Vegan for health ( was Re:being judgemental)

[Guest guest]

OK - don't want to make a big fuss about this, espsicially in the

light of the original posting! Its just an obversation really, but

the fact is that the healthiest of the non-meat eating diets is

vegan+fish (not sure if there's an accepted word to describe this,

I've heard " piscarian " - i.e. no meat or dairy or eggs, but fruit,

vegetables and fish). Numerous studies have shown this.

 

So my concern with vegans who chose to become vegan purely for the

health benefits is, given the fact that adding fish to your diet will

make you even healthier, will you now eat fish? (The paradox is that

a vegan diet has the potential to be healthier than a fish/fruit/veg

diet if only we vegans did it better!).

 

I guess the problem is that, at least for me, veganism is not a diet.

Its more than that - I think its an expression of compassion - for

ourselves, for others (people and animals) and for our shared planet.

Its realisation that we are all equally important and interdependent.

 

Of course, the vegan diet (i.e. the dietary part of veganism) is much

more healthy than a meat-eating diet, and I'm not denegrating people

who become vegan for health reasons, but I hope that as they learn

more about it they realise that there are numerous other reasons to

be vegan. But then I'm one of those people who would still be vegan

even if it were worse health-wise than a meat-based diet.

 

Cheers,

Rob

 

vegan-network, " C. Gadarian " <gadfly50@a...> wrote:

> This is a very beautiful thing for me (pls everyone, remember I am

only

> speaking for me). Shortly after I switched to vegan, a newsletter

editor

> trashed me for being a vegan due to health reasons instead of

concern for

> animals and the environment. No one asked me if I HAD concern for

animals

> and the environment. As in " Well, I guess switching to a Vegan

lifestyle

> because of health reasons is better than nothing. "

>

> On the whole, I have been treated with kindness and compassion on

the lists

> I read now and I want you more experienced Vegans to know that.

And I

> appreciate Peter's reassurance. Makes me feel like not giving up

when I by

> mistake end up with foods containing egg whites or whey. What I

learned

> really fast is that the vegan lifestyle is a process - more like a

videotape

> rather than a snapshot.

>

> Cynthia

>

>

> Peter Browning [Peter.Browning1@b...]

> Saturday, July 13, 2002 7:56 PM

> vegan-network

> [100% veg*n ] Re:being judgemental

>

> <snipped by CG, sorry if that is not allowed>

>

> >>>...I used to be very angry, very AR. I did the lot. Now I'm

doing other

> things, making a sanctuary, talking to people,

> > stuff. Maybe it's just me, but I think vegans need a lot of

support from

> each other to stay sane and last the course. And

> >support can be sadly lacking. In my mind there are comparisons

with the

> Christian movement. A zillion different sects, and

> >ways of doing things, but a few basics in common. And when

veganism starts

> to become Veganism, and seem horribly similar to >Jehovah's

Witnesses (I

> have some JW friends- one was 'shunned' for eight months for

sinning) I feel

> moved to write to let

> >any vegans out there who aren't of the JW type that they are not

alone.

> LOTS OF US ARE FRIENDLY.You will not be shunned...<<