International Vegan Day. Vita Animal Rights Center What is the ideology of veganism

World Vegan Day has been celebrated for over 20 years. The holiday was born in Europe on November 1, 1994. It concludes “Vegetarian Mindfulness Month,” which opens on October 1st. On the final day, information events and events aimed at educating society are held. The TV shows themed films and programs, and the vegan restaurants are crowded with customers. More and more people want to join the Vegan Society. Every year the number of people who adhere to a vegetarian lifestyle increases. On the eve of the holiday - Vegan Day 2017, we will tell you about vegans, their history and nutrition.

The ideology of the vegan society

Veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism, which involves avoiding as many products as possible from exploited or killed animals. The word itself, denoting a person who does not consume the above products, “vegan,” was coined by the founder of the Vegan Society, D. Watson, by shortening the English word “vegetarian.”

D. Watson devoted himself to the proposition that veganism can provide everything so that a person can answer the important question: what is he living for? According to him, you don’t need to make any effort to avoid getting sick - modern transport allows you to bring any products for vegan nutrition from anywhere in the world. He called for people to join his community, become healthy and without the heavy burden of conscience about murder and cruelty to animals, and add ten wonderful years to their lives.

It is believed that man was a vegan by natural origin, which is proven by the physiology of the human body. The number of followers of the vegetarian trend is growing every year, people are abandoning meat and products created by cruelty to animals. They do not eat meat, eggs, fish or products that have been tested on animals. The main reason for turning vegan is the reluctance to participate in the exploitation of unfortunate animals.

The ideology of the vegan trend was inspired by the consideration of the issue of moral human rights. Does he have the right to use his younger brothers to satisfy needs that are often unnecessary and have a harmless analogue? Modern people have the opportunity to realize the cruelty of treatment of animals and stop eating meat, stop testing products on animals and buying fur.

Benefits of a Vegan Lifestyle

Human health is also an important incentive to stop consuming animal products. Quite a few studies have been conducted confirming the harmfulness of consuming meat products.


Thoughtful, convenient vegan nutrition can provide the human body with essential nutrients, promote development and is suitable for any age category. A properly balanced menu is enriched with essential organic substances, such as vitamins, calcium, proteins and iron, as well as minerals necessary for healthy human development. It contains a minimum of saturated fat and a sufficient amount of fiber and antioxidants. The listed substances found in plant foods help reduce many modern diseases, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer. This is at a time when livestock farming is rapidly leading to a serious environmental disaster. Widespread meat production and livestock farming have a bad impact on the environment. For example, the need for grain feed forces forests to be reduced and fields to be burned, thereby destroying the habitat of animals and contributing to the extinction of species.

The UN consistently writes about the decline of farming, as it contributes more to the greenhouse effect than the automobile industry. Researchers say that in the fight against climate change, humanity must radically change its diet, reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products.

How to become a real vegan

To join the ranks of vegetarianism, it is not enough to wake up and understand that you do not want to be involved in cruelty to animals, stop eating meat, fish and seafood, or use products created by killing or exploiting animals.


The transition to a vegetarian diet should be smooth, gradual, without sudden stressful situations for the body. It is best to consult with a nutritionist who will help you give up animal products and tell you about a balanced diet.

From the outside it may seem that the vegan diet is meager and not replete with variety and tastes, because the main idea of ​​veganism is the rejection of products of animal origin. But that's not true. Vegetarian cuisine is tasty and healthy.
A vegan diet allows you to eat cereals, vegetables and fruits, berries, nuts, pasta and bread products, and seeds. This list of products is enough to prepare first courses, desserts and drinks. In addition, the manufacturer offers soy products (meat products and cheese) to those following a vegan diet. Modern supermarkets also offer desserts, such as chocolate for vegans. With such a variety of products, there is no need to be afraid of monotonous food.

Gift for the holiday of veganism

On International Vegan Day, it is also customary to congratulate adherents of a vegetarian lifestyle. What gift should a vegetarian choose?


A good gift for a vegan is kitchen utensils. Since the essence of a vegan is food, a vegetarian pays especially much attention to preparation.

• A blender or chopper is a good gift for the kitchen.
• A microfarm for growing grains would be an excellent gift.
• A butter press is a good gift; it can be used to easily prepare nut butter.
• A vacuum cleaner is a necessary thing for a vegan, because he doesn’t always have the opportunity to eat in a restaurant.
• A dehydrator will help a vegan make fruit and vegetable chips, an alternative to store-bought ones.

You can also give a book with recipes for vegetarian cuisine. A cookbook is not only the recipes written in it, but also the ground for imagination and experimentation with new dishes.

When buying clothes as a gift, it is worth remembering that they should only be of plant origin. Fur, wool or silk are taboo for a vegan.

A basket with a variety of seasonings, aromatic fruits, tea and spices is also suitable as a gift. But remember that you cannot give honey as a gift - honey is obtained from bees living outside their own free will.
A gift for a woman can be a set of cosmetics that are not tested on animals. It is very difficult to find such cosmetics - it will become a valuable gift.

If you have no idea about the life of your vegan friend, what he needs and what he has, give him sets of utensils, such as cutting boards, jars, etc.
A good move would be a certificate to a store with vegan products.

International Vegan Day is an interesting holiday, and even if you are not part of the vegetarian community, trying vegetarian dishes, watching television programs and participating in promotions for your own variety is a useful and interesting activity.

“Comparative anatomy confirms that man is by nature a herbivore, subsisting on fruits, seeds and mealy plants” (Dr. Sylvester Graham).

Nov. 1 noted International Vegan Day - World Vegan Day .

The word "vegan" was coined Donald Watson (Donald Watson) from the first three and last two letters of the English word “vegetarian” (“vegetarian”, “vegetarian”).

The holiday has been celebrated annually since 1994. Although the first “Vegan Community” was created in Great Britain back in 1944.

On World Vegan Day, events and lectures dedicated to vegans and veganism are held in different countries. There are also festivals, concerts, fairs, film and fashion shows.

Veganism (veganism) - a way of life subject to strict. Vegans eat only plant foods, completely eliminating even dairy products, eggs and honey from their diet.

They also refuse to wear clothes made of leather, fur, wool, and silk.

Why do people become vegans?

The main reason is probably pity, compassion, and reluctance to be the cause of killing animals and cruelty to them.

Sir Paul McCartney said: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.”

It seems to me that he is absolutely right.

Most of us don’t think at all about how many animals die to fill the shelves of stores, markets, and then the shelves of our refrigerators.

For example, after reading the poems of the 17th century English poet Pope , I no longer want sausage and steak:

“Lamb, doomed by your greed
For fierce torture, in the moment of mortal agony
Looks into your eyes, innocent, amazed,
And he affectionately licks your hands, the murderer!”

The founders of many religions were also vegetarians.

For example, the founder of the Buddhist religion Siddhartha Gautama , known to the world as Buddha (623-544 BC), gave up eating meat in his youth.

Didn't eat meat Confucius , founder of Zoroastrianism Zoroaster , saint Francis of Assisi .

More likely, Jesus Christ He also did not eat meat, since this is not mentioned in any of the four Gospels.

It is known for sure that he was a strict vegetarian St. Peter . He ate only bread, olives and herbs.

The apostles did not eat meat Matthew And Jacob .

And the greatest preacher of Christianity John Chrysostom wrote: “We are like wolves and tigers! We are even worse than these animals. Nature created them in such a way that they should eat meat, while God gifted us with rational speech and a sense of justice.”

Many brilliant people were vegetarians.

For example, Pythagoras (VI century BC), which we all learn about in elementary school.

But Pythagoras was not only a scientist and philosopher, he was also the founder of the first vegetarian association, including 300 young people from the most influential families of the city.

The main commandment of the members of this society was “Do not kill or harm innocent animals.”

Pythagoras convinced his students that if they were content with plant foods, they would have health and peace of mind.

Pythagoras himself ate bread, boiled and raw, and honey.

The biographer of Pythagoras wrote: “Pythagoras’s sleep was short, his soul was pure and cheerful, his body was tempered in perfect and indestructible health.”

The ancient poet Ovid wrote with admiration about the teachings of Pythagoras in his Metamorphoses: “He, Pythagoras, was the first to prohibit the serving of animal meat; was the first to open his mouth to utter words full of wisdom...”

Plato, who is considered a follower of Pythagoras, was also a vegetarian.

Plato founded the "Academy" near Athens and gave his lectures there.

Plato was sure that eating meat leads to many diseases that can be avoided by eating plant foods, cheese, honey - “And isn’t it a shame when medical care is required not for wounds or random illnesses characteristic of the season, but due to our dissolute life..."

The writer and historian of antiquity was a vegetarian Plutarch . In his writings there are the following words: “For my part, I do not understand what kind of feeling, thought or reason guided that person who for the first time decided to defile his mouth with blood and allowed his lips to touch the meat of a slain creature... Nothing leads us to embarrassment: neither the wonderful beauty of the helpless animals we kill for food, nor the pitiful gentle sounds of their voices, nor their mental abilities. Just because of a piece of their meat, we are depriving them of the radiant light, the life for which they were born.”

The great painter and scientist of the Renaissance was a strict vegetarian Leonardo da Vinci , who wrote: “The time will come when people will look at the killing of animals as they now look at the killing of humans.”

Supporters of vegetarianism were Voltaire And Rousseau , English poet of the early 19th century P.B. Shelley , philosophers Montaigne And Schopenhauer, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Henry Ford, Mahatma Gandhi , writer and playwright Bernard Show .

Shaw was an unusually witty and sharp person; to questions from a curious public about his refusal to eat meat, he answered: “Why demand from me an account of why I eat like a decent person. If I were eating the burnt corpses of innocent creatures, you would have reason to ask me why I do this.”

We all know that the great Russian writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy preached abstinence from meat.

It is difficult to even list all the great people who adhere to vegetarianism.

Many of our contemporaries do not eat meat: movie stars Brigitte Bardot, Richard Gere, Pamela Anderson, David Duchovny, Cameron Diaz, Steven Seagal, Demi Moore …

Probably, each of us decides for himself what to eat.

But even if you don’t give up, reducing the amount of meat in your diet is good for you, all scientists and doctors agree with this.

And in conclusion, the verses of Pythagoras:

“It’s enough for you, people, to defile yourselves with illicit food!
Do you have cereals? under the weight of a rich burden
The branches of the trees bow to juicy, ruddy fruits;
The grapes hang on the vines; roots and herbs
Tender, tasty ripen in the fields; and others,
Those that are rougher are softened and sweetened by fire;
Pure milky moisture and fragrant honeycomb
Sweet honey that smells like fluffy grass - thyme,
You are not prohibited. Lavishly generously all the blessings
The earth offers you; no brutal killings and no blood
She prepares delicious dishes for you.
Only wild animals
They satisfy their hunger with live meat...
...And what a criminal custom this is,
What a terrible abomination: intestines - intestines absorption!
Is it possible to fatten creatures like us with meat and blood?
Greedy body and the murder of another creature,
By someone else’s death, to support life?”

"Vegan Freak"
November 1 is International Vegan Day

World Vegan Day has been celebrated annually since 1994 on November 1, the anniversary of the Vegan Society, founded in the UK in 1944. Veganism is very popular today, a lot is written about it, and it is often recommended. Vegan Freak is not just a book. This is a guide to action for anyone who, as a vegan, feels uncomfortable around “normal” people or dreads the mere thought of switching to a strict vegetarian diet.

“Vegan Freak” is a guide to using conversational and behavioral tactics when communicating with family, friends and other members of the majority. Finally, this is a useful database: the text contains almost everything you need to know about animal rights violations, their consequences and alternatives to the established order - from exposing the system of factory farming to a review of fashionable clothing brands that are not involved in the exploitation of smaller brothers.

Chapter 2. Animal rights

To meat eaters, we vegans are pathetic bastards. The killers. Yes Yes exactly. We kill without remorse, often boiling or roasting our prey alive without a thought for the life and freedom we take or the pain we cause. Sometimes we even cut our victims into small pieces and eat them with garlic, filled with pleasure. We are sick and twisted. We are merciless tyrants who have not a drop of pity for the oppressed.

Are we considered this way because we admitted to throwing bloody orgies? Nope. We are just trying on a suit made by meat-eaters.

To them, backed into an intellectual corner, we vegans are the Hannibal Lecters of the vegetable world. As soon as you mention that you are an ethical vegan, some omnivore immediately raises his tail and begins to “overwrite” about “plant rights.” His argument is that if you care about animal rights, you should also care about the rights of flora. And although many vegans really try to cause the least damage to the environment, omnivores are trying to achieve something completely different with their criticism. They want to destroy our arguments for veganism with a thousand mosquito bites, because if they splatter our values ​​with mud, they can gain the indulgence of the right not to think about the direct or passive struggle we face as vegans.

And so you will spend your whole life listening to whining about the exploitation, suffering and killing of plants, while an omnivore eats chicken with a triumphant grin, apparently forgetting that it takes more than one kilogram of cereals to produce half a kilo of chicken meat. Therefore, if an omnivore truly cared about plant rights, he would eat only a few grains of wheat, instead of feeding bags of cereal to those farm animals whose dead flesh he would later relish. But these are minor things. It’s much more fun to tease vegans by calling them executioners.

In addition, plant rights advocates are ignoring some common sense findings. Let's have a little brainstorming. Let's conduct an experiment using broccoli and a pig. Let's touch the broccoli with a hot poker. What happened? Nothing: the broccoli is a little roasted (which is why it doesn’t smell very good), but it doesn’t scream, doesn’t twitch or show any reaction, because it doesn’t have a nervous system or pain receptors. If you do the same with a pig, it will most likely squeal in pain and run away. Since it can sometimes be difficult to say for sure about the sensitivity of a particular person or animal, things like a high-pitched cry are very helpful in making educated guesses about its well-being and condition. In addition to the fact that the piglet uses sound and behavioral signals to let us know how it feels, it is known that it has a nervous system and pain receptors. What about the plant? It leads a “vegetable” lifestyle and feels everything in a similar way, let’s say.

Eating meat is part of people's lives. In order for this part to change, the whole, that is, the whole life, must first change. Of course, it happens that changes in life begin with giving up eating meat, but this does not happen often. The habit of meat-eating can rather be called a symptom of a disease, rather than its cause. Until the cause is eliminated, it is useless to fight the symptoms.

The depth of the absurdity of the fight for plant rights clearly shows how far people are willing to go to deny the fact that they indirectly cause suffering to animals. Omnivores are more or less responsible for the bloodbaths that occur in slaughterhouses, since they are even ready to attack vegans for eating the notorious broccoli. Yes, the universe is not structured easily.

It’s sad, but any vegan has to listen to these reproaches, especially if he is an ethical vegan. The rampant narcissism of the consumer society can still forgive veganism as a manifestation of concern for one’s own health. Tell them you want to lose a few pounds or that you have high cholesterol, and they will wholeheartedly support your decision, even if they think it's a little extreme. They will most likely also take your side, saying that you are very “brave” - because you are ready to suffer by refusing animal products.

But as soon as you blurt out that you are a vegan because you believe that animals should not suffer for the pleasure of people, you will immediately be labeled as a freak. The moment you mention animal rights, people stare at you as if you just farted loudly and fragrantly.

The most striking thing about this behavior of others for vegans is that most meat eaters have their own cats and/or dogs and they know very well that their pets are capable of feeling pain, experiencing sensations such as joy, sadness and delight, and have every right not to suffer .

Yet, due to social mechanisms imposed on us, as well as traditions, tastes and habits, we continue to rob animals of what they deserve: freedom from pain and exploitation and the opportunity to live full lives as conscious beings. And instead of thinking critically about the extreme suffering contained in every gram of meat, eggs or dairy products, and how we exploit animals for our own comfort, omnivores, as usual, worry about how much they will miss chicken wings. hamburgers and cheese. We know that we are not the only ones who see this relationship between the forces of good and evil.

Based on such inadequacy in the perception of living beings in our culture, we will dump on you all the harsh language regarding animal rights. We'll discuss some of the ethical, environmental, and physiological reasons for becoming and staying vegan. We focus on the ethics of veganism, using logical arguments regarding pain and sensitivity to argue that exploiting animals for our needs is morally unacceptable.

We outline the modern philosophical system of views on this problem and insist that we must develop a culture of protecting the right to life without suffering. Our main argument is that animals are not property that we can do with as we please, and we will explore the common root of oppression of humans and animals (should we say "capitalism"?) and demonstrate how human and animal rights are intertwined with each other friend.

Finally, we'll look at the catastrophic impact factory farming has on people, animals and the planet. We'll also break down the logic of the popular vegan argument that really pisses us off. To wrap things up, we'll evaluate veganism in terms of its health benefits and discuss animal rights in everyday life.

But before we begin, we allow ourselves one important note.

Although we know a lot about what goes on in circuses, zoos, fish farms, fur factories, laboratories and hunting, we believe that the most important issue today is the issue of industrial animal husbandry. First of all, this is the most common way of oppressing animals by humans. In addition, this is the area where the largest number of murders occur. In this regard, we focus on agriculture, paying less attention to problems in other areas of exploitation. Don't think that we think fur coats are normal, that dissecting animals is healthy, or that bullfighting is fun. We don't question the fact that this whole thing "sucks" and we hope that things like this will come to an end soon.

Now let's talk about a sadist named Simon.

A sadist named Simon

In his book An Introduction to Animal Rights: Your Kid or Your Dog, Gary Franchione offers a disarming concept for meat-eating theorists that illustrates the problems with animal perception in human culture. It is as follows. Imagine the f...ing sadist Simon, who tortures his dog by burning him with a blowtorch. Now ask yourself a sad question: “Is this okay?” If you are in the same boat with us, you will answer unequivocally: “No way!” Any sane person will agree that there is something unnatural in this. As far as we can tell, Simon is causing the dog incredible suffering. And if you ask him why he does this, he will calmly answer that he gets great pleasure from the process.

This will seem outrageous to most reasonable people: some creep is torturing a dog simply because he likes it. He cannot give any other reasons. Let's make a bold assumption that you don't have to be a vegan to understand that there's something wrong with a guy. But what's the problem? The overwhelming majority would answer that the dog feels pain and any person is obliged to relieve it from this pain. Meanwhile, it is in the dog's interests to avoid torture. Everything seems to be correct, right? To top it off, many would say that there is simply no need for animal cruelty.

Reasonable people tend to extend the same logic to other animals. Many dudes and dudes believe that cows, chickens and pigs should also not be burned with a soldering iron; and when they witness the abuse of these animals, this abuse seriously shocks them. Blatant cruelty seems completely unnecessary to them because they understand that animals suffer. Most are aware of this and oppose the practice (interestingly, outside the slaughterhouse, where Simon could “just do his job,” he would be prosecuted for animal cruelty).

A hardliner should only be a strict vegan (vegetarians eat milk and eggs), giving preference to natural and organic food. Thus, most products that come from third world countries are also banned: sugar, chocolate, tropical fruits, coffee and tea - due to the hazardous working conditions in which they are produced.

Since most people agree that all animals are worthy of respect and freedom from pain, how can they eat dairy, eggs, meat, fish and poultry? If we agree that animals should not suffer for someone else's pleasure, how can we allow them to go under the knife and then into food? Vegans demonstrate that it is more than possible to exist without any animal products, without suffering mentally and physically. If we take for granted the fact that we can easily live without these products, then the thirst for meat and everything else is explained only by traditions and preferences. And if we really want to reduce animal suffering to zero, it turns out that our preferences in this case have no more right to exist than Simon’s desire to burn a dog with a blowtorch. And period.

Despite this, we have inherited a world in which living beings are killed, dismembered and eaten, considering such actions as the norm, and the abuse of animals on the street by idiotic teenagers is “unacceptable”. As soon as our whims come into play, we see bad practices as traditions and the natural course of history.

Yes, it may be a tradition to eat meat, but it is just as well a tradition in many countries to exclude women from certain positions, deny homosexuals the rights given to straight people, or discriminate against people based on the color of their skin. If we turn to arguments about the “natural course of history,” how is it that we never hear about the natural course of history when a bear eats a child (as often happens in New York state) or when a crocodile attacks a person? Besides, what's natural about going to the store and buying a bloody hunk covered in styrofoam?

Here you can object, they say, Simon is mocking the dog, and the animals that are eaten do not directly suffer. It’s true that, in theory, there is no cruelty on the way through the slaughterhouse to the plate, but we must not forget that birds, such as chickens, have their beaks cut so that they do not injure their neighbors in cramped concentration camps, driven mad by hellish conditions; that, say, piglets are castrated (without any anesthesia) so that they grow fatter; that cattle are dehorned (also, of course, without anesthesia).

This is only a hundredth part of what happens on animal farms, where animals do not have access to sufficient air, light and space. For example, chickens that lay eggs spend their entire lives in cramped cages, unable to move, until they are sent to slaughter. Their beaks are removed so that they do not peck themselves or their neighbors to death from permanent mental trauma. As for roosters, being useless for egg production, they are usually thrown into garbage containers, mutilated and ground into mush - but alive!

It should also not be forgotten that many animals (for example, cows) are killed by cutting their throats and hanging them upside down by their ankles on a chain. And although killing in many slaughterhouses involves stunning, this practice has proven to be not very effective. In a word, the modern agricultural machine places animals in conditions that completely and permanently subject our smaller brothers to human whims, without caring about their feelings and interests. We may not strive to cause suffering to animals, but the methods that are practiced cannot be called humane. And why? Because people like the taste of eggs, milk and meat. There are simply no other reasons.

Yes, ovolacto-vegetarians, you heard that right: we included eggs and milk in the list. Some of you have decided that by giving up meat, you have given a powerful kick to the industry of murder and pain, but, unfortunately, this is far from the truth. The moment cows stop producing enough milk or can no longer get pregnant, they become beef.

In addition, veal production is inextricably linked with milk production. When a cow gives birth to a bull, farmers have nothing to do with it except put it under the knife. When chickens get old and are no longer able to produce eggs, they also go to meat. In case anyone didn’t know: there are no fabulous pastures for retired cow cows, where they live out their days in gratitude for record milk yields; There are no nursing homes for chickens who have spent their time. But it is very nice to think that you are not supporting slaughter by eating eggs and cheese - after all, you are not eating the animals themselves. But if you think that it is unfair for animals to suffer for the sake of human pleasure, you must admit that there is nothing good in eggs or milk.

This is not written to offend ovolacto-vegetarians, but to emphasize: it is necessary to be aware that obtaining milk and eggs for human needs brings pain and death to animals. We can live just as well without eggs, meat and dairy as we can without animal abuse. In both cases, everything depends only on our ability to adequately relate to our desires and whims. Is our hunger for animal products sufficient reason for 500 animals to be killed for meat in the time it takes you to read this book? How compelling is this for why 8 billion living beings are sent to slaughter each year in the United States alone?

____________
1 Franchione, Gary Lawrence (b. 1954) is a legal scholar and author of several books on animal rights issues. His theoretical research explores three main issues: the property status of animals; differences between animal rights and animal welfare; theory about animal rights based on their ability to feel.

"Vita" congratulates its like-minded people all over the world!

Vegans are strict vegetarians who exclude all animal products from their diet, including meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products. Vegans do not use animal fur and skin and are against killing animals for the sake of experience and entertainment.

There are more adherents of strict vegetarianism in the world every day, and Russia is no exception. It is especially popular among young people, as evidenced by the emergence of many vegan cafes and restaurants in various countries. The sharp increase in the number of vegans in the world and the transition of people to a plant-based diet (vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, mushrooms, algae) was facilitated by people's awareness of the suffering of animals in agriculture and medical recognition of the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. Other reasons for veganism are ecology (the problem of global warming, environmental pollution, conservation of earth's resources), the problem of hunger on the planet.

The term “vegan” was first coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, the founder of the first Vegan Society in England. Proponents of a vegan diet (as opposed to a vegetarian diet) justified their rejection of all animal products by explaining that the production of eggs and milk cannot be called ethical, since it is always associated with the merciless exploitation of animals and the destruction of unnecessary offspring. and his colleagues, by their example, were able to break the stereotypes of traditional medicine and prove that the vegan lifestyle is fulfilling and life-sustaining. Donald Watson died in 2005 at the age of 96(!), maintaining efficiency and energy until his last days.

Convinced vegans are: the President of Slovenia; actors Alicia Silverstone, Natalie Portman, Eric Roberts, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, director Peter Bogdanovich; legendary athletes, Martina Navratilova, Suriya Bonaly (Olympic figure skating champion), Jack La Lanne (bodybuilder, fitness guru), Kate Holmes (boxer, two-time world champion); musicians Moby, Prince, Bryan Adams, Sinead O'Connor; famous scientists: mathematician, physicist; doctor, teacher Benjamin Spock, TV presenter.

A well-known vegan with many years of “experience” is Nick Jukes, the head of the global organization InterNICH (a network of organizations for humane education), thanks to whose sparkling energy thousands of experimental animals around the world have been replaced with progressive humane alternatives.

“Vita” also congratulates another like-minded person on Vegan Day - the director of a unique shelter for farm animals in the south of England. Having been a vegan for almost 20 years, Fiona constantly participates in the World Marathons held in different countries (in Russia - annually) to prove the benefits of vegan nutrition. The Vegan Society, in its anniversary year 2004, awarded Fiona the title of honorary vegan.

“Vita” today congratulates famous Russian vegans - writer and journalist, artist, soloist of the group “SceneKardia” (Grand Prix of the Sochi festival “5 Stars” in 2005).

Today, vegans openly demonstrate the benefits of their lifestyle and defend their views with great activity. For example, an eleven-year-old vegan girl from Christchurch (New Zealand) recently challenged nutritionist professor Robert Picard, who made a statement about the indispensability of animal products.

Ella, who has not eaten animal products all her life, won the school triathlon last year and was a finalist in the Vegan Triathlon in 2005 and 2006. Ella wants to compete head-to-head with Professor Picard in a triathlon.
"I want to challenge Professor Picard to a race and run, swim and bike race with him." Yolanda Soril, mother of a young triathlete, says keeping up with her four energetic vegan children is no easy task and wishes Dr Picard good luck if he is brave enough to compete with her daughter.

Additional Information:

Scientists' discoveries in recent years have proven that vegan nutrition provides the human body with all the components necessary for normal development. The Dietetic Association of America and the Dietetic Association of Canada stated in 2003 that a properly balanced vegan diet is suitable for all ages, including newborns. Scientists have proven that essential amino acids are synthesized in the body of vegans (research by Academician Ugolev), and vegans also have no problems with calcium, iron, or vitamin B12.

It was also amazing that Benjamin Spock, the author of books on healthy eating for children, popular all over the world, was also a convinced vegan. Unfortunately, the 7th edition of Spock, in which he cites doctors’ data on the benefits of vegan nutrition for children, was not published in Russia:

"Our understanding of nutrition has expanded significantly in recent years. Whereas we previously advocated including large amounts of meat and dairy products in children's diets, we now know that children should receive nutrients from plant sources. Vegetables, fruits, grains Grains and legumes are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, while being low in fat and completely free of cholesterol.We have only recently realized how valuable these humble plant foods are and how many health problems can be prevented if them as the basis of the diet."

Other doctors share the same opinion. Dr. Tim Radack, nutritionist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (USA): “Doctors have long recommended a plant-based diet because it’s good for the heart, but a collective shift to a vegetarian diet would not only eliminate the source of harmful animal fat and cholesterol. He would also eliminate poultry farms that breed avian influenza and other infectious diseases. How many more must die before we realize that these outbreaks are preventable?"

However, an even more compelling conviction for switching to a vegan lifestyle was a UN report in December 2006. Citing the need to reduce the greenhouse gas effect that causes global warming, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has asked Congress to encourage people to become vegetarian in their taxes to encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Materials

Since 1994, the world has celebrated Vegan Day on November 1, but the exact number of people who consider this day their holiday is not known. We can only say that about 6% of the planet’s population adheres to the principles of vegetarianism and veganism, and this figure is tending to increase.

What is the ideology of veganism?

To say that vegans are people who adhere to the strictest form of vegetarianism is to say nothing, because apart from the conscious refusal of meat, fish and seafood for the sake of preserving the lives of animals and depriving themselves of dairy products, eggs, honey, etc. (so as not to exploit our smaller brothers) vegans, by their example and way of life, oppose violence in all its forms.

It can be argued that the vegan movement on a global scale is part of the ideology of non-violence, and the involvement of celebrities such as Paul McCartney, Douglas Adams, Brigitte Bardot in the ranks of vegans only contributes to the spread of this culture in the world.

The outstanding Russian writer Leo Tolstoy made a huge contribution to the development of vegetarianism in general and veganism in particular. In addition to refusing to bring animal products to the table, vegans do not wear fur or leather goods, pearls and mother-of-pearl, and do not attend circuses, zoos, oceanariums and dolphinariums, citing their position primarily on the ethical side.

By deciding to join the ranks of vegans, a person seems to be declaring to the entire planet his protest against the unnatural, aggressive and greedy human nature. At the same time, there are several religious movements in the world whose adherents have long practiced veganism (or vegetarianism) in a less zealous form, for example, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.

Despite the fact that even in the ancient world there were communities that adhered to a strict form of veganism, people began to consciously use this term in 1944 thanks to the movement's ideologist Donald Watson, who introduced it as one of the classifications of vegetarianism.

Subtypes of veganism

The modern social structure of the vegan movement is extremely branched and diverse. The vegan diet is divided into several subtypes, such as fruitarianism and raw foodism. Without limiting themselves to the principles of nutrition and the protection of animals and the rights of representatives of the animal world, among vegans there are geopolitically oriented people who are aimed at a global solution to the problem of hunger on earth, and environmentalist vegans are called fighters against animal husbandry, since the breeding of animals on an industrial scale leads to an exacerbation of greenhouse gases. planet effect.

How to become a vegan?

Waking up one day and realizing that you are a vegan is almost unrealistic, indicate people who differ from the rest in that they do not consume meat, fish, seafood and products of the exploitation of creatures of other species. These people note that giving up the listed products precedes a rethinking of their “I”, worldview, life goals and place on the planet. In general, it is advised to avoid sharp stress for the body and come to veganism through vegetarianism, first by refusing to consume killed animals, and then from milk, eggs, and other animal components (gelatin, margarine, lecithin), learning to replace them with suitable and safe analogues, such as soy and coconut milk, palm oil, etc.

It is worth adding that before joining the vegan movement, it would be useful to consult a nutritionist for advice on cardinal contraindications, because plant culture is not able to replace all the vital microelements and vitamins that a person refuses along with meat and animal products .

Experts say that it is impossible to completely replace animal protein with protein of plant origin, as well as to find an alternative to vitamin B12 and some other B vitamins. It is quite logical that vegans, trying to achieve harmony with nature, their own body and spirit, are looking for a worthy alternative to products from which they refuse due to their own convictions, but followers of the vegan culture should think carefully before attracting children and adolescents to their lifestyle, who, due to the characteristics of their bodies, are not recommended to give up lacto-products and meat at all.