Millions of our citizens have a big holiday, even a round date – 80 years ago, on November 1, 1944, Briton Donald Watson founded a vegan community in London. He also coined the term “vegan” by taking the first and last letters of the English word “vegetarian”. There is definitely someone to celebrate the anniversary in our country: according to VTsIOM, the number of vegans in Russia has doubled in the last five years and now makes up 6% of the population.
To dot all the i’s, let me explain: vegans are a stricter variant of vegetarians.
If the latter does not eat meat and dairy products, but can easily afford, for example, fish or eggs, then vegans strictly follow the principle of complete rejection of all forms of animal protein, and also do not wear clothes made of leather and fur. For them, veganism is not a diet, but a way of life.
The basis of a vegan diet is vegetables, fruits, pasta, grains and legumes. They are considered the main source of protein, and without it, as you know, you cannot go far: no protein means no necessary amino acids and vitamins, calcium is poorly absorbed. This means that strict vegans have very little muscle, teeth and hair due to these deficiencies. And if you can still live without teeth, hair and shiny skin, then you understand that without muscles it is a little difficult. Moreover, the heart, the most important organ of our body, is also a muscle.
The reasons for switching to a herbivorous lifestyle vary from person to person. Some feel sorry for the animals, others are sure that without meat the body will be cleansed and the owner will live up to a hundred years. Scientists oscillate between benefit and harm in their assessments: on the one hand, veganism involves improving the health of the body due to lower bad cholesterol, and on the other hand, wear and tear due to lack of animal protein and fats.
It seems that no one is talking about taste preferences, although this is strange – no one has yet explained how a person who loves meat can become a vegan. You can also love both animals and meat – this may seem like a contradiction, but such people are in the majority in the world.
Despite the apparent simplicity and nobility of the goals, being vegan today is not that cheap. Have you seen the prices of tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados and other cabbages and eggplants? The rising costs of nuts, chocolate and dried fruits are also heading into space.
The cost of chicken legs, eggs and cottage cheese is at least one and a half times less. In addition, the protein in legumes and nuts actually made the cat cry, and if a vegan wants to be healthy, he must definitely monitor the amount of essential amino acids entering the body. Protein drink can improve the situation, but it is also a matter of taste and financial capabilities: not everyone can fill a glass of this liquid with a rather specific taste or buy protein bars or other “healthy desserts” every day. at exorbitant prices.
But the numbers don’t lie; A growing number of advocates are giving up animal protein, which means changing your lifestyle in this way still has appeal.
Being vegan means being different from others, and that’s the most important thing.
For example, when you fly on a plane, everyone gets regular trays of omelettes and you get a special box of vegan food. You can announce loudly and meaningfully that you are vegan in a restaurant and make the waiters who will offer you meal options pay more attention to you. In general, in any situation of meeting new people, you automatically find yourself in the center of everyone’s attention as soon as you say that you are vegan and therefore special, somehow different from the general gray mass.
In addition, you have a separate group of like-minded people – for example, in the same social networks and a number of important activities that should in no case be tested, such as searching for recipes of various vegan dishes, clothes and even cosmetics. on animals (now in 90% of cases you can find a crossed-out image of a rabbit on any face cream package). Life takes on a new meaning.
There are no conscious long-term vegans among my friends, except perhaps my own grandson, who cannot stand any protein products. But he’s still too young to do it deliberately for the sake of some goal, so it doesn’t count. Everyone tried to give up meat but always came back to the idea of a mixed diet.
It is also well known what would happen if everyone suddenly decided to go vegan. On the one hand, humanity as a whole will become healthier and the environment will improve, because raising animals and processing meat and dairy products require huge energy costs. On the other hand, it would be necessary to forcibly regulate the population of domestic animals and mass exterminate the same chickens. Our beloved pets, dogs and cats, will also suffer a sad fate; They are not omnivores and would not be able to switch to cabbage even if we wanted to.
In the near future, vegans will be a minority and will be able to celebrate the holiday with protein bars and avocado cream pies once a year, the day after Halloween. And we will all love animals equally, regardless of their food preferences.
The author expresses his personal opinion, which may not coincide with the position of the editors.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Dolores Johnson is a voice of reason at “Social Bites”. As an opinion writer, she provides her readers with insightful commentary on the most pressing issues of the day. With her well-informed perspectives and clear writing style, Dolores helps readers navigate the complex world of news and politics, providing a balanced and thoughtful view on the most important topics of the moment.