{"id":3831,"date":"2015-11-01T00:49:50","date_gmt":"2015-11-01T07:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pblife.org\/?p=3831"},"modified":"2023-10-26T20:02:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T20:02:59","slug":"ever-wondered-what-vegan-really-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pblife.org\/lifestyle\/ever-wondered-what-vegan-really-means\/","title":{"rendered":"Ever Wondered What \u2018Vegan\u2019 Really Means?"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 1st<\/sup> is World Vegan Day.<\/p>\n

Which actually launches the whole world into Vegan Month.<\/p>\n

Here are some fun facts about vegans and veganism to help us celebrate.<\/p>\n

What Is Veganism?<\/h3>\n

Vegans eat a plant-based diet which avoids all animal-based foods.<\/p>\n

But it is more than just a specific diet\u2014it is a philosophy. As the Vegan Society explains, \u201cVeganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.<\/p>\n

One question I get asked a lot is what is the difference between a whole food plant-based diet and veganism?<\/p>\n

As I explained in the Great Vegan vs. Plant-Based Debate<\/a><\/strong> the difference is pretty straightforward. A plant-based diet is about what you include<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 whole, plant-based foods with an emphasis on avoiding processed or packaged goods\u2014while a vegan diet is about what you exclude <\/em><\/strong>(i.e. animal proteins and animal-based foods).<\/p>\n

Also, the vegan diet puts much less of an accent on \u2018whole foods\u2019 (a lot of processed foods are accepted) while a whole food plant-based diet stresses the importance of eating food that comes directly from the source\u2014Mother Nature.<\/p>\n

The Birth of World Vegan Day<\/h3>\n

First celebrated on November 1, 1994, the global holiday commemorates the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of the UK Vegan Society and the term \u201cvegan\u201d itself.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, \u201cvegan\u201d derives from the word \u201cvegetarian\u201d and was coined by Donald Watson to differentiate the two because, unlike vegetarians, vegans don\u2019t eat any eggs or dairy products.<\/p>\n

5 Startling Reasons to Eat Vegan<\/h3>\n

Here are some shocking statistics that will make you think twice next time you are tempted to eat animal foods.<\/p>\n

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  1. In the US alone, 500,000 animals are slaughtered for their meat \u2013 every hour of every day. Each vegan saves about 200 animals per year. Over 25 years, that\u2019s 3,000 animals saved from the butcher\u2019s block.<\/li>\n
  2. A plant-based diet increases your metabolism. For at least 3 hours after a meal, your body will burn calories over 15% faster than bodies on meat-based diets.<\/li>\n
  3. You can grow about 200,000 pounds of potatoes on one acre of land. That same acre can only produce 165 pounds of beef.<\/li>\n
  4. 7 billion livestock in the US eat enough grain to feed 800 million people.<\/li>\n
  5. Meat is packed with protein, but acre for acre, plants produce ten times that amount of protein.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Celebrating the World\u2019s Vegans<\/h3>\n

    So what to do to celebrate World Vegan Day?<\/p>\n