1. All vegans are skinny.
Most vegans are indeed not overweight, but their body mass index is within the normal range. If we talk about exceptional cases of underweight, then this is solved with the help of physical exercises, adjusting the plant-based diet – it is worth making it balanced and observing the daily calorie intake.
The opposite cases are also known: people switch to veganism and at the same time cannot part with excess weight, despite the fact that their diet is low in calories. The secret to losing weight has long been known – a person needs to consume fewer calories and spend more. In other words, if you lead a sedentary lifestyle, get carried away even with vegan, but unhealthy sweets, buns, sausages, it will be difficult to get rid of excess weight.
Conclusion. A vegan diet alone cannot lead to weight gain unless the person has an eating disorder, is physically active, and has a balanced protein-fat-carbohydrate diet.
2. All vegans are evil.
The stereotype of the “evil vegan” has come about thanks to the influence of social media. According to many, all followers of veganism will not miss the opportunity to mention their views at any opportunity and inconvenience. There was even quite a funny joke on this topic:
– What day is today?
– Tuesday.
Oh, by the way, I’m a vegan!
Many followers of veganism have also been seen in aggressive attacks towards those who eat meat. But here one should proceed from the upbringing and the initial level of a person’s internal culture. What difference does it make what kind of diet he eats if his favorite habit is to insult and humiliate people of other views? Often beginner vegans suffer from this behavior. And, according to psychologists, this is a normal reaction. A person establishes himself in a new position, testing it through the reaction of other people. Convincing someone that he is right, at the same time he is trying to convince himself of the right choice.
Conclusion. Give the “evil vegan” some time – the active stage of “accepting” new views has the ability to pass without a trace!
3. Vegans are less aggressive than meat eaters.
The opposite point of view is also popular on the Web: vegans are often kinder than adherents of traditional nutrition. However, no research has been conducted on this topic, which means that today it is inappropriate to rank the reduction of internal aggression among the advantages of veganism.
Conclusion. Today, one can rely only on the works of scientists who claim that each person has an individual set of views and psycho-emotional attitudes. And this means that regardless of nutrition, each of us at different times can show different qualities, experience different feelings and realize different reactions.
4. You can’t build muscle on a vegan diet.
Eminent vegan athletes of the world would argue with this. Among them are track and field athlete and Olympic champion Carl Lewis, tennis player Serena Williams, bodybuilder Patrick Babumyan, boxer Mike Tyson and many others.
And in the field of Russian sports there are also many examples of vegans. So, this is the world-famous undefeated world champion Ivan Poddubny, Olympic bobsleigh champion Alexei Voevoda, fitness trainer and former female bodybuilding star Valentina Zabiyaka and many others!
5. Vegans only eat “grass.”
In addition to salads, greens, wild plants and sprouts, the diet of every vegan includes cereals, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Nut, coconut, oat, almond or soy milk, all kinds of oils and seeds are also popular. If you look in a vegan grocery basket, you can always see local roots and fruits – many vegans are of the opinion that you need to eat what grows close to home.
Of course, there are also dishes quite unusual for a meat-eater in the diet. For example, wheatgrass – juice from wheat germ, chlorella or spirulina, a large number of different types of algae. With the help of such supplements, vegans replenish vital amino acids.
Conclusion. The vegan food basket is diverse, the abundance of vegan dishes and the growing popularity of vegan cuisine indicate that such people do not have problems with food scarcity.
6. Vegans are not liked in ordinary cafes and restaurants.
This myth must be related to the experience of certain people who were uncomfortable going to a particular catering establishment. But the practice of the vast majority of adherents of plant-based nutrition proves that it is quite easy for a vegan to find a dish to his taste in any menu. After all, each cafe presents a variety of side dishes, salads, hot dishes and drinks without animal products. Some, such as the Greek salad, can be asked to remove the cheese, but otherwise a vegan is unlikely to cause problems for the cook or waiter. Judge for yourself what you can find available in almost any cafe or restaurant:
vegetable salads
· Grilled vegetables
Country-style potatoes, french fries, steamed
fruit platters
・Lenten soups
Diet meals (most of them do not contain animal products)
Frozen fruit desserts (sorbets)
· Smoothies
· Fresh
· Tea, coffee with soy or other plant-based milk (often for a small surcharge)
And this is just a small list of the most common dishes!
Conclusion. Strict vegetarians do not always eat only at home. If desired, and the right mood, you can always find a treat that suits your views in the nearest cafe or restaurant.
7. It is difficult for vegans to find cosmetics, clothes and shoes.
Today, an ethical lifestyle has become a trend in most developed countries, so manufacturers of necessary household items are trying to meet the needs of buyers. Many brands of cosmetics are replenished with lines marked Cruelty Free and Vegan, even large corporations are gradually moving to a new type of production. The abolition of vivisection (testing of cosmetics and medicines on animals) today is much more common than before, so manufacturers one way or another have to adapt to new conditions.
As for clothes and shoes, many vegans prefer to order them abroad via the Internet or look for them in second-hand stores in Russia. Often, it’s even more ethical to buy a used item, albeit made with leather, than to buy new shoes.
Conclusion. If desired and with due diligence, you can find suitable clothes, shoes, cosmetics and household chemicals on the Internet, the production of which is not related to the exploitation of animals.
8. Veganism is a cult.
Veganism is a type of diet that is on a par with the concept of a rational, proper and healthy diet.
Conclusion. Adherence to one or another type of diet does not indicate belonging to any religious or any other sect.
9. Veganism is a fashion trend.
In a sense, the craze for a healthy lifestyle is also a fashion trend, right?
The vegan and vegetarian type of food is experiencing the third wave of popularity in our country, starting from 1860, when the first vegetarians began to appear in the Russian Empire. After 1917, there was a certain decline in the relevance of the diet, which again became popular in the 80s of the last century. In the 90s, the vegetarian/vegan movement in Russia took a defensive position and only since the beginning of the 19s has it become a trend again. In the rest of the world, a plant-based diet has not lost popularity since the end of the XNUMXth century, so talking about fashion in this matter is incorrect.
Conclusion. The availability of information today determines the relevance of certain currents, movements, etc. However, this does not make veganism just a temporary fashion trend.
10. Vegans are only for the love of animals.
Moral reasons for switching, according to research, make only 27% of people become vegan, while 49% of respondents, according to vegansociety.com, switch to a plant-based diet for ethical reasons. But at the same time, another 10% of people change their diet because of concern for their health, 7% because of concern about the ecological state, and 3% for religious reasons.
Conclusion. It cannot be argued that veganism is peculiar only to animal lovers, statistics show at least 5 reasons that make people reconsider their eating habits.