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Vegetarians
and Vegans
(what's the difference?):
Q. What's the difference
between Vegetarian and Vegan?
A. A Vegan won't
eat any products that are derived from animals, including eggs
and dairy products. You won't find honey on a Vegan's shopping
list either.
You may ask "Why those products, when the animal hasn't been
killed in the process? Well ... many farming processes used to
"harvest" these products are inhumane and cause great
stress on the animals. For example, egg laying hens are often
farmed in appallingly cramped living conditions, while dairy cows
are kept in a permanent state of pregnancy, which means they are
artificially inseminated. Their foetuses are aborted to create
a constant yield of milk. In fact, a dairy cow will only live
for around 4 years of her normal 20+ year lifespan. Once the amount
of milk a dairy cow produces declines, it is unprofitable to keep
her alive so she is sent to slaughter.
Vegans will not use or wear leather goods or any product derived
from dead animals. In fact, to be a proper vegetarian you should
also abstain from buying leather goods because if you don't eat
animals for ethical / compassionate reasons you shouldn't wear
"dead ones" either. Remember, the humane ethics are
identical in both cases.
For more info about other terms associated with veggie-based diets
(and others that you shouldn't confuse vegetarianism with), read
step No 2 - becoming veggie
Veg*n
Q. What does "Veg*n"
mean?
A. Although
it's an abbreviation which may have originally been devised through
the origins of this site, Veg*n is now often used across many
veggie organizations and websites. It's simply a shortened way
to describe "vegetarians" and "vegans" combined
into one word, and its easier when describing
an issue that simultaneously covers both plant-based diet options.
Cheese
(what is vegetarian cheese?):
Q. Why are some
cheeses OK for vegetarians and others not?
A. Many cheeses contain
animal rennet, which is an enzyme often made from the stomach
of calves and lambs. For example, some cheddar and traditional
parmesan cheeses contain animal rennet.
However, rennet
is also obtained from vegetables, such as cardoons. In
the UK more cheddar cheeses are being made using vegetable derived
rennet (but check the labelling to make sure). There is absolutely
no difference in the taste between cheeses that are made with
either animal or vegetable rennet. Animal rennet is a cheap by-product
of animal slaughter.
The other thing to watch out with cheeses is if "pepsin"
has been used in the making process. Pepsin is an enzyme from
the stomach lining of pigs and is also used in preparation of
some other foods containing
protein. The problem is that "pepsin" may not show up
on a cheese ingredients listing, even if the cheese doesn't contain
rennet.
ALWAYS look on the label when buying cheese to make sure it's
suitable for veggies. Remember, if you eat cheeses that contain
dead animals you are NOT vegetarian.
See more on food suitability
at "Watch
Out For"
Wine and Beer
(what is vegetarian wine?):
Note for VeggieGlobal Kids - This is for grownups!
so pass on the info to your veggie parents or guardians - because
they need to know!
Q. Why are some wines
and beers OK for vegetarians and others not?
A. Many wines and
some beers contain clearing agents made from parts of animals
and fish. For example, wine usually undergoes a process called
"fining". Centuries of tradition in wine making have developed
many diferent ways to apply fining. In its most natural course
this is achieved by letting the soapy appearance of wine disperse
simply by gravity. However gravity fining takes time and isn't
favoured commercially. So to
speed up the process, fining agents
are commonly used instead and include animal derived:
Gelatine
Isinglass
Casein
Chitosan
Egg albumen
In fact, a very few red wines still
contain blood. Because there are so many winemakers, large and
small, throughout the world - and some of these more obscure than
others - it's hard to determine whether blood is always used as
a fining process, or else to give red wine a deeper colour. The
use of blood in wine-making is banned in France and USA.
Isinglass is mainly used in
the fining of beers, often at the end of the brewing process.
Isinglass is often sourced from the bladders of sturgeon fish
- but can also be derived from cod. The dramatic decline of both
these species means they are at high risk of becomming extinct.
Sturgeon (from which caviar comes from) are a focus of concern
for CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
At VeggieGlobal we understand how difficult it is to determine
which wines are veggie and which aren't - but we urge you to always
ask your wine/beer merchant if they can tell you if the wine/beer
you choose is vegetarian or not. Surprisingly, many wine/beer
merchants don't even realize that many of these drinks contain
dead animals! And remember, just because you see wines labelled
as "organic" certainly doesn't mean it's animal friendly!
See more on food suitability at "Watch
Out For"
Protein, Calcium &
Iron.
Q. Do I need protein,
iron and calcium to stay healthy?
A. Most of them,
but read all of the following ...
IMPORTANT NOTE: the
following information is for guidance only. If you suffer from
any nutritional deficiency or medical condition relative to your
diet, you should seek advice from your medical practitioner to
make sure that your vegetarian diet is tailored to your individual
needs.
Proteins.
It's a
complete myth that veg*ns lack proper proteins.
Protein itself is not essential to your diet (unless you
are a body builder), but slow releasing carbohydrates are essential
such as brown rice and pasta. The natural intake of proteins ingested
through a normal vegetarian diet is more than enough for an average
person. Think about it ... a cow eats just grass, but a steak
is full of protein! In other words, we create protein from within
our own bodies. Protein simply adds bulk and this is why meat-eaters
are normally fatter than veggies
- but even vegetarians can be podgy too! (By the way, if you are
an overweight vegetarian, then exercise gives quicker results
than if you are a meat eater.)
Note:
A report by the
British Lancet said
that animal fat consumption raises the risk of breast cancer among
women, but vegetable fats do not.
Calcium intake can
be essential and is traditionally found in dairy produce, milk
for example. This has always been a so-called convenient source
of calcium, but if you are moving away from dairy products, there
are many soya milk or rice milk products available fortified with
calcium. in fact, green leafy vegetables and fortified orange
juice also provide plentiful amounts of calcium and with far fewer
calories. In a study of American children between 9 and 14 it
was found that cows milk leads to significant weight gain. It
was also shown that most children of Asian and African origins
are lactose intollerant.
Additional calcium
based supplements may be necessary for some people. (Check with
your doctor or dietician) If so, make sure to source calcium supplements
that are suitable for vegetarians.
Note: Only buy supplements which
are not encased in gelatine bases capsules. Always read the label
contents for vegetarian suitability.
Iron. Most importantly, with
any vegetarian diet, keep up your iron intake.
Eat plenty of dark green vegetables i.e. broccoli,
spinach and green salads, preferably eaten with tomatoes which
contains vitamin C. Vitamin C helps absorb iron into the body.
Or follow an iron rich meal with oranges, other citrus fruits
or juices. You'll find
more details on this at our nutrition
guide
TIP: Don't boil your vegetables
or microwave them! This destroys nearly 100 percent of all the
nutrients. Lightly steam vegetables instead - this way they will
only loose around 18 percent of their goodness.
Note: The Glyceamic Index
is an important reference to help get you through a full day without
your all important blood sugar levels dropping. You'll find details
on this at our nutrition
guide
Organic
Q. When food is labelled
organic (or Bio) does it mean it's automatically suitable for
veggies?
A. No.
Organic is the trendy buzz word - now over-hyped by many manufacturers.
In Europe you'll see the term "Bio" which means the
same thing as "Organic". In many cases, things which
contain animal products are advertised as organic or bio. Don't
be fooled into thinking that you are being ethically conscientious
just because you eat only organic foods ... half of them might
have cost the life of an animal. Organic is a great movement in
principle, but use your initiative to see through the hype and
therefore understand the ethical and humane advantages of its
real meaning.
Organic standards differ greatly depending on which country you
live in and which standards organisation is tied in with the product.
Many products are just called organic or bio but with no specific
regulation being applied - so watch out for products claiming
to be organic which aren't!
Whatever the contentions surrounding the organic or bio revolution,
VeggieGlobal encourages you choose organic fruit and vegetables
whenever you can - Organic contains far more nutrients and your
body doesn't have to work so hard to rid itself of all the artificial
chemicals normally found in non-organic fruit and veg. A healthier
choice all round.
Jewellery and Veg*ns
Q. Is all jewellery
suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans?
A. No.
Pearls, leather and even more
controversially elephant hair are all used in the jewellery industry.
Both
natural and cultivated pearls are harvested from mussels, oysters
or scallops. All such clams (bivalve molluscs) are killed to retrieve
the pearl. Even some imitation pearls can be made from coral or
conch - both which are sea creatures.
Although
elephant hair jewellery has traditionally been harvested from
the ground around trees where elephants have rubbed their bottoms
on the tree-trunks, there is a considerable risk that the hair
has also come from poached elephants. You can read more about
the ethical risks of using or wearing elephant hair jewellery
here.
Although not directly animal related,
a lot of amber for jewellery is extracted from the Baltic region
in a manner that's very harmful to the environment. Apart from
the mining process itself, the sea in the locality of the mining
process is heavily polluted by millions of tons of waste, destroying
sea-life in its wake. The destruction caused by one of the largest
amber mines has been measured as "one of the biggest culprits
in the environmental crime of anthropogenic suspended material
explusion", according to a report by the Trade and Environment
Database.
As you may know, VeggieGlobal regularly reminds its visitors that
detrimental effects to the ocean is a major cause of planetary
deterioration. When buying amber products make sure it has come
from traditional gathering methods and ethically processed for
use as jewellery.
Useful external link on amber extraction:
http://www.american.edu/TED/amber.htm
Fish Oils (Omega 3)
Q. Do I need Omega
3 from fish oil to stay healthy?
A. No.
Although "Omega 3"
is often considered an essential oil, you certainly don't need
to kill a fish to obtain it.
You can source a far more refined and even safer form of Omega
3 from flax
seeds, pumpkin seeds
and walnuts. Either snack on pumpkin seeds or walnuts on a daily
basis or buy ready-made organic Omega 3 oils and pour over salads,
pastas, pizzas - or anything else you fancy.
Omega 3 is an EFA (essential fatty acid), and various studies
have often suggested that an Omega 3 enriched diet can help reduce
heart disease, lower blood pressure, cut the risk of cancer and
even help memory loss.
In fact the list seems endless as to what researchers claim to
be the benefits of Omega 3!
However, in 2006 the UK's University of East Anglia reviewed 90
studies which found no clear evidence that Omega 3 fats where
of any use at all. Those studies suggested that Omega 3 did nothing
to prevent a recurrence of chronic heart conditions, and excessive
amounts from eating too much fish even increased
the risk of heart disease.
In fact, fish turns out to be the source of Omega 3 to stay clear
of; Oily fish was shown to be potentially unsafe to eat because
of high levels of contaminated pollutants, such as dioxins, PCB's
(polychlorinated biphenyls) and mercury.
NOTE: High levels of PCBs
and dioxins can affect the development of an unborn baby.
When
it comes to determining the true benefits of Omega 3 fat, most
scientists admit that it's still difficult to tell for sure either
way, and research continues to try and discover the true benefits
of this unique "essential oil".
VeggieGlobal
suggests that Omega 3 oils sourced from vegetables (nuts, pumpkin
seed etc) is a wise choice and a moderate amount of the oil should
be consumed daily through these natural sources to maintain a
healthy, balanced diet.
Reminder: You are NOT vegetarian
if you eat fish.
NOTE / DISCLAIMER: Always consult
your medical practitioner before embarking on any changes to your
diet.
Why do people sometimes mock vegetarianism
by saying Hitler was a vegetarian too?
Q. Was Hitler a vegetarian?
A. No.
Huh? What? Who?
Yes ... we know ... some younger VeggieGlobalites reading this
might not remember who Adolf Hitler was!
Hitler was leader of the Nazi party in Germany
in 1939, and started World War 2
by invading lots of countries. He also killed millions of people
from ethnic minorities. Yes ... he was an evil megalomaniac.
It was said that Hitler was vegetarian. But this is a myth, which
often gives misinformed
meaty antagonists an opportunity
to discredit you, by saying, "Hitler was vegetarian, and
look what he did to the world!"
In fact, Hitler was a hard-core meat-eater and never a real vegetarian
for any ethical reason. The most likely reason why he cut down
on meat was because in
1931 his doctor told him that eating
less meat would help stop a chronic stomach disorder. It was also
suggested that Hitler had a fear of cancer and believed that meat-eating
could cause it. (which has since been proven to be true). All
these health reasons gave rise to the "Hitler was a vegetarian"
myth. The truth is that regardless of health issues, he often
ate stuffed pigeon, ham, liver, sausages and gorged himself on
caviar (but didn't eat fish otherwise). And finally, to clarify
this completely false claim that Hitler was some kind of veggie-animal-loving
pacifist, it also transpires that he banned vegetarian organizations
from Germany as well as countries the Nazis invaded!
So next time anyone comes out with that old "veggie-Hitler"
chestnut to try and discredit you as a vegetarian, you know what
to say back!
Food Additives
Q. What Food Additives
are suitable for Veg*ns?
A. This is a complex
question to answer.
Even though a list of additives may be present on a food or beauty
product, it's almost impossible to determine if the additive has
been derived from an animal or vegetable source. This is because
an additive with the same name can be made using different source
materials. If you would like to find out more about which additives
may or may not be suitable for veg*ns, see our Non-Vegetarian
Food Additves List. To help eliminate this confusion
you can also vote on our Ethical
Labelling Campaign
The next step on your New Veggie Information
Path is step 4, the Nutrition
Guide, which provides a host of pages
on all aspects of maintaining a healthy veggie lifestyle - including
yummy recipes.
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