What are the Benefits of a vegan diet? & How difficult is it to adhere to a vegan diet
Veganism is a way of life that promotes to end the use of animals for food, clothing and other commodities. Vegan diet specifically is someone who believes in refusing every food of animal origin. Recipes and foods that are a part of the vegan diet don’t contain any by-products of animal such as dairy, dairy products, eggs, honey, and even gelatin.
The term “vegan” was first coined in 1944 by Donald Watson in the first issue of The Vegan News where he introduced and defined the word. He simply ended the definition by saying that a particular food can be a part of your vegan diet if the item contains no animal ingredients of any sort.
Benefits of a vegan diet.
Now that we’ve defined the spectrum of foods that are and aren’t a part of the vegan diet, let’s dive into its many benefits.
We all know that one of the biggest reason for the advent of veganism as a food sub-culture around the world has been animal cruelty in breeding and killing the volume of animals to feed the growing population. Some studies have also linked the over-consumption of meat and sea-food has contributed vastly to environmental footprint and climate change. But apart from the obvious effects of becoming a vegan, there are tremendous health benefits derived from turning to a vegan diet.
A well-planned vegan diet can be the fuel your body needs to reach the highest level of fitness since a vegan will inevitably consume more vegetables and fruits. Not only can it make you leaner and healthier, people who follow vegan diet have proven to show lower risk of chronic dieses, cancer and lesser heart problems. Indians grow up drinking milk as a part of their daily supplement. However, milk products can cause all sorts of health ailments like migraines, acne, digestive and respiratory problems. If you’re wondering how someone, for example a sportsperson, can sustain with just plant-based diets then we can safely say that all it takes is a well-balanced and well-planned meal. Many world-class athletes and sports stars are actually long-time vegans and advocate in vegan nutrition.
Plus, the food is insanely delicious and it becomes more plentiful every year.
How easy is it to be vegan in this day and age?
Vegan foods are everywhere. A lot of traditional Indian recipes are already vegetarian and even vegan, shattering the barrier that vegan diets are only for the rich. In fact, most local markets have an assortment of fresh, natural products that can be turned into a simple curry, sandwich and soup that are completely vegan and cheap. Most supermarkets now stock plenty of options to help you have access to vegan foods like breads, oats and other grains, tofu and tempeh, variety of nuts and most importantly, vegan milks like soy, almond, nut, hemp milks and milk products. Vegan cheeses are also readily available in bigger markets and stores, which means no more compromise on your favourite pasta and pizza. The development of mock meats are becoming more advanced every day that they almost taste like real meat. This is sure help someone who is on the fence to take that final step towards switching to a vegan diet. No meal is complete without a good dessert and we promise, they don’t disappoint either. You can now buy vegan ice creams and sorbets, cookies, cakes, chocolates and granola through many online stores and have them delivered to your doorstep. Access to this wide range of vegan options has made it easier to take small and simple steps towards adopting and sustaining a vegan diet.