A Cruelty-Free Lifestyle

First things first, what really constitutes an animal product?

An animal product is any material derived from the body of an animal. Examples are fat, flesh, blood, milk, eggs, and lesser known products, such as isinglass and rennet. Most vegans, like myself, also include insect products such as honey in their definition as well.

Let's not exclude the animal by-products which are the carcasses and parts of carcasses from slaughterhouses, animal shelters, zoos and veterinarians, and products of animal origin not intended for human consumption, including catering waste (all waste food from restaurants, catering facilities, central kitchens, slaughterhouses and household kitchens. These products may go through a process known as "rendering" to be made into human and non-human foodstuffs, fats, and other material that can be sold to make commercial products such as cosmetics, paint, cleaners, polishes, glue, soap and ink. The sale of animal by-products allows the meat industry to compete economically with industries selling sources of vegetable protein.

Animal Welfare - Despite the common belief that drinking milk or eating

eggs does not kill animals, commercially raised dairy cows and egg-laying chickens, whether factory-farmed or 'free range,' are slaughtered when their production rates decline, not to mention the appalling conditions to which they are kept.

The Environment - Animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the earth. It is an inefficient way of producing food, since feed for farm animals requires land, water, fertilizer, and other resources that could otherwise have been used directly for producing human food. Eating fewer animal products is a good choice for the environment and your conscious. Animal agriculture produces surprisingly large amounts of air and water pollution, and causes 80 percent of the world's annual deforestation. It also requires large amounts of water, and livestock worldwide consumes half the world's total grain harvest.

Health - The consumption of animal fats and proteins has been linked to heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, and a number of other debilitating conditions. Cows' milk contains ideal amounts of fat and protein for young calves, but far too much for humans. According to Gill Langley, a Ph.D. in biology and author of Vegan Nutrition, "it is clear from the example of many thousands of vegans worldwide that a varied plant-based diet not only supports health and well-being but, additionally, can have positive health benefits." A vegan diet is protective against such major killers as heart disease and cancer.

How Do You Know It’s Vegan? Learning to read labels is a big part of the lifestyle. You will need to examine the packaging and labeling carefully of all the ingredients to ensure that you avoid animal products, especially animal by-products such as gelatin {found in gummy candy and beauty products} and rennet {found in cheese}.

Keep Learning - "Remember that going vegan is a learning curve. To live as a vegan in a non-vegan world takes both courage and curiosity. Veganism has been around since 1944, but it’s still a relatively new concept to many people.

It’s important you allow yourself time to learn about the various strands of veganism – and remember to pat yourself on the back along the way for the progress you've made."

{Sources: The Vegan Society, Vegan Nutrition, Wikipedia, ArticlesFactory.com}