Louisville Vegetarian Club

Living Vegan; Why and How

By Michelle Pruitt

Introduction

About Me

Louisville Vegetarian Club

4 class series

Overview

What is a Vegan? (Vee-GUN)

VeganLifestyle Beyond Diet

Abstains from eating all meat, fish, or fowl, as well as any other foods of animal origin

Conscious effort to avoid all forms of exploitation, harm, and cruelty to animals.

Why be vegan?

Possible benefits of Veganism

Improved Health

Environmental Impact

Cruelty to Animal

Personal

Health

The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada state “ plant-based diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.

Pop Quiz

Which has more cholesterol?

3oz of Red Meat

3oz of Chicken Breast

3oz of Tuna

Lower RatesVegans also have lower rates of the following health problems:

Death from Heart Disease Colon Cancer

Cholesterol Levels Hypertension

Blood Pressure Prostate Cancer

Type 2 Diabetes Dementia

Improves

Immunity

Allergies

Energy

Digestive Health

WATER POLLUTION

A Sierra Club report compiled after nearly three years of reviewing state and federal regulatory agencies’ records found: “Millions of gallons of liquefied feces and urine seeped into the environment from collapsed, leaking or overflowing storage lagoons, and flowed into rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and groundwater.”

* The Rap Sheet on Animal Factories, Sierra Club, 2002

Pollution

disrupts aquatic ecosystems

damages crops

Dead Zones

ruins soil quality

jeopardizes human health

Water Conservation

1 pound of beef requires :

1,799 Gallons of Water

1 gallon of milk requires:

880 Gallons of Water

* national geographic

Sustainability & Hunger

kills wildlife

Deforestation

Animals raised for food eat as many as 16 lbs. of

grain to create just 1 lb. of edible flesh.

Cruelty to Animals

- The way we raise animals for food

Factory Farms or CAFO

- 98% farmed animal have no protection

CRUEL PRACTICES

- Birds are debeaked at a few days old

- Tail Docking

- Dehorning soft skull tissue

- Castration

- Forced Molting

Cruel Practices

Cruel Practices

Personal

“Now I can look at you in peace; I don’t eat you anymore"

~ Franz Kafka

How to be Vegan?

Food Pyramid

Protein & Calcium

Other Notable Nutrients

Substitutions

Support

What do Vegans Eat?

How do you get ______ ?

Protein

It's a nutrient not a food

Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet - 50 to 175 grams a day

Complete Proteins – amaranth, buckwheat, hempseed, soybeans, quinoa, and spirulina

Plant Based Protein

Soybeans Beans

Seeds Nuts

Nut Butters Quinoa

Calcium

Americans, whose calcium intake is among the highest in the world, also have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis.

Plant Based Calcium

Bok Choy Broccoli

Tofu Tahini

Fortified Milk Substitutes

Unhulled Sesame Seeds

Dark Leafy Greens

Notable Nutrients

B-12 Chlorella, Miso, Nutritional Yeast, and Fortified Milks, Cereals, etc.

Iron Spinach, Legumes, Pumpkin Seeds Iodine Sea Vegetables – Dulse

Zinc Pumpkin Seeds, Dried Beans, Soy

Other Plant Based Substitutions

Veggie Burgers Seitan (SAY-tan)

Vegan Mayo Hummus

Grains Daiya

Milks Tempeh

Dairy Free Ice-Cream Tofurky

Resources & Support

Get Involved

Research

On-line

Handout

Questions / Comments

Cruelty Free

Closing

Until we establish a felt sense of kinship between our own species and those fellow mortals who share with us the sun and shadow of life on this agonized planet, there is no hope for other species, there is no hope for the environment, and there is no hope for ourselves. ~Jon Wynne-Tyson