Wednesday 14 July 2010

A Guide to Veganism

When speaking to others about Veganism I often hear, 'I could go Vegetarian but couldn't manage Vegan!' Usually for reasons such as not being able to 'live without cheese' and the likes. The truth is, Vegetarianism does not stop the use of nonhuman animals and use is the problem. We will never be able to abolish the exploitation of other beings whilst we continue to consume animal products in any way shape or form. Vegetarianism still creates suffering and death on other animals, you are just choosing who you want to continue to harm and how you will continue to harm them (by taking their secretions instead of their flesh).
In many ways, if you increase you dairy intake when being vegetarian, you will not be reducing the death and suffering of animals at all and may be actually increasing the role you have in creating the demand for death and suffering to occur. Vegetarianism falsely 'clears' our conscience, as we think we are helping when in fact, we are still continuing to create demand for the use of others. It will never help to work towards the strive for abolishing the explotation of nonhuman animals.
We use other animals because we like the taste, feel and look of the products we can force them to produce - There is nothing morally justifiable about this whatsoever.
If you want to stop the use and unnecessary harm we inflict upon these beings then you must become Vegan.

And I'm going to help you!


Becoming Vegan:

You may feel like gradual steps to Veganism work best for you, changing one thing at a time (If this is so, make sure, however,  not to let the gradual changes drag for too long. There is an element of 'just getting on with it' involved). Start off by changing your main meals, followed by all the snacks and drinks you have, then clothes/shoes, any make-up you may use, household cleaning products and so on. Eventually all the animal products you used will have been switched with Vegan ones.
You may feel that it will work better just to change everything straightaway. If this is the case, gather all the research you need and go for it!

It is best to make sure the products you buy are stated to be Vegan or approved by the Vegan Society (or equivalent). Products like these can be bought via online Vegan stores as well as major supermarkets and health stores. It is still important to check the ingredients and manufacturing information on products as mistakes can be made and some products may be stated Vegan even when produced in factories on lines handling dairy and eggs (these products are not Vegan as the lines are not cleaned often enough).

Get a list put together of all animal products. This can become rather extensive but it is important, particularly if you decide to look into buying products that could be Vegan but do not have any statement or approval. When I went Vegan I made a similar sort of list and found it very helpful when looking about. It also helped to inform me of what the ingredients actually were. Even since then (2007), options have become so widely available within many major supermarkets and more Vegan shops are popping up.

Clothes - It is pretty easy to shop in the high street shops still if you wish to. Just make sure there are no animal products used to make the clothing, such as wool, mohair, silk, leather (check the labels). Synthetic shoes from high street stores will most likely be held together using a glue containing animal ingredients, therefore Vegan stores will be the way to go here. There are numerous online Vegan shoe stores as well as some you can visit (Please see my links).

Residential Trips - These are something I have experienced numerous times! State that you are Vegan and they will cater. Often eating the basics is a safe and healthy option too - potato, vegetables, fruit and salad. Taking some raw fruit and nut bars along with you comes in very handy too (TREK & NAK'D bars here in the UK are good).

Eating Out - Go to places with Vegan options, or better still, all Vegan places! A meal in is often just as nice if not nicer too! Get some Vegan cook books and make a nice meal.


Vegan Recipe Books: (Just a few cookery book suggestions)

'Animal Free Shopper', 8th Edition, The Vegan Society
'Another Dinner Is Possible', Mike & Isy
'A Vegan Taste of Greece', Linda Majslik
'Vegan Cooking for One', Leah Leneman

Supermarkets Supplying Good Vegan Products: (UK)

Waitrose
Co-operative
Sainsbury's

Please see my links section, which has some good stores listed.


You learn as you go and you will gradually become more confident. Always keep in mind why you are doing it and who you are doing it for. If you are ever questioned, be confident about it and do not feel like you should keep it quiet. If you, like many, know that nonhuman animals should be given equal consideration and that they should not be, under law or in any other way, classed as 'things' but instead as persons, then go Vegan and tell others why you are Vegan - You may just help them make the shift.

As long as you aim to become Vegan, do it and remain consistent throughout your life, then you have done what needs to be done in order to work towards the abolition of all animal exploitation.



Photograph supplied by Benny

[If you are working on becoming Vegan and would like to talk, please do not hesitate to email me - my email can be found in my profile to the left].

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