Why Are You Vegan?
Spicy Two Bean Dish
This is a question I get answered now and again there are many reasons why I became vegan. I love animals and disliked seeing them being abused. I always questioned vivisection, and I simply didn’t like the way animals tasted. Also, I wondered what the effect of eating animals that had been injected with toxic cocktails to “make them better” would do on my body.
Many diseases that plague westernized culture today could be avoided if we simply made better food choices. You don’t have to become vegetarian to be healthy, In fact I’ve met some vegetarians/vegans that were very unhealthy (they were making bad nutritional choices) but you really need to start thinking about what you are putting into your bodies.
Think about it for a moment if we received an ailment instantly had every time we consumed something that is bad for us nutritionally would we still consume them? I imagine some of us wouldn’t. Usually, it doesn’t work it can time before we see the effects of the foods we consume. Many of us will keep making excuses for our health simply because we don’t see an instant reaction. It’s easy to postpone making healthier nutritional choices if you don’t see anything negative.
I used to write about veganism a lot on Vegan Momma. I don’t overdo of it although it’s part of my daily life. Sometimes I forget that I am a vegan. what I mean is I don’t need that title to do what I do. I was following a lot of the principles wellbefore called myself “vegan” this lifestyle is normal to me.
Why am I vegan? I guess I’ll write more about that in a later post. Presently I have several packages to ship out with my business and a few articles that I want to complete.
The above dish is something I made about thirty minutes ago. I had arrived home from the gym and wanted something that I could prepare very quickly. What else is new? I don’t like being in the kitchen too long. The total processing time took about ten minutes. It’s simple, nutritious, and delicious.
In the next few days I’ll post it on my whole foods website and include the recipe. What’s a whole food? A food that is close to the natural source as possible. The only ingredients in this dish are black beans, green beans, cumin, curry, and celtic sea salt. The studies are overwhelming those who choose a whole food lifestyle are healthier than those who consume a lot of processed foods.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be bringing nutrition topics back to Vegan Momma. I’m hoping to write at least one weekly. Nutrition is something I’m fairly knowledgeable about. I’ve read many books on the subject and have even taking courses on it. I put my degree, for that, on hold for now. Working on my Masters in Traditional Naturopathy is all I can handle presently.
[tags]vegan momma, vegan, nutrition, whole foods[/tags]
on December 19th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
“Masters in Traditional Naturopathy”….. Wow! Good for you. I am very iterested in this and would love to see what you can share about this… I wish our insurance covered this type of treatment.
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on December 19th, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Opal, that dish, is it just stir fried with some sort of a paste sauce?
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on December 19th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
Talina,
I started this past August thankfully I’m still maintaining my A+ average.
Sharon,
I guess that was a sauce. The sauce came from the liquid caused by the green beans, tomatoes, yellow onions. It was very delicious. I should have made it in bulk. :-)
on December 19th, 2007 at 5:03 pm
YUM! Looks fantastic.
I’m keen to see your Christmas feast Opal.
I do seafood so I’m going to be very happy with Christmas lunch - have just ordered 7 kilo of prawns and 1 kilo of smoked salmon.
How do you get around the ham, chicken, turkey scenario when you are with other family who are not vego?
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on December 19th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
That dish makes me hungry - it looks so good. I love beans. They really make me not miss meat so much. :)
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on December 19th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Megan over at Imaginif,
It’s no different from eating with those who eat animals at any other times. I don’t tell people how to eat, and I expect them to do the same with me.
You will have some that question my choices but that doesn’t bother me. I’m knowledgeable about the foods I eat. After answering their questions I do turn it around on them (politely) and ask them about their nutritional choices. ;-) Many of them aren’t that knowledgeable about nutrition and only eat the way they do because it’s something they’ve always eaten. I question everything so naturally I looked for the best choices nutritionally for my family. In westernized cultures the quality of health is not good. I definitely don’t want to be an “average person” the average person, according to statistics is unhealthy.
I bring vegan dishes, and many of my family do have plenty of veggie choices. Some of them were prepared with us in mind. :-)
teeni,
Beans are great I don’t eat them all the time but now and again they make an appearance in one of my dishes.
on December 19th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Hi Opal,
I just thought I’d drop by to see what you were writing about. Low and behold, it was an article about why you are Vegan. Not being a vegan myself, I read it.
I am not against vegans or vegetarians even though I eat meat. Like you, I don’t try to push my foods onto other people. I understand that everyone has different tastes. I agree with you that as long as you eat the right nutrients and stay healthy any diet is alright and natural stuff is better than processed food.
As far as that goes, to me your article makes the slight appearance that all meat is processed. This is not true. As a hunter and fisherman, I know where my meat has been, and I always make sure to cook i thoroughly.
Again, not trying to raise a fuss or anything, just adding my input. I look forward to continuing to reading your nutrition related posts! Keep up the good work on your master’s degree!
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on December 19th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Hey Apex,
Thanks for stopping by no that was not what I was trying to imply. All meat isn’t processed, and itβs not all unhealthy.
If a person does consume animals organic, free range meats, or hunted game are the best choices out there they haven’t been tampered with; however, those in westernized cultures that choose these choices are in the minority. Which makes the point about “factory farmed animals” valid. People need to really think about what they are consuming. The chemicals that are given to animals don’t automatically disappear once they die.
They are introduced into the body of whoever eats them. The same is true for produce that is treated with chemicals. I’ve written about that before. I used to write about it often not everyone wanted to hear about it I imagine because it makes you take a hard look at your food choices. I try to present it in a respectful way an encourage people to do their own research. I dislike seeing people blindly listening to whatever they hear even with topics I agree with I always follow up to see whether it’s precise. I imagine that is why a lot of my time is spent researching. :-)
That is why I mentioned that you can be healthy even if you aren’t vegetarian or vegan. I also mentioned you can be unhealthy if you are veggie. Whenever I write about veganism, I make sure to point this out. If you don’t I think you can turn people off especially if you want to speak to everyone. :-)
on December 20th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Can’t wait to get the recipe and to try this dish! It looks and sounds delicious! :smile:
I am a health-concious LOV! :wink:
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on December 21st, 2007 at 11:52 pm
I must make a not to saute with lots of tomatoes until they come apart like a thick puree.
Great tip.
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on December 22nd, 2007 at 7:11 am
Tricotine,
I’m hoping to post the recipe sometime this weekend. Work is starting to slow down for me.
Sharon,
You should post a picture when you make it. :-)
on December 23rd, 2007 at 2:53 am
Opal, I am so horrible with my grammar when I make comments. :???: I just noticed that my last comment was missing letters….
I think I will be making it for Christmas eve dinner when my mom is over. She’s diabetic and I’m really trying to make something that she will enjoy and be healthy at the same time.
Sharon’s last blog post..This Holiday, Give Your Man An Adventure Of A Lifetime
on December 23rd, 2007 at 4:17 am
Sharon,
I do the same thing I’m trying to get better at that. I’m usually working on something else when I respond to comments so the majority of my attention is focused on whatever project I’m working on. :-)
I hope she enjoys it! I haven’t had a chance to post on my other websites. I’ve been extremely busy.
on December 23rd, 2007 at 12:10 pm
Hey Opal! We have so much in common, it’s not even funny. I used to be a vegan, but I’m so lazy that I didn’t cook much, so that went out the window. It’s hard to be vegan, I think, if you don’t cook a lot. Or at least it was back in 1992.
I also wear my hair natural, and I’m considering getting locs (the pic on my blog is from my permed days). I’m not sure about locs, since I tend to change hairstyles all the time. But having a child makes me really consider something that is lower maintenance than twists (that take me hours to do).
As far as food, I buy the majority of my food organic, and insist that my daughter eat almost 100% organic. Unfortunately, she gets milk from Mommy that isn’t organic (since my body has pesticides in it), but it’s still the best thing for her.
And I’m strongly planning to unschool/homeschool her even while being a WAHM. I’m so glad I found you, cause I can tell my family, “I know someone who’s doing it too!”
Whew! Long message! I’m glad we’ve met!
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on December 23rd, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Theda,
I like long messages; in fact, occasionally, I’m guilty of leaving them myself. It does seem as though we have a lot in common. I suspected you were veggie at one time and were thinking about homeschooling simply because, earlier, you stated we had a lot in common. :-)
Yes, I had the twist for a while before I transitioned to locs for me it was the best choice I could make concerning my hair as it has grown I have a lot more choices and I’m seeing a lot of cute styles that won’t take too much time for me to recreate.
Regarding veganism, I was the opposite I found it a lot simpler to be vegan than any other way. I have met former vegans who have said the same things as you have also. Yes, I too made the switch in 1992. :-) Small world, eh? My diet consists mainly of a lot of fresh produce I have a cooking website, The Raw & The Cooked, where I mainly write recipes. I have noticed that my hair has grown a lot longer, and thicker, since converting to this type of lifestyle. Very cool. It grew fast before, but now it’s insane.
Anyway I haven’t updated my cooking website tin a little while. It’s been so busy. Thankfully things are starting to slow down (a little.) I do believe I owe you an email.
on January 29th, 2008 at 10:39 am
I’ve considered eating no meat, but my caloric requirements are about 2900 calories per day and I find it extremely difficult to eat that many calories without any meat!
I think meat is fine in moderation, but certainly do believe that it should be limited. I don’t think many people realize that the amount of pesticides (and other chemicals for that matter) is much higher then in non-organic fruits and vegetables.
on March 31st, 2008 at 3:10 pm
i have been vegetarian for years, cant see why people are carnivores :evil:
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