Just What is a Vegan?

As a result of four years spent at an uber-liberal college in a small town, I've accumulated my fair share of socially-conscious friends. Every once in awhile, they'd throw a dinner party, which usually involved a lot of chanting and vegan food (just kidding about the chanting).

A lot of people view vegans as "extreme vegetarians", but there's actually a lot more to it than that. Someone who practices veganism avoids all products made of animals. Aside from the obvious meat and fish, vegans don't eat eggs, cheese, milk, butter, and honey. The really hard-core vegans avoid purchasing leather products and other non-food items that have not been tested on animals. This might not seem all that appealing at first glance, but a vegan diet is more about alternative choices than deprivation.

In their choice to avoid all animal products, vegans demonstrate their respect for life. The majority of the people who adopt a vegan diet feel strongly about the ethical treatment of animals and the negative effects that the meat-packing industry has on the planet. For me, one of the most compelling aspects of becoming a vegan are the multitude of health benefits that come from eating plant-based foods. While animal products are associated with heart disease and cancers, people who follow a vegetarian diet report fewer incidents of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and lung cancer.

Products that are labeled as "vegan" are completely free of the bad types of cholesterol and fats that clog our arteries and cause us to get sick. By avoid unhealthy oils like butter and lard, vegans are generally more healthy and fit than their meat-eating counterparts. And believe it or not, a vegan diet is far from limited! They have their pick of vegetables, grains, beans, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Vegans can choose from a wide variety of foods (yes, that even includes cookies) and there are tons of vegan products out there.

So don't worry, vegans don't miss out on dessert! Yes, even without butter, vegans can have their cake and eat it too!