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Veganica FAQ
- What is a Vegan?
- A Vegan is a person who consumes no animal products whatsoever, including
milk, eggs, and derived products like butter and whey. Some Vegans will eat
no honey, because it is produced by bees under coercive conditions.
- How does a Vegan differ from a Vegetarian?
- The English word "vegetarian" is a general term for any person who eats no
beef or fowl. So, there are "pesco-vegetarians" who eat some fish, and
"ovo-lacto-vegetarians" who eat milk and eggs. A Vegan is a total vegetarian
who includes no animal products whatsoever in their diet. Strict vegans are
vigilant about the substances they ingest, the sources and conditions of
their creation.
- Where do Vegans get their protein?
- All foods contain protein. The human body must break protein down to its
base amino acids before it can be used. For every 100 grams of food we eat,
only about 5 grams should be protein. Consuming too much protein causes
stress to the kidneys and acidifies the blood. Humans get all the protein
they need by simply eating a good variety of plant-based foods.
- Why do people become Vegan or Vegetarian?
- For 3 reasons primarily. For their health, for the sake of the environment,
or for the compassionate welfare of animals. Often a combination of these.
Some people decide not to eat animals at a young age. Others think nothing
about it their whole lives, and only come around after a major health
crisis.
- Are there health benefits to a plant-based diet?
- Changing to a plant-based diet can be highly beneficial if pursued with the
appropriate attention and spirit. But once obtained, the vegan diet brings
many welcome changes. By reducing protein and saturated fat intake your
blood loses its kidney-stressing acidity. Fiber intake increases, markedly
improving digestion. As digestion improves, the energy derived from food
increases. With proper hydration and regular exercise, youth and vigor are
sustained. It's good.
- Do vegans need supplements for B-12 and Iron?
- It helps. Vitamin B-12 comes from a microorganism which doesn't thrive in
agricultural-grade soil. So to get B-12 naturally you need to grow your own
vegetables organically, and even then it helps to supplement. You don't need
much B-12, so mega-doses are unnecessary. For Iron, sweet potatoes are a
good source, along with nuts and leafy greens. Cooking in iron pots provides
a healthy dose.
- Aren't Humans Omnivores?
- No. Humans are Herbivores by nature and opportunistic omnivores by culture.
The human digestive system, from the teeth to the stomach, intestines, and
colon, is designed to eat plants. We don't properly digest meat, even when
it is well-cooked. The benefits the body derives from meat are far
outweighed by the detriments. Heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, obesity,
and several forms of cancer are linked to meat and dairy consumption. Humans
eat meat not because they must do so, but because they can do so.
- What does a Vegan diet have to do with art or activism?
- The personal is the political. The message is the medium. It expands the
consciousness to lend your most intimate choices to the benefit of other
beings, even over a single meal. Artists and activists speak to the matters
that involve them, and feel most compelled to speak out when facing a void.
- Who owns and operates Veganica?
- Veganica is operated by Derek Goodwin primarily. The webmaster of Veganica
is Scott Lahteine, who spends a few days every week tweaking and extending
the original site constructed by Alex Jarrett. Veganica is hosted by
herkamire.com operated by Jason Woofenden.
- Where does my subscription fee go?
- Veganica operates at a deficit most of the time. Your membership fees and
contributions defray the costs somewhat. We are now in the process of
trying to deploy unobtrusive ways to make Veganica self-supporting. (So
please click our ads a lot!)
- Why does Veganica look messed up in my browser?
- Veganica uses modern markup standards called XML and CSS. Not all
browsers fully support these standards. This includes Internet
Explorer and some other primitive web browsers. For best results use
Firefox 2,
Safari 2,
or Konqueror.
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