Vegan 1-2-3 - Introduction
posted by: Angel Flinn 75 days ago
Over the past few months, I have published a number of articles explaining my belief that making the transition toward a vegan society is an essential pre-requisite for a peaceful world.
As one would expect, discussions following these essays have been more than a little heated, with a number of readers taking offense at my insistence that we desperately need to re-examine the accepted cultural practice of enslaving others for our own pleasure.
Despite the many rewards of vegan living, and despite the irrefutable fact that veganism is the way to relinquish our personal stake in the exploitation of other animals, there are quite a few readers who do not agree that veganism would be an improvement over the status quo, or are simply not interested in becoming vegan. Some have expressed the sentiment (likely shared by many), that they strongly dislike 'being told what to do', or being 'proselytized to'.
In the middle of these debates, however, there have appeared some comments from readers expressing a genuine desire to learn more about making such a transition, and some have even expressed a need for further information, not just in regards to why one should be vegan, but how one can go about doing so. This article is written with those people in mind.
I am concerned that some might have been intimidated by the stories of those who say they have had negative experiences with vegan experimentation, particularly those who have expressed that their own experiences with veganism were detrimental to their physical health.
In short, there seems to be a popular misconception amongst readers that being vegan is difficult for most people. It's not surprising that this is the case, not only because our minds and bodies have been programmed for many generations to adapt to eating animal foods, but also for the simple reason that vegan living is not the norm, and anything that is not the norm tends to be daunting to those who live in a society where so many aspects of life are shared with each other. Food and eating are central to so many of our cultural rituals, and seem to permeate so many different aspects of life, not just our daily meals but also entertainment and even religious observances.
On the other hand, in my discussions with vegans, there seems to be a general consensus that being vegan is actually remarkably easy, especially when you compare the effort that is required with the rewards, which can include dramatically improved health and energy levels, a lighter environmental footprint, enhanced spiritual awareness, increased self-confidence and self-esteem, greater enjoyment of food, and a renewed love and appreciation for animals and the rest of the natural world. In a time when many are seeking a new way of living that does not contribute to the madness of 'life as it is', veganism represents a paradigm shift of consciousness and behavior that can benefit the individual in ways that are hard to understand until you have had the experience for yourself.
In an attempt to provide some guidance for those who are genuinely attracted to the values of veganism, but are not sure of how to go about making what might appear on the surface to be a quantum leap in behavior, I would like to try and shine a light on some of the myths that contribute to the common misconception that being vegan is too difficult, or even impossible for certain individuals.
This information is intended to address the basic concerns of those who want to put their minds at ease in regard to some common misunderstandings, but it is by no means intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive guide. Anyone who has specific personal issues or serious concerns about health, nutrition, or any other aspect of the vegan lifestyle, would be wise to do their own research if they seek to go further.
For those who simply want reassurance that becoming vegan is not something to be intimidated by, I hope that these articles will provide the information you need. If, upon reading them, you have a question that I have not covered, please submit it as a comment, and I will do my best to address it in a future article.
For the sake of simplicity, I will be publishing this information in three separate articles, to be released soon. Keep an eye out for the following posts:
* What Do Vegans Eat?
* Health & Nutrition
* Being Vegan in a Speciesist World
As one would expect, discussions following these essays have been more than a little heated, with a number of readers taking offense at my insistence that we desperately need to re-examine the accepted cultural practice of enslaving others for our own pleasure.
Despite the many rewards of vegan living, and despite the irrefutable fact that veganism is the way to relinquish our personal stake in the exploitation of other animals, there are quite a few readers who do not agree that veganism would be an improvement over the status quo, or are simply not interested in becoming vegan. Some have expressed the sentiment (likely shared by many), that they strongly dislike 'being told what to do', or being 'proselytized to'.
In the middle of these debates, however, there have appeared some comments from readers expressing a genuine desire to learn more about making such a transition, and some have even expressed a need for further information, not just in regards to why one should be vegan, but how one can go about doing so. This article is written with those people in mind.
I am concerned that some might have been intimidated by the stories of those who say they have had negative experiences with vegan experimentation, particularly those who have expressed that their own experiences with veganism were detrimental to their physical health.
In short, there seems to be a popular misconception amongst readers that being vegan is difficult for most people. It's not surprising that this is the case, not only because our minds and bodies have been programmed for many generations to adapt to eating animal foods, but also for the simple reason that vegan living is not the norm, and anything that is not the norm tends to be daunting to those who live in a society where so many aspects of life are shared with each other. Food and eating are central to so many of our cultural rituals, and seem to permeate so many different aspects of life, not just our daily meals but also entertainment and even religious observances.
On the other hand, in my discussions with vegans, there seems to be a general consensus that being vegan is actually remarkably easy, especially when you compare the effort that is required with the rewards, which can include dramatically improved health and energy levels, a lighter environmental footprint, enhanced spiritual awareness, increased self-confidence and self-esteem, greater enjoyment of food, and a renewed love and appreciation for animals and the rest of the natural world. In a time when many are seeking a new way of living that does not contribute to the madness of 'life as it is', veganism represents a paradigm shift of consciousness and behavior that can benefit the individual in ways that are hard to understand until you have had the experience for yourself.
In an attempt to provide some guidance for those who are genuinely attracted to the values of veganism, but are not sure of how to go about making what might appear on the surface to be a quantum leap in behavior, I would like to try and shine a light on some of the myths that contribute to the common misconception that being vegan is too difficult, or even impossible for certain individuals.
This information is intended to address the basic concerns of those who want to put their minds at ease in regard to some common misunderstandings, but it is by no means intended to be an exhaustive or comprehensive guide. Anyone who has specific personal issues or serious concerns about health, nutrition, or any other aspect of the vegan lifestyle, would be wise to do their own research if they seek to go further.
For those who simply want reassurance that becoming vegan is not something to be intimidated by, I hope that these articles will provide the information you need. If, upon reading them, you have a question that I have not covered, please submit it as a comment, and I will do my best to address it in a future article.
For the sake of simplicity, I will be publishing this information in three separate articles, to be released soon. Keep an eye out for the following posts:
* What Do Vegans Eat?
* Health & Nutrition
* Being Vegan in a Speciesist World
Read more: food, eating, health, spiritual, vegan, environment, ethics, values, animal welfare, animal rights
comments
Great article, and great responses Angel. I know it can be frustrating trying to communicate this message in a world that does not want to hear it - so I commend your commitment to this.
I love being vegan - I feel great, and I know that my actions represent my beliefs. It's the easiest thing I've done in my life.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I have been a vegetarian for 17 years and a vegan for 11 of those 17 years. I believe that eating animals is not appropriate for me, and that's what I choose to do. I know that mainstream does not believe that way, and it's sad, but it's everyone's choice to make. I am healthy and I feel great that I am not contributing to the business of slaughtering animals in horrific and cruel ways! So that's the icing on the cake for me in addition to eating healthy foods! My family, friends and co-workers all support me in the way I eat and everyone is conscious of this fact when we're eating todether, which is really great! So my belief is that Yes, we could have a healthier and happier world if we all ate a vegan diet, but again, that's my belief. To each their own....
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
i would like to start vegan diet becouse i belive. i've been vegetarian for 10 years then i start to work live with a man love meat & eggs. now i've colesterolo. what to say. i'm tired to fight all the time for everything. i hope to find help to start again vegetarian life. you are wonderful. thank's
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Though I am not an ostrich, I wish you good luck in your religion.
Cheers.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I find that the game you just mentioned tends to be frequently played by those who choose to keep their heads in the sand in regards to the suffering they cause to other creatures through their diet.
It's not the game I'm playing.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Angel Flinn
Yours of Oct 28, 2009 12:30 AM
You wrote: "What was it your ex-wife was eating that you felt caused her cancer?"
I did not FEEL anything. I knew what diet-ingredients and cooking methods caused her cancer, just as I knew what diet change would cure it--in 3 weeks (and her internist and oncologist confirmed the cure).
Two (of myriad) examples:
If you eat much dairy, potato, tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, white flour (as in white breads), meat, fowl, and white sugar, and do NOT eat much daikon, ginger root, raw or lightly cooked garlic, green cabbage, celery heart, romaine lettuce heart, onion, shallot, scallions, leek, Belgian endive, frisee, heart of curly endive or escarole, kombu (or other kelp), wakame (a seaweed), brown rice, whole oats, not-pearled golden or white barley, and fish or shellfish, likely you will have excess acid mucous and likely get a cold or colds.
If you eat foods that are very expansive (like, but not only, foods the phosphate of which is markedly greater than the sulfate) and foods that produce too much heat, or, worse, damp heat or have much saturated fat, cancer is a real prospect for you.
Please don't play the post modern game of "nothing is anything but personal perception and no fact exists but only point of view." It's tired; weak; defensively evasive, baiting, illegitimate.
Cheers.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I am not talking about dancing or shamans.
Nor am I talking about superficial happiness.
What was it your ex-wife was eating that you felt caused her cancer?
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Angel Flinn
RE; yours of Oct 27, 2009 11:02 PM
Sorry. Made a typo ("dace"). Fixed below.
Why not do a health dance, taught by a giggling shaman?
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Angel Flinn
RE; yours of Oct 27, 2009 11:02 PM
"...many variables that affect one's physical health, including external factors such as environment, but my own experience has shown me...that physical health is very much related to one's state of mind, and how we feel about ourselves, our lives and the choices we have made."
How's this anecdotal reply? My wife kept saying the same thing when I warned her that her "social" food-choices would harm her health. Then she got breast cancer, and begged me to cure her---with proper diet. I agreed subject to the condition that she eat exactly and only what I said. Her cancer vanished--fast.
Then, to be "happy" she returned to her old ways--slowly, through a period of about a year. About another year later, she got breast cancer again. Again she begged me to cure her, with diet. I refused. She lacked necessary discipline, thought superficial "happiness" trumped health (without which happiness is at best fleeting). We divorced.
Surely emotions affect health. But biochemistry is biochemistry, toxins are toxins, and deficiencies are omens of disease and early, ugly death.
Why not do a health dace, taught by a giggling shaman?
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I simply don't believe that health is as one-dimensional as this discussion suggests. Not only are there a great many variables that affect one's physical health, including external factors such as environment, but my own experience has shown me over and over again that physical health is very much related to one's state of mind, and how we feel about ourselves, our lives and the choices we have made.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
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