A vegan diet involves avoiding all animal derived products such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy. This is due to both ethical reasons, particularly the animal suffering inherent in these industries, as well as the health benefits of avoiding many of these foods. Whilst animal products may be high in protein, for example, this is usually accompanied by cholesterol and saturated fat, which are detrimental to health in the long term. Vegans can get all the nutrients necessary for good health from a wealth of foods including fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and pulses. It is therefore possible to guarantee a sufficient intake of essential nutrients, and for optimal nutrition is it advisable for vegans to supplement only vitamin B12. This is made by micro-organisms found in soil, obtainable by eating unwashed plant foods and drinking dirty water, as many animals do. This is obviously not recommendable for modern humans, however, and vitamin B12 is additionally available in sources such as fortified soya milks, spreads, breakfast cereals and yeast extracts like Marmite, as well as in the form of a vitamin supplement. A wide variety of alternative nutrient sources to animal products exist, for example whilst eating oily fish is often recommended for the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, this is also obtainable from ground flaxseeds. A vegan version of just about everything is now available, such as soya, rice and oat milks, dairy free spreads, egg replacer powder for baking, imitation meat, cheese and milk chocolate. It is therefore possible to have a rich and varied vegan diet.
Vegans also refrain from wearing items of animal origin such as leather.
This is not difficult however as there are numerous synthetic materials
now available which often perform to a higher standard due to the
technical engineering involved. There is consequently a huge choice of
animal-free clothing and equipment available, making it easy for vegans
to select suitable fitness accessories for any activity. A number of
athletes illustrate how it is possible to reach the top whilst
maintaining a vegan lifestyle, such as Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis
(voted "Sportsman of the Century" by the Intenational Olympic Committee),
Dave Scott (winner of 5 Ironman Triathlons) and Scott Jurek (attaining 7
consecutive 100 mile ultramarathon victories on vegan fuel). To find out more about
veganism or the achievements of these athletes, please see the links section
of this
website.
