Vegan for Life - Jack Norris [3]
The point is that everyone, no matter what type of diet they eat, needs a little nutrition know-how. But yes, vegan diets can—and do—support optimal health throughout the life cycle. Many of the negative stories about vegans, especially children, who suffer from nutrient deficiencies are actually due to very restrictive types of vegan diets such as macrobiotic or raw foods.
A vegan diet isn’t difficult; it’s just a different way of meeting nutrient needs. This book is a guide to vegan nutrition and meal planning at all stages of the life cycle as well as for those who wish to adopt a vegan diet to reduce their risk for chronic disease. We’ve provided steps that translate nutrition information into real food choices and realistic menus for everyone.
Going vegan for life is a choice that has win-win written all over it. It respects the lives of animals and represents a refusal to contribute to their suffering. Many people feel a sense of relief when they start taking steps toward veganism because it reflects how they feel about animals. A plant-based menu is also broadening and will introduce you to new foods and menus; it’s very likely to make your diet more interesting, not less. And depending on what your diet is like right now, making the move toward veganism is very likely to improve your health.
This book is for everyone who wants to reap these benefits and is ready to get started on the path to compassionate and healthy eating.
A Few Definitions
Omnivore
In this book, we use the terms “omnivore” and “meat-eater” to describe anyone who chooses to include meat and other animal foods in his or her diet. So, an omnivore is someone who eats plants, meat, dairy foods, and eggs.
Plant-based diets
Some omnivores eat a plant-based diet. That is, they eat meat, dairy, and eggs, but they emphasize plant foods in their meals, usually for health reasons. The terms “flexitarian” and “semi-vegetarian” are also used to describe people who eat this way.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian
Vegetarians who include dairy and eggs in their diet are lacto-ovo vegetarians, sometimes abbreviated as LOV. Historically, most vegetarians in the United States have eaten this way, and much of what we know about vegan diets is actually extrapolated from studies of vegetarians.
Vegan
The word “vegan” was coined to describe a lifestyle that avoids all animal products for food, clothing, and personal care. It’s based on ethical concerns regarding animals. However, a vegan diet—which includes no meat, fish, dairy, or eggs—is chosen by people for a variety of reasons, including issues regarding animal use as well as health and environmental considerations. Since this is a book about nutrition, when we use the word “vegan,” we are referring to anyone who consumes a diet that includes only plant foods.
Our Journeys: How We Became Vegan Dietitians
Jack
I was nineteen years old and went on a fishing trip with my dad and grandfather. It consisted of putting out a number of lines at the same time, sitting back, and waiting for one to be tugged on. When a fish was reeled in, they put the fish in an empty watercooler, where it thrashed around for a good long time as it suffocated to death. I felt horrible about it and decided not to reel in any fish. I realized that if the fish were human, we would do all we could to save the person from such pain, but since it was a fish, no one cared. Yet the suffering seemed very similar. My grandfather and father were a bit confused by my reaction. Still, it took me another two years to stop eating fish!
Over the next two years, I read a few pages from Animal Liberation, which one of my philosophy professors showed me, which got me thinking, and then purchased Animal Liberation, which was a benefit album for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. I wrote to PETA for more information and started to learn about factory farms. The first food I gave up was eggs,