| Yes. As the American Dietetic Association and | | | | vegetarian (consuming dairy products and eggs) |
| Dieticians of Canada said: 'Well-planned vegan and | | | | for five years at that time but I had believed the |
| other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate | | | | propaganda that we need animal products for |
| for all stages of the life cycle, including during | | | | optimal health, so I hesitated in phasing out the |
| pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and | | | | milk, cheese and eggs. I was actually vegan for |
| adolescence.' | | | | about two years before I officially admitted that I |
| Well planned, that's the important bit. Any diet has | | | | was vegan. That would have allowed me to go |
| to be well planned to enhance and maintain good | | | | back to dairy and eggs without having to admit I |
| health. A diet consisting entirely of whiskey and | | | | was wrong if my health had suffered. But I |
| chocolate could be considered vegan but it | | | | thrived. I've been vegan for thirty years and I am |
| wouldn't be well planned and certainly wouldn't be | | | | strong, fit, healthy and full of energy. It's so much |
| healthy. To be healthy, a diet must include a wide | | | | easier being vegan now with a mind boggling |
| variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and | | | | range of food, both the healthy kind and the less |
| pulses. To this can be added grains although a few | | | | healthy, comfort/indulgence kind. |
| people have an intolerance to the gluten contained | | | | Veganism is far more than just a healthy way of |
| in many grains. For the majority who don't have | | | | life. Apart from sparing millions of other animals |
| an intolerance, grains are a valuable source of | | | | the need to be slaughtered to feed us, it is also |
| protein, vitamins, minerals and fibre. | | | | better for the whole planet. |
| A vegan diet can supply every essential nutrient. | | | | An enormous amount of land is required for farm |
| There are no problems with lack of iron or | | | | animal grazing and to grow food to feed to them. |
| calcium from a vegan diet as it contains all you | | | | A tiny fraction of this land would be all that is |
| need. Protein is found in abundance in plant-based | | | | needed to feed humans on a vegan diet. |
| diets | | | | Millions of acres of virgin forests, including the |
| It is true that plants don't supply us with vitamin | | | | mighty Amazon Forest, are being cut down to |
| B12 but that can be found in many fortified vegan | | | | provide short-lived grazing areas for cattle and to |
| foods. We need such a miniscule amount of B12 | | | | grow soya beans and other crops to feed them. |
| that no vegan need go without. Many or most | | | | As well as destroying rich habitats, this destruction |
| meat eaters have to rely on supplementation to | | | | adds to climate change. |
| get their B12 because the animals they eat must | | | | Farm animals consume vast amounts of water - |
| be given cobalt supplements to ensure the | | | | when many humans around the world don't have |
| bacteria in their guts can manufacture the vitamin. | | | | access to clean water. The farm animals also |
| This is because many soils are deficient in cobalt. | | | | produce millions of gallons of slurry which pollutes |
| Vegan diets confer many health benefits: vegans | | | | water sources. |
| are less likely than meat eaters to suffer from | | | | Farm animals are responsible for much climate |
| heart disease and many forms of cancer. If you | | | | change due to their production of methane, |
| are worried about your cholesterol levels you | | | | carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide - all dangerous |
| could take medication to control it, with all the | | | | greenhouse gasses. |
| risks involved in using pharmaceutical drugs, or | | | | The fertilizers and pesticides for growing farm |
| you could adopt a vegan diet. There is no | | | | animal food, and the transport and manufacture |
| cholesterol in plant food. The only cholesterol in | | | | of these chemicals also add to the acceleration of |
| vegans' bodies is what they make for themselves | | | | climate change by polluting and poisoning the soil, |
| in their livers. | | | | water and air. |
| The range of foods that make up the vegan diet | | | | When countries like India and China begin to |
| is truly amazing. There are dishes that will delight | | | | increase their consumption of meat and milk the |
| the most jaded of palates. Dishes that will have | | | | situation will become much worse. |
| you saying to yourself: 'Surely, this can't be | | | | If you want to do your bit to reduce climate |
| vegan?' You will be astounded and you will be | | | | change, if you want to help to conserve natural |
| delighted. You will be convinced that the vegan | | | | habitats, if you want to live a life that doesn't |
| diet can provide everything you need and | | | | require the exploitation of sentient creatures, the |
| everything you want. And it can. | | | | answer is simple: adopt the vegan way of life. It's |
| When I became vegan I wasn't absolutely sure | | | | never been easier. And for the planet, it's never |
| that it would be healthy. I'd been lacto-ovo | | | | been more urgent. |