In celebration of Meatless Monday, we caught up with Sarah Kramer, Canada’s number one vegan rockstar and best-selling author of four popular vegan cookbooks (How It All Vegan and The Garden of Vegan with co-author Tanya Barnard, La Dolce Vegan! and Vegan a Go-Go) to learn more about living the vegan lifestyle.
Meatless Monday is a growing global response to the contribution of meat production’s greenhouse gas emissions. The UN’s Livestock Longshadow Report found that livestock is responsible for an estimated 18% of all greenhouse gases, more than all forms of transport combined. When you add in the huge amounts of water needed to produce meat, poultry and eggs, the pollution created from the manure and the appalling cruelty in factory farms, there seems to be no good green rationale to keep consuming meat.
What is a vegan diet?
Veganism is not a diet; it is more of a way of life. Someone who is vegan does not use or consume any animal products or products that have been tested on animals. So no animal products in their food, fashion, or other products such as make-up, cleaners, etc.
What are some of the reasons people become vegan?
There are lots of different reasons why someone would lean towards veganism - health, political, environmental to name a few.
Are you a vegan for compassionate reasons only?
Compassion is what motivated me to be vegetarian as a child. I love animals and I didn’t want them to die for my food. As I became an adult I started to educate myself as to the horrors of the meat, dairy and fashion industry and it was not difficult for me to transition from vegetarian to vegan. In fact, it seemed like an obvious choice for someone who loves animals and wants to make an impact helping the planet recover from the devastation caused by factory farming.
I have been vegetarian since birth (with the exception of a brief period in high-school where I did some “experimenting” with my diet) and vegan since my early 20’s. I’m 41 now.
Is it a difficult diet to follow?
I do not find it difficult to be vegan and that’s why my co-author and I wrote How It All Vegan (our first cookbook). We wanted readers to experience how easy, fun and wonderful a vegan lifestyle can be.
The biggest challenge with being vegan is yourself. Most people focus on what they can’t have when they’re vegan. I think it’s important to focus and celebrate the things you CAN have. It’s a small mental shift that helps you stay focused and move forward in a positive way.
What are some of the physical benefits of being a vegan?
A well balanced vegan lifestyle can help with reversing heart disease, help regulate Type 2 Diabetes as well as increase your energy and best of all you will have fabulous poops. Yes. I said poops! Vegans eat a lot more fiber and that’s great for keeping you regular.
Does a vegan and/or vegetarian diet help the planet?
YOU BET! The fastest way to help the planet is to go vegan. By eliminating our consumption of animal products we remove one of the major sources of methane emissions, the greenhouse gas responsible for almost half of the global warming impacting the planet.
Often people stop eating beef, but replace their beef meals with chicken, lamb or other animal products. Why is this approach problematic?
This approach is problematic because replacing one dead animal with another dead animal on your plate isn’t a solution.
My advice is to get yourself some good cookbooks. Making meals from scratch can be easy, fun and most importantly delicious. All 4 of my cookbooks have recipes with easy to find ingredients and the large majority of the recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less – visit www.GoVegan.net.
I also highly recommend you read Becoming Vegan by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis. It will answer just about any nutritional question you might have about going vegan.
As for pre-made vegan products. I think they’re great for days when you’re stuck but should be looked at as junk food. And like with all junk food should be used in moderation.
Have you heard of the Meatfree Monday Movement?
I think anything that gets people thinking about the lifestyle choices they make for themselves is a good thing.
Do you think the environmental movement is becoming more compassionate towards animals?
I hope so. Personally I don’t think you can be an environmentalist and eat meat. If you talk the talk, you need to walk the walk.
Why is it difficult for people to give up meat?
It’s not difficult to be vegan unless you make it difficult for yourself. Stop making excuses and go for it!! Veganism is about thinking outside of your own needs, seeing a world beyond yourself and opening your heart up to compassion, empathy and understanding.
Anything you would like to add?
I have a new wall calendar that just hit the bookstores. It’s called GoVegan 2010 and a portion of the proceeds from the calendar go to the Sea Shepherd Society. Also, in Sept, the 10th anniversary edition of How It All Vegan will be in stores and there are some new recipes, a new introduction as well as some food photography.
Visit: www.GoVegan.net
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