Did you know that every year, vegans all around the globe celebrate World Vegan Month to advocate the idea of veganism?
No matter which category you belong - vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian, or even if you just simply support the awareness of meatlessness, this is the month we champion the conception of the vegan lifestyle!
What is exactly veganism?
People who are new to the practice often get confused with these terms. Vegan means strictly NO food and products extracted from animals. In other words, vegans practice a disciplined diet in which they only eat plant-based food and goods. Vegetarians and pescatarians also share the similar interest in supporting the idea of a plant-forward lifestyle, the difference is that vegetarians still consume eggs and dairy products, and pescatarians include fish and seafood in their diet.
The term 'vegan' was coined by Donald Watson, the father of The Vegan Society, in November 1944. Fifty years later in 1994, World Vegan Month was introduced to commemorate the vegan movement. Since then, the number of vegans in the UK has grown, with the number of people opting to participate in 'Veganuary' in January doubling between 2019 and 2020.
Where do vegans get their source of protein from?
A common concern about the plant-based diet is that it may lack sufficient protein. However, many experts agree that planning meals in advance and sourcing the correct foods can provide all the nutrients one needs for a well-balanced diet, including all the protein the body needs. Meat consumption can be replaced with many other plant-based options that are also high in amino acids. For example tofu, nuts, beans, as well as “vegan meat” substitute that are made from gluten wheat, soy and other dairy free ingredients.
What are the other benefits of veganism?
Vegans believe surrendering non-plant production is an act of saving our mother Earth. It is scientifically proven that the reduction of carbon footprint comes from selecting plant-based products over animal-derived goods in our daily lives. Numerous researches have been done to show how vegan living can lead us all to have an environmentally friendly lifestyle, meanwhile also being able to protect our animal welfare. Besides that, doctors agreed that vegan-eating improves our health as plant-based food is free from cholesterol, which also helps humans to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and the list goes on.
Going vegan is a great opportunity to learn more about different foods and the nutrition contained in every meal, thus allowing you to improve your diet. Furthermore, not only are you preventing the worldwide exploitation of animals, but also saving the environment at the same time! So this November we challenge you to be daring and try something new and exciting - start now, one step at a time in putting your foot into the vegan community!
(Edited by: Jia Yi Kiang)
