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Vegetarianism

Becoming Vegan

New Values – New Flavors

What is it to be a vegan? Firstly, a vegan is someone who made the choice to respect life and who refuses the exploitation and needless animal suffering. This choice implies, amongst other things, the refusal of eating meat and dairy products, eggs and honey.

For some people, refraining from eggs or dairy products requires them to deprive themselves of old habits, to much effort, and they are not ready to give up these small pleasures or their comfort. However, if one is sufficiently aware of the animal suffering and sufficiently animated by the desire and concern of putting an end to this suffering, it becomes easy to acquire new practices and to develop new tastes. It is so unfortunate that we have been taught to find savor in products that result from suffering and death and that a whole society devoted itself to these supposedly table pleasures, nevertheless synonymous of an unimaginable suffering.

One can discover and learn how to adapt and enjoy new food and abandon other types of food. The consumption of meat and dairy products has been found harmful for health and numerous medical disorders are now being associated to these types of eating habits.

We do not always feel spontaneously attracted to a new food, however by starting to consume some from time to time, and then by increasing the quantities, we tend to adopt this new aliment and suddenly become aware that this is part of our new food practices and it even becomes essential to us.

All the food mentioned above is replaceable as there exists plenty of substitutes and flavors on the market that resemble those which were a part of our daily food for numerous years. Any habits, whatever it is, food or something else, whether it is good or harmful to us, is always strongly anchored within us. Thus, by ending a habit, there is a significant element to consider which is called "weaning". Someone accustomed to a repetitive daily milk consumption tends to feel a certain lack when deprived of his favorite beverage. However to overcome this easily, we will find on the market an impressive quantity of various Soya and rice beverages and perhaps it will be necessary to try some of them before finding the one that really suits our taste. By way of a concrete example, I have myself tried several types of Soya drinks before finally finding the one that really satisfied my taste. At the beginning, I drank it occasionally and after 3 months, I liked it as much as milk and now I cannot go without my Soya drink.

Industrial breeding comprises a series of atrocities and maltreatments towards animals which are perceived only like goods to be fattened at lower costs, and to then put on the fork of the consumer... One can mistreat them, abuse them, harm them, what the heck… they are only roasted chickens, hamburgers, ribs, veal cutlets, stews, meatballs in sauce…etc. No one hears or sees them suffer !…

People have been led to believe that the designation Bio, from the Greek root meaning Life, is synonymous with freedom and animal well-being. Bio or organic is just the lesser of two evils, a cover which camouflages the distress that exists under this label. Although the cow is shown grazing in freedom, it is not less separated from its baby, this baby to whom her milk should have belonged, this baby condemned to a slaughterhouse and the mother condemned to repetitive pregnancies to produce milk, that will then be transformed into cream, butter, cheese, yogurt etc. The hen which pecks in freedom was born from a brood which also bore male chicks but these are considered to be unsuitable for consumption and are sacrificed and thrown alive into a crusher. How can food products which comprise this aftertaste of death be called "bio or organic" ?

The reality is that the suffering created by industrial breeding and animal exploitation masqueraded as « bio » led me to veganism. I wish for every one to find the way to veganism which provides a new diet, new and live flavors rich in authentic values.

C. Gagnon

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