Vegan: A Good Idea?

Since a few years, Green has become the New Black. Companies preach Green marketing campaigns, State preaches Green consumption to its citizens, influencers post pictures with green vegetables or smoothies… The “Green Behaviour” is today more trendy than ever. Veganism has even become the perfect alternative for those who want to eat healthier and be more respectful. But is veganism the right solution?
What does vegan mean?
Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans even don’t eat foods that were processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wine.
The word veganism and its recipes appeared for the first time in the 50’s in England. However, it’s only in 2010 that this trends started to grow in Belgium. And since then, it has become more and more popular.
Is it really good for your body?
Being vegan means that you have banned all the products that contains elements of animal origins from your diet. It means that you don’t eat a large range of products anymore such as milk, meat, eggs, animal fat, cheese, etc. It might appear as ideal to loose weight, prevent cardiovascular diseases, respect animals’ rights, promote a responsible consumption & preserve the environment. Nonetheless, it is not always the case. Let’s me explain.

Becoming vegan can be hard in your daily life because you ban a lot of components from your regular diet. It therefore requires creativity to be able to substitute the eggs and butter when cooking a cake for instance. There are still a lot of alternatives and vegans do always find a solution (like blending chickpeas until it becomes creamy) but it is not always easy or sexy.
Moreover, besides the convenience side, eating vegan can be dangerous for your health if you don’t do it carefully. Stopping eating animal products can lead to deficiencies in B12 vitamins, proteins, calcium, iron and amino acids, all vital for your body. If you want to become vegan or if you already are, please read tons of articles that will help you to find the perfect substitutes to the components you ban! Combining proteins of vegetal origins with the right leguminous plants, cereals, seeds and oils is essential if you don’t want to loose your hairs or nails!
So, we say YES to veganism; but ONLY IF you really care about this new way of living and eating and not because you find it “cool” and trendy. In order to do it right and to avoid taking risks for your health, you need to be 100% committed to it. If you don’t really care about the environment and animals, if you don’t want to stop eating in restaurants, or if you plan to travel around the world, it might not be a good timing because you will ban vital products from your diet but will not substitute them with the right ones. Ask yourself some questions before starting it. However, if you feel it in yours guts, GO FOR IT!

