you have all make a difference. If you’re a butcher in Wisconsin, for example, you’ve got your work cut out for you. This chapter can help you decide when and how to make the switch from a meat and dairy diet to a vegan one. Just remember that every step forward toward a vegan lifestyle, whether fast or slow, is a positive step for yourself and the greater world around you.
Going Cold Tofurky
If going cold Tofurky is your preferred method of vegan transition, be aware that you may have some slip-ups. Don