By: Allison Mizzi/SHEC

Does one of your New Year’s resolutions include an attempt at becoming vegetarian or vegan? This lifestyle has many potential benefits, but the change requires reflection and careful consideration of your nutrition-related needs. There are many types of vegetarians or vegans. These include lacto-vegetarians, ovo-vegetarians, lacto-ovo-vegetarians, pescetarians, vegans, strict vegans, or anything in between. You may identify with one of these labels and enjoy finding a community of others that share it. However, you don’t have to define yourself or how you eat; your relationship with food is yours, and that can change over time.

People often choose a plant-based diet for health-related purposes. Many vegetarian options tend to contain lower fat and cholesterol, and are associated with lower incidence of chronic diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. They also contain more fiber and antioxidants, which promote digestive and cognitive health.

Others argue that vegetarian nutrition lessons strain on the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, chemical and animal wastes are the major sources of pollution in rivers and streams. Others feel that meat and animal products are unethical and thus their diet represents a stand against the use of animals as food. Others choose plant nutrition for religious, cultural and spiritual reasons.

There may be people who disagree with or stereotype you for your chosen diet. Luckily, McMaster is a very vegetarian-accessible and inclusive university: McMaster was voted Canada’s most vegan-friendly university in 2013. Bridges Café, McMaster’s all vegetarian restaurant, provides a plethora of veggie-friendly meals, and Hospitality Services has expanded their range of vegetarian meals and snacks across campus eateries.

It is important to replace meat with nutritionally equivalent alternatives. As a major source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, eliminating meat without replacing it with plant-based options may lead to protein and nutrient deficiencies. Luckily, there are several nutrition and delicious vegetarian protein sources to fill up with. These include tofu, tempeh, beans, seitan, eggs, milk and milk alternatives like soy and rice milk, high protein grains like quinoa, wild rice and amaranth, lentils, edamame, protein powders and nutritional yeast. It’s helpful to make a conscious effort to include protein with each meal and snack you eat throughout the day, paired with healthy portions of carbohydrates, to set you up for a balanced and healthy vegetarian diet.

In the initial transition, it might be particularly beneficial to connect with others, for support and to gain insight into their tips and tricks. Be prepared for some trial and error, and listen to your bodily needs.

Photo Credit: Bettaveg

Survival of the fittest can be a skewed term. In apocalyptic scenarios, common methods of endurance tend to favour the idea of burly men cutting down trees, sowing and gathering seeds, and the inevitable hunting of animals. Although meat may seem like an element of a balanced diet and a necessity for survival, recent studies have proven that vegetarianism may be the way to go.

Research completed at Loma Linda University in California has proved that, on average, vegetarians had a 12 percent reduced risk of death from any possible health-related scenario as opposed to meat-eaters, who all appeared to be looking down the barrel of death.

In line with this research, five McMaster students share their veg*n stories and prove that following a meat-free diet can be a beneficial and accessible change.

Veg*ns on Campus

Second-year Electrical Engineering student Michael Podlovics chose to make the move to meatless when he started university. “When I was planning on living away from my parents, I realized that moving out was a chance to build my own lifestyle,” he explained. Podlovics has now transitioned to veganism and is still rooted in his initial cause for making the change. “The biggest concern I had, and still have, with the industry is the staggering environmental impacts and ethical issues associated with industrial production of livestock.”

A commonly overlooked trait of the food industry is that meat production doesn’t rely solely on animals that are born and raised naturally in farm settings. Livestock production and harvesting is a huge industry that uses valuable natural resources and fossil fuels to mass raise and transport animals that are born to be turned into meals. It’s both an environmental and ethical issue that resonates with many turned veg*ns.

“After opening up my eyes to the reality [of meat production], I knew that being vegan was the right choice for me,” explained Tori Jelilyan, a second-year Health Science student and a vegan since May 2013.

Both third-year Multimedia student Rebecca Annibale and fourth-year Philosophy and Multimedia student Mathew Towers made the transition to vegetarianism when they were in the tenth grade.

“The main reason I decided to become a vegetarian was the disdain I felt towards eating meat; not only did I find it not appetizing, but I found it unethical as well,” explained Towers.

Meg Peters, a fourth-year English and Arts & Science student, is also one of the presidents of the McMaster Veggie Club. Peters became a vegetarian at age 12, and a vegan at age 13. For almost a decade now, she has been devoted to maintaining her diet and has used knowledge of the practice to spread its pros and cons with the McMaster community.

Accessibility at McMaster

“Bridges is a godsend for veg*ns trying to eat on campus,” added Peters.

The on-campus vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurant has been run in collaboration with Diversity Services since 2005. The café also contributed to McMaster being ranked as a top veg*n friendly campus through the “peta2” list (a branch of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 2006 and 2007.

Bistro, or East meets West, has also been noted as a great campus spot for veg*n friendly cuisine as it easily makes substitutes for ingredients.

“A nice new addition to campus has been the Mac Farmstand in the summer and fall, which has started serving up wonderful fresh and local salads,” said Jelilyan.

Although McMaster has definitely proved itself to be a veg*n friendly campus, there is room for improvement to make it more inclusive for all dietary concerns.

“One of the main problems that I have heard from a lot of veg*n students at Mac is the lack of transparency on campus with respect to ingredients,” said Peters.

As tasty as Mac’s vegetarian and vegan options are, many of the servers that deal directly with the students are not well informed on the contents of dishes being made and served. The Veggie Club is looking into fixing this problem by developing a sticker system that would involve labels being placed next to campus foods that are veg*n or can be modified.

Common Misconceptions about Meatless

“The biggest struggle of being a vegetarian is gaining understanding from others, and constantly having to justify our choices,” said Towers.

Identifying as veg*n often leads to associations with pushy beliefs and an otherwise “hipster” culture.

“Sometimes I feel when I tell someone I'm a vegetarian/vegan they instantly assume I'm the leader of an animal rights protest who is going to push my beliefs of vegan-ism on them and everyone I meet,” explained Annibale.

Veg*nism is a lifestyle choice that is often rooted in ethical beliefs and environmental and societal concerns. With negative ideas surrounding their choices, sometimes the true reasons for their beliefs can get clouded in misconceptions about neighboring cultural patterns.

Another common misunderstanding is that veg*nism does not provide enough nutrients to sustain an active lifestyle.

“I have noticed no visible hindrance in my athletic or academic performance. I have actually noticed improvement due to being overall more conscious of my diet and nutrient intake,” explained Podlovics, whose recent veganism and yearlong vegetarianism has yet to affect his athletic performance in recreational sports.

“After substituting plant-based foods for meat, I can honestly say that I feel healthier, more energetic, and I actually have been getting sick less often,” added Jelilyan.

If a veg*n diet is maintained thoughtfully, it can include the same amount of protein as a diet including meat.

Considering a variety of veg*n?

“Should students consider a meatless diet? I say yes! Meat causes more emissions than all transportation combined. But if you're not into binary solutions, just minimize the amount of meat you consume,” said Annibale.

“And as an added bonus for students, meat is expensive and I have found that going vegan has even left me with more money in the bank,” noted Jelilyan.

With a campus that has proved to work for other veg*ns and has been noted as a progressive school in terms of its food diversity, McMaster may be a great place to taste test veg*nism.

“There’s a strong community of veg*ns at Mac,” said Peters.

Keep in mind though that becoming veg*n isn’t a decision you should make overnight. It is a thoughtful diet that requires planning and understanding. The more restrictions you choose to make, the more difficult it will be to accommodate your diet. Look into the various types of veg*nism that exist and choose the right one for you and your lifestyle.

Going veg*n can have a positive impact on your health, the environment, and the ethical treatment of animals. And when it comes to the game of survival of the fittest, you may just come out on top.

 

 

Aaron Grierson

The Silhouette

 

Vegetarianism. Veganism. These are both commonplace ideas in this day and age. Yoga too has been gaining popularity over the last couple of years. Looking back on the cultural history of the West, these three things were not so popular or well known. Now that cannot be attributed to media coverage, such as commercials and advertisements alone. For yoga and veganism especially, these things didn’t really exist outside of the area of their origin. This probably has to do with cultural factors alone.

Yoga is a form of exercise, muscle control and meditation, centring on the concept of maximizing one’s chi or natural energy. It seems to have explicitly religious connections, concerned with finding the Way that supposedly exists. Obviously, it is also known through its incorporation and use in numerous styles of martial arts. Take a look at popular actors such as Jackie Chan or Jet Li. The martial art styles we see in their films is demonstrative of the years of practice they have put into their ability to attune their bodies with a natural flow. It struck me recently that yoga is essentially a fad. The newest weight loss and exercise hit. Now I say this not from jealousy, racism or cynicism, but from the idea I had about timing. Yoga seemed to be publicized a lot more around the time we started seeing advertisements concerning child (and national) obesity. What better way to lose weight and gain muscle than to practice various forms of yoga? It’s cheap too. Pay for a class, personal trainer or instructional video and get toned abs in a matter of ten weeks! All right, so there may be some cynicism involved, but really, why else would anything become so popular so fast?

Don’t get me wrong, I think yoga is an interesting way to exercise, and it really does improve your physical fitness. I just don’t like seeing things being appropriated for the sake of a quick dollar. If there had been some natural incorporation from East to West rather than basically a stolen and hollowed out religious practice, I may not have written this article. Of course I get the feeling that would only have occurred through the East colonizing the West or just friendly global relations. Regardless of speculation, however, history tells us a different story.

From a historical perspective, it seems like veganism also has roots out in the East, and, like yoga, carries religious connection. Their diet comes largely from a central tenant of many religions over that way: nonviolence towards all things. You don’t harm the animal in any way. It’s also important to remember that as with the Ancient Greeks and Romans, some animals are very sacred. This is a stark contrast to the eating habits of Westerners, especially when compared to fast foods. As an exact comparison it’s an ascetic looking at someone who’s been encouraged to take as much as they can.

Now, to be entirely honest, this section was inspired by an article I read in my local newspaper. It was a bit of a feel good read, explaining how veganism has gone from something almost shunned and cultic to something more mainstream and widely accepted. Underneath the subtitle was a series of book titles concerning veganism. The two that stuck out to me the most were “Appetite for Reduction” and “Skinny Bitch.” These titles got me thinking once again about fads. Obviously veganism is a little more than a fad for some people (serious diet or religious [I know a couple of practicing Buddhists]). I sat there thinking to myself “so we’re encouraging pretentious attitudes and image issues in addition to trying to get people to eat healthier and debasing religious practices. That being said, it’s not like I have a problem with vegans, though I could never do it myself. I just love milk, cheese and meat too much. Besides, we’re omnivores by our very nature. Nature allows us to have the treat of meat (or any other animal products).

Returning to the theme of history, we can see that excessive food was once a rarity for most people (and still is). And so I think vegetarianism grew more out of the availability of food more than anything. I follow a similar idea when questioned by people about my eating habits. If there was no meat, I’d probably be reluctant to go out, kill a deer and have my three servings a day. However, due to capitalist endeavours, there is an absolutely disgusting excess of meat, and until it is all gone, I will continue to try and ensure that it’s not just wasted and those poor creatures die in vain. That very well could be a redeeming quality for meatless food practices.

All in all I am not writing to insult these practices just because I don’t partake in them, or because I think they’re genuinely bad for anyone either. I just hope people reconsider why they partake in certain activities, or at least have the decency to read up on the background. In that regard it’s no different from all of the animal rights advocates concerning the food industry and the way animals are mass farmed.

They had to do the research to figure out the problems with that system. So maybe if people researched the origins of the fads or trends their partook in, they might realize they’re doing a little bit more than just losing weight.