Explore the Benefits of Vegan Living

In today's world, there are many reasons why someone might want to explore the various healthier alternatives to traditional American lifestyles and diet. After a lifetime of fast food, the everyday stresses brought on by a rapid pace personal and business life, and the simple lack of attention most people pay to their lives, vegan diet and lifestyle alternatives are a good way to boost overall health and sometimes even bring failing health back to optimal levels.

What is a Vegan Diet?

A vegan diet is like a vegetarian diet, only more so. Most vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. There are several variations on this theme, for example, people who do not eat meat or poultry but eat fish. Vegans, in addition to eliminating meat, fish, and poultry from their diet, also forgo eggs, dairy products, and sometimes even animal-produced substances like honey.

A wide variety of vegan foods and nutritional supplements are available in modern markets and health food stores. Seasonal organic produce is also usually available whether you live in the city or the country. Vegans have more food choices than ever before due to the increased popularity of vegan foods and the development of preparation, storage, and cooking techniques-all centered around tasty foods with high nutrition value. Vegetarianism and veganism are often placed in the broader context of lifestyle choices that involve much more than dietary concerns.

What is a Vegan Lifestyle?

Veganism is a lifestyle choice that, when all things are considered, involves asking and answering questions about the ethics of animal husbandry practices, the moral dilemmas associated with killing living things for food, and even about the chemicals and proteins that are ingested that may not contribute to overall health and vitality and may also be counter to our current evolutionary state as human beings. Vegans seek to live in a more conscious world, and if that means not eating animal flesh and associated byproducts, so be it.

In addition to eliminating animal derived food sources, many vegans choose not to use silk, wool, animal skins, or personal, cleaning and other substances that contain animal products. In practice, this eliminates leather goods and certain fabrics, soaps, detergents, glues, and cosmetics. A vegan household is one where every attempt as been made to live consciously and in harmony by not doing harm to the natural world or its inhabitants.

Putting it all Together

The benefits of vegan living are numerous. Increased vitality and health are high on everyone's list of top benefits. Taking the time to make conscious choices in one's diet, lifestyle, and personal concerns leads to being less in tune with the persuasive influences of consumer culture that involve mass marketing, subliminal psychological manipulations. There is now considerable evidence that clean brain chemistry means clear thinking. Clear thinking means the ability to handle stress and keep things in perspective-two things that help to empower yourself by making decisions that are right for you. Many other life areas are positively impacted by pursuing a vegan lifestyle, and everyone has more options than ever before to find the solution that feels right for them. Vegans aim to live a simplified, harmonious lifestyle that is lived consciously and in cooperation with the greater whole.

Tim Thompson is a professional freelance writer/editor and content developer currently making his home in southern California. He works closely with other creatives and technical people to provide content writing and editing services [http://www.thompsoninkworks.com/] and technical marketing and project administration to individuals and businesses of all kinds.