20 Things You Should Know About Veganism

Want to adopt veganism and confused about what exactly it is?

Veganism is defined as a way of life that excludes using animals and animal products in any form -- food, milk, eggs, clothing, or products derived from animals in any way. And the follower of this diet or ideology is called a Vegan. These are the facts about veganism you might not be aware of:-

1. According to a recent survey, about 600,000 people in the United States follow veganism i.e., 2% of the total population. And this number has seen an upward trend in recent years.
2. Though veganism looks like a new concept, it's early supporters could be dated back to 1020 AD. The term veganism was coined by Donald Watson in November 1944.
3. November is considered a World Vegan month, while the 1st of November is celebrated as a World Vegan day all around the world.
4. The first vegan society in the US was founded in 1948 in California, and the American Vegan Society (AVS) was formed in 1960.
5. The Vegan Society encourages people to take a "Liberation Pledge" which has 3 parts: 
   1. Publicly refuse to eat meat.
   2. Refuse to sit where animal meat is being consumed. 
   3. Motivate others to take the pledge.
      
6. There could be various reasons for people adopting veganism - Ethical, Environmental, or Religious.
7. 'Ethical vegans' are the ones who think it's morally not right to exploit animals for their meat, leather, skin, or any other stuff derived from their bodies.
8. 'Environmental vegans' are the ones who feel that they are damaging the ecosystem by consuming these helpless animals. Environmentalists who turn vegan fall into this category. 
9. 'Religious vegans' are the ones who follow a vegan diet because they belong to the religion which prohibits consuming animal products. 
   
10. Every day a vegan saves- 1,100 Gallons of water, 45 lbs of grain, 30 sq ft of the forest, 20 lbs CO2, and a life of an animal.
11. The number of grains required to raise an animal (your 1 dinner) can feed a vegan family of 4 for a whole month!! 
12. Farm animals are administered antibiotics to enhance their physical growth and to make them more sustainable during their journey from farm to table. And these antibiotics ultimately enter our systems. Veganism saves you these daily doses of slow poison!! 
13. You can not ignore the benefits of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables every day. And all those antioxidants and valuable minerals you intake every day will leave your skin looking fresh and young.
14. Veganism is considered healthy!! Recent research has proved that a vegan diet helps in reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 
15. It's easier to lose weight when you are on a vegan diet. Veganism reduces your blood sugar levels and your BMI (body mass index).
16. The rate of metabolism also increases once your diet is solely plant-based, and this, in the long run, helps in maintaining your desired weight.
17. To supplement the protein intake, vegans need to choose more whole grains like kidney beans, garbanzo beans, black eye peas, lentils, soy products, peanut & almond butter. Sprouted grains are the best resources for weight loss.
    
18. Once you turn vegan and refrain from dairy products like milk, eggs & cheese, the main challenge a vegan face is healthy sources of calcium. For that, they need calcium & Vit-d rich food like Edamame, cooked broccoli, soy products, kale, turnip, collard greens, dried figs, etc.
19. Veganism is not considered appropriate during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and for athletes. A unique diet plan, along with proper health supplements, needs to be considered to prevent nutritional deficiencies. 
20. Veganism is gaining acceptance as well as popularity slowly and steadily throughout the world. Supermarkets have individual sections exclusively dedicated to vegan food items. In fact, an exclusive store Veganz, carrying only vegan items, opened its doors to the public last year.