question for vegans...

[Singingmom]

I've been cooking more and more vegetarian meals, and I understand the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle, but I haven't learned anything about veganism. I've read a little about dioxins, but I don't know of any other reasons for avoiding animal products altogether. I'm really curious as to your reasons for becoming vegan. What specific health benefits do you gain? What was the biggest influence on your decision? Do you feel better when you don't eat animal products? Are there exceptions you make? What else can you share with me? Thanks for letting me pry! :shifty :)

[ArmsOfLove]

Well, my exception is that I'm currently eating meat because my supply for twins seems to be requiring it.

My main reasons for going vegan were that I was allergic to milk and eggs and only eating meat and only turkey because of other issues. So we did it backwards from most. But I can say that eggs and milk have all sorts of issues of their own including being animal products which means they have high cholesterol, they are hard to digest, they are high allergens--and, if you think about it, why on earth would we eat the milk produced for another mammal and the egg for procreation of a bird??? :shifty

I *feel* much better when eating vegan, and my family still is even while I'm currently not. Though we occasionally cheat and eat goat cheese because soy cheese stinks :P

[Singingmom]

Thanks for your insights, Crystal! :)

Anyone else want to share? :poke :popcorn

[peacefulveganmom]

That's a great question, singingmom! It's one I used to ask myself a bunch.......and it's what led me to becoming a vegan!! :giggle

I have been a vegetarian since I was kid, but just decided to go vegan about 2 years ago, after the birth of my first child. My husband made the decision to go vegan with me, and we are now raising our 2 children that way as well. :heart

When I was just a little girl, I really began questioning why we were eating other living creatures, and it really made me sad. :cry I just didn't understand it all, and didn't see why it was "necessary". :shrug So one day I just told my mother I wanted to be a vegetarian and have never looked back!

A couple of years ago God really started convicting me about the animal products I was still consuming (dairy and eggs) so I started seriously seeking some answers. I ran across John Robbins book “Diet for a New America” about this time, and after reading it I couldn’t NOT become a vegan. KWIM?? I have since come to know about the Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA) and have had my convictions strengthened with scripture support and the encouragement of other Christians who feel the same. Their website is www.christianveg.com if you’re interested in reading more. ;)

As for the health benefits of cutting out animal products altogether, there are lots of reasons:
Animal foods tend to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which elevate blood lipids and increase the risk of heart disease. Since farmed animals are bred to grow quickly and given little exercise, their flesh is particularly high in saturated fats (and not to mention lots of growth hormones!) :sick

Many studies have shown that the Chinese, who eat much less animal fat and protein and get most of their nutrition from plant sources, have much less heart disease mortality and much lower cholesterol levels than Americans and other Asians eating a more Western type of diet.

Animal proteins are heavily laden with sulfur-containing amino acids, which acidify the blood. The body neutralizes the acid by leaching calcium from bones, which makes them weak.

The routine use of antibiotics to prevent infections in crowded, stressed animals promotes dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria. With the consumption of animal products, you also need to worry about the huge amounts of pesticides, hormones, heavy metals, and dioxins that become concentrated in animal fat. (Especially dairy!)

There is also the animal cruelty to consider:
In the US, virtually all food derived from animals (including dairy) is obtained through intensive factory farming methods. Nearly ten billion land animals are slaughtered each year, over a million every hour. :td These animals suffer greatly from stressful, overcrowded, barren environments that frustrate their instinctive drives and they are given painful amputations without anesthesia (debeaking, dehorning, tail docking, and castration). :sad2

And some other reasons:
While humans can digest flesh, our anatomy much more strongly resembles that of plant-eating creatures. For example: like plant eaters, our colons are long and complex; our intestines are 10–11 times longer than our bodies; meat eaters have short intestines to aid in ridding the body of putrid, decaying flesh foods. :sick2 Our saliva contains digestive enzymes and our teeth resemble those of plant eaters. Our canines are short and blunt, not long, sharp, and curved. God designed us this way, and He doesn’t make mistakes. :tu

In Genesis, the Bible depicts vegetarianism as God’s ideal diet for us. And since we are created in God’s image of love, we are called to be good stewards and caretakers of His creation. :heart After the Flood, God made a covenant with the animals as well as humans. Most people don’t think about this. :shrug This covenant is stated 5 different times in the Bible, and clearly says the covenant is for all flesh, not just humans. :think Something to prayerfully consider………

Hope this helps answer some of your questions. Sure- It can be a tough lifestyle to follow sometimes, in the society that we live in. But so can “true” Christianity. :O

I just have to continually remind myself that God has not called us to blend in...... Jesus sure didn’t!! :giggle

Feel free to ask other questions if I can answer anything specific for you. HTH

[peacefulveganmom]

I just found this fact on the www.milksucks.com website and thought I'd share: "Dairy cows are artificially impregnated (not a comfortable experience) and have their calves torn from them within days of birth—causing acute distress to both mother and calf—so that the milk they need can be sold in the supermarket." :cry
Yet another reason.............. :candle

[flowermama]

Thank you so much, Vegmom, for sharing all that.

We cut dairy products out of our diet first due to health issues, and for me, well, I like dairy more than meat, so cutting out meat wasn't such a big deal then.

I try very hard to eat fully vegan, except I sometimes eat products made with honey.

John Robbin's video was one of the biggest influcences, and also Crystal was a big influence in my deciding to become vegan. :)

[Singingmom]

Yes, thanks Vegmom. :) I was a little afraid when I posted these questions that I might learn more than I wanted to. :O That I might have to start moving out of my long held comfort zone. You've given me a lot to think about, and I'll have to start perusing those links...

[Punkie]

Another book that talks quite a bit about the farming practices is "Fast Food Nation". Its obviously written from a politically liberal point of view, and has a few biases, but I think the info presented on both the meat and the artificial flavoring industries are quite enlightening :)

ETA: The info on genetically modified foods is good too :tu