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21st century has noticed many movements in food and dietary requirements. We explore the concept of veganism and why it is on such a popular rise!

You might be in the middle of a conversation when your eyes catch someone’s social media post wherein they declare, “I am going vegan.” You let that thought settle and with every breath, there is a lurking curiosity.What is veganism and why has it become a more mainstream food choice trend in the recent years?The vegan diet has, for a long time now, been clearly associated with boring salad bowls and alternatives to the meats. At times it is also confused with vegetarianism. Veganism is more than all of this. It is a philosophy, a way of living, which excludes all forms of exploitation and cruelty towards animals for food, clothing, and other purposes. It includes a healthy alternative to everything, even the dietary essentials like milk and other dairy products.

Veganism as a lifestyle option is on the rise, fairly due to its massive presence on social media, influencing the choices of the audiences. A lot of celebrities have opted for a vegan lifestyle. A lot of influencers regularly promote vegan choices and products. According to the recent statistics presented by BBC News, veganism has one of the highest web searches worldwide. With prominent celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian, Sonam Kapoor, etc. promoting it, it has gained a lot of attention.Some of the vegan foods are alsoknown to be gluten-free. Although these terms are wrongly used interchangeably, they are not the same. Gluten-free and veganism are considered to be similar when they are not. Gluten-free diets are also rising considerably. A gluten-free diet is necessary if you have a celiac disease, or are otherwise gluten intolerant. If neither of those conditions persists, then there is absolutely no reason to avoid gluten. Other misconceptions that circle the vegan choice are the ‘missing out factor.’ When you go vegan, you can still have your favourite foods, the only things you will be ditching are cruelty and cholesterol
that go hand in hand with using animals for food. As the demand for vegan food options is skyrocketing, companies are now coming out with more delicious meat and dairy free options that taste great, are healthier, and do not hurt living beings.

A popular argument against veganism is the fact that it is a luxury or an expensive diet. Tobias Leenaert in his book Vegan Strategist calls veganism a ‘first world luxury’. While a lot of people agree it is the transitioning which partakes to be expensive, it depends from region to region. While transitioning, faux meats will be more expensive than regular meats.Necessities like dairy are now swapped with plant based products. Soy milk, coconut milk, and creams are subject to regional availability, which is key to determining their price. Waiver in the supplementations one will require keeping the nutritional balance. Arpita Chhikara, a graduate of Jesus and Mary College said, “Being a vegan is one of the best choices. You know you are doing something incredibly good when you opt for a more healthy option that benefits all. At the end of the day, it’s our choices that really make or break us. This is my choice
and I love every bit of it.”

Feature Image Credits: The Economist

Avnika Chhikara

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Most of us know Veganism to be a new fad that advocates not using animal products for food or lifestyle, including clothing, medication and cosmetics. What most of us don’t know about this new fad is that:

1. It has it’s origins as early as 10,000 B.C. and was the central ethic at the heart of Eastern Tantra and Western Magic, the mother of all modern religions today.

2. Not just that, it is the single thread, the moral lesson, that holds the story of creation together through the cyclic apocalyptic floods that come as Mother Earth detoxifies herself regularly over periods of time called Yugas or eons.

3. That ancient sciences of both Yoga and Alchemy hold veganism as a prerequisite to rise and shine like the Sun and summon our soul mates to satellite around us creating our own spiritual solar system here on Earth.

4. That the nuclear reactions in a star as it matures from its first main sequence of converting hydrogen into helium until its seventh main sequence of producing the heaviest element Iron, is a fractal equivalent of an individual here on Earth raising their Kundalini energy through their seven chakras, which cannot be done without veganism.

5. That as per the Law of Sevens, as we do raise our Kundalini through the seven chakras by practicing Ahimsa or Veganism, we are actually making our way through the seven levels of afterlife we will be sent to, the three lower Hells, the fourth transition level and the three upper Heavens as mentioned in many Vedic and Hermetic scriptures.

6. This law of sevens isn’t just limited to our seven Chakras and our spiritual place in Heaven or Hell, it pervades all of creation from the seven colors of visible light (VIBGYOR), seven sounds of the audible spectrum (Sa,Re,Ga,Ma,Pa,Dha,Ni), seven existential needs, seven levels of consciousness, to the seven main systems and master glands in the human body that make it function as a whole together.

7. That unless we go vegan, we will never experience the full potential of our personal and professional life because as the Kundalini energy moves along our spine it activates our chakras and their associated glands to peak performance one by one.

8. What we refer to as our elusive sense of intuition or sudden spurts of inspiration which account for our most magical experiences of being alive is actually our sixth sense, our ability to communicate with nature working pathetically. As our Kundalini moves up, those states of being guided by nature become more sustainable until we are in constant two-way communication with nature.

9. Normally we only see and hear about 1% of the bandwidth of the visible and audible spectrum. Many other animals see and hear outside of their spectrum and respond to it as well. We are kicked out of this network because of our violence towards other sentient beings, our spiritual siblings. Once we resume loving relationships with them we are welcomed back into this network by Mother Nature.

10. So, if you want to discover all your spiritual soulmates to fulfill your purpose of existence with them, experience the big L love or become the next great inventor or artist, there is only one way to go, and that’s Veganism.

Sukrat Bajaj, the Creative Director of Vegan World Media, a publishing house dedicated to producing cutting-edge vegan content says that – “Whether we know it or not, we are all tantrics, little magicians, doing tantra in our everyday lives, the question remains only of our awareness.”

Vegan World Media is looking forward to working with student activists from every college to help spread the beautiful and magical message of Veganism. They have decided to offer their books to students at 50% of their online prices on Amazon, while helping student activists make money on the side.

Interested students may write to them at [email protected] and leave their name, college, contact information and phone numbers.

The debate around food, especially protein, has been growing at an exponential rate in recent years. While vegetarianism has been around for centuries, the concept of veganism sprang up in the mid-twentieth century and has gained immense popularity since the 2010s. Often labelled as dietary ‘requirements’ or ‘preferences’, vegetarianism and veganism are much more than just that. They are philosophies, ardently followed by millions of people around the world.

THE REASONING

Statistics reveal that more and more young people are making conscious changes in their diets to support food production that is sustainable and ethical. This stems from a number of factors – the collective responsibility to leave behind a better world for our future generations, the desire to reduce our carbon footprint, the right to know exactly what we are consuming, and a guilty conscience about the way humans treat other species.

THE BENEFITS

The advantages of an animal-free diet are plenty – decreased risks of heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure, to name a few. There are also directly visible benefits such as healthier skin and a leaner physique. Often the negative discourse surrounding vegetarianism and, in particular, veganism, takes away from its merits. This summer, challenge yourself to try a new diet and give a shot to a new lifestyle.

TRY IT YOURSELF

With the ever-increasing supply of products that are organic and animal-friendly, it is now easier than ever to take on the challenge of becoming (even if temporarily) vegetarian or vegan. Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Set a target – If you eat meat or dairy on a daily basis, you probably will not turn into a passionate veggie-lover overnight. Set yourself a realistic goal – try going a week without meat, then a month, and so on, or decide that you will have meat only on weekends or on special occasions. Either way, keep it balanced.
  • Find a partner – If you are the only one at the party eating paneer while everyone else digs into chicken tikka, you will probably be miserable (and regretting your decision to listen to me). Instead, find a friend or a sibling to join you. You can motivate each other when it gets difficult, but if you’re still miserable, at least you’ll have company. It’s a win-win!
  • Plan a budget – Restricting your diet often takes a toll on your wallet in unexpected ways. From substituting regular milk for soy or almond milk, or finding your favorite gelatine-free candy, veganism can be expensive. Make sure you put some money aside each month to satisfy your vegan cravings.
  • Time it right – Finally, be aware of upcoming dates and events in which you will be tempted to consume animal products. Don’t try your hand at vegetarianism if you are traveling to an exotic country, where a restricted diet will greatly limit your food choices. Instead, pick a period in which you are in a comfortable and familiar place so you have a chance to fully explore your options and make the best of the available resources. Good luck!

Image Credits: http://linkedin.com/

Vineeta Rana

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