Becoming Vegan: Could It Be Tougher Than You Thought?

You’ve probably seen lately that the choice of becoming vegan is gaining in popularity. But one of the things that I have found amoung many fledgling vegetarians is that they are a bit confused about what is a vegan. Many people think that a vegan is just another vegetarian, and the term ‘vegan’ is just a shortened form to refer to this group.

If you’re keen on becoming vegan, it’s important to be fully aware about what veganism is, because veganism is not simply about giving up meat. It’s about adopting a completely different lifestyle!

What is a Vegan?

In simple terms, veganism could be described as the strictest form of vegetarianism where the individual after becoming vegan, not only gives up meat, fish and eggs but also stay away from products which are derived from animal sources like yogurt, cheese, honey, gelatin, etc. They even avoid using items which have a connection, however remote it may be, to animal produce or animal source. This means a vegan would not touch products or accessories made from fur, leather, wool or silk.

Becoming Vegan: Some Common Concerns

When I first heard people adopting veganism as conscious lifestyle choice, I could not help but wonder about the rationale about choosing such a lifestyle choice. While a vegetarian might give up meat due to cultural, health, environmental, economical or religious reasons, a vegetarian decides to be a vegan due to reasons which are more humane in nature. Typical beliefs of a vegan could be:

• Animal slaughter is not only cruel but also unethical.
• Vegetables and fruits contain as much nutrients as foods of animal origin.
• Use of animals for lab testing be it for medicinal or cosmetic purposes is a kind of animal torture
• Many vegans are also against keeping pets especially if the animal is made to participate in competitive sports, etc.

The list of beliefs that a vegan has, goes on but what I would like to point out to you is that becoming a vegan is obviously tougher than becoming, say, a vegetarian no mater what class of vegetarianism you adopt. This is because veganism is much more than giving up fish, met or eggs – it is whole new mindset that you need to develop before you decide to adopt this lifestyle.

How to Get Started Becoming Vegan

Despite the seemingly tough approach a vegan takes towards diet and personal preferences, I would say that ultimately life is all about choices and if your personal beliefs are motivating enough, becoming vegan should not be that difficult. However, to get you started on the right foot, here are some simple steps to follow:

• Know as much as possible about what is vegan and get your rationale for becoming one very clear in your mind. Veganism is not a fad. If you have read some quote or a story or anecdote which moved you towards this decision, I would recommend that you keep on referring to it, to stay motivated, at least during the initial phase.

• Give the matter due health priority. Consult your doctor whether veganism is right for you considering your present health condition.

• Study a typical vegan diet and understand the science behind them like caloric and also the nutritional values. After all, in a move to be kind to the animal kingdom, you do not want to become a martyr and fall sick.