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What is the Difference Between a Vegan and a Vegetarian?

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prasad1

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The difference between a vegan and a vegetarian is that a vegan eliminates all animal products from his or her diet, including dairy. Those following a vegan lifestyle generally do not wear leather and avoid products made from animals such as wool, silk and down. Vegans’ tremendous humanity for animals is an abiding, overriding conviction in their lives.


Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish or poultry, but might eat dairy products such as cheese, eggs, yogurt or milk. Vegetarians are not as predictable in their beliefs, as there are many reasons to become vegetarian that don’t necessarily include altruism as a primary motive. For example, many vegetarians have eliminated meat for the sake of their health. In fact, there are a great many people lumped into the category of vegetarian. Lacto-vegetarians will eat dairy, but not eggs. Ovo-vegetarians will eat eggs, but not dairy. Lacto-ovo vegetarians will eat eggs and dairy products. The reasons for these choices are varied and based on individual beliefs. In some cases they are based on moral choices, and in others on dietary needs or simple preference.


A vegan, on the other hand, is self-committed to upholding a personal standard of living where animals are concerned. The vegan will often go beyond eliminating meat, dairy and animal products, to become an activist for animal rights. Generally, the vegan point of view is that animals are not here to be exploited by man, and that commercialization of animals necessarily involves a fundamental, inhumane component and lack of respect for basic life.

I am vegetarian by culture and belief but admire vegans. I am not as driven as vegans. I do use milk products, leather, honey, and even Ice cream. But i am somewhat ambivalent to killing of insects, bacteria, fungus, virus etc. Where do we draw the line?
I fully endorse the view that food choices are purely individuals decision. But this line is becoming very thin.
How do you make this decision?
 
Dear Prasad Sir,

It is said that in a life time, a pure vegetarian will unknowingly eat the amount of non veg stuff, equivalent to the size of a goat's head!

Scary, right? Probably the age of 'that' vegetarian might have been calculated as 90 + !

P.S: Ram's mom used to say this often! :)
 
What matters is really our underlying motivation behind the choices we make. That line is not arbitrary because we know why we do what we do if only we care to listen to our mind.

We can choose our food and other consumables with clarity such that it causes least amount of injury to other beings.

This means consuming a medicine that leverages animal product is fine if there are no other viable options (which minimizes your own pain). However eating a burger which wastes 40 gallons of fresh water, and cause untold harm to animals is not fine especially when choices exist to fulfill one's hunger.

We buy milk only from farms that allow grazing of cows. But it is very expensive which we are willing to pay.

A person committed to minimizing injury will not speak ill of others causing injury by their spoken words. A person who is vegan but causes misery in other beings with their acts and words is nothing to be admired about.

There are times when a few people cause injury to others with their words - taking them on is fine because the intent is to lower the harm overall by our actions.
 
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It seemed to be easy, but with the added knowledge and internet for information seemingly harmless things are no longer harmless.
For instance the silver foil in sweets, Jello in pudding, the tallow in cereals etc. Once you know you have to change habits. The bloody Mary mix has Anchovies. They add meat products totally randomly. You have to do research to find the underlying orocess. I agree that we can not help but harm some form of life. So the path of least harm is the only compromise.
 
It seemed to be easy, but with the added knowledge and internet for information seemingly harmless things are no longer harmless.
For instance the silver foil in sweets, Jello in pudding, the tallow in cereals etc. Once you know you have to change habits. The bloody Mary mix has Anchovies. They add meat products totally randomly. You have to do research to find the underlying orocess. I agree that we can not help but harm some form of life. So the path of least harm is the only compromise.

In fact I did not know milk was being produced in factory farms for many years. So we stopped consumption until we could find an alternative. Similarly I avoid the sweets with foils. There are medicines like heparin which uses some cultures from cows stomach (I dont have the details). Now a patient may use it provided they have an attitude of gratitude.

It is hard to be 100% anything but if our heart has the intent (and I purposely did not use the word mind) then we can lead a conflict free life.
 
Dear Prasad Ji,

I am Vegan..used to be vegetarian but currently I am vegan.

I gave it a shot to stop milk/yogurt etc and I seem more healthy and happier.

I do not use silk and leather.

For me I am Vegan not for any specific reason even though becoming one has cured me from my cluster headache.

Becoming vegetarian and then becoming Vegan was a natural transition for my body and mind.

I usually listen to what my body and mind says..I do not make rigid rules that I might not be able to follow..I do not think of drawing the line anywhere. Once having flowed along the transition I never have any cravings of any kind..only when one forces himself/herself one develops cravings..so stopping milk/yogurt etc never made me crave for it at all.

BTW when I have to take medication I try my very best to stick to tablets and rarely take capsules cos capsules are non veg in coating. But if a situation really warrants swallowing a capsule I will have no choice cos its my duty to treat my body.

Coming to getting rid of pests..I have started using herbal based repellents that do not kill the insects but rather just keep them away.

There is a vegan company out here that markets such products which is natural and toxin free.

So this are the choices one can make to lead a more green life.

Its not about getting paranoid.

Paranoia of any kind is a form of mental stress....so it defeats the whole purpose of striking a balance in life.
 
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Two weeks back, there was a discussion on Vijay TV - Neeya Naana program between those who have changed to

Veg food from non.veg food and those who have changed vice versa. Here is a clipping:

Veg vs Non-veg eaters

One person said later on in this show that if all the people eat ONLY vegetarian food, the price of vegetables will go extremely high!
 
In the U S of A, lots of vegan stuff equivalent to dairy products are available and it is easier to be a vegan. In fact, I enjoyed

the delicious tea,
prepared with coconut milk, in one of the Thai restaurants. But, entertaining vegan food eaters is a bit difficult

in Sing. Chennai. When vegans visit me, I feel as if I am eating some non. veg stuff at home ! My son used to caution me, 'Amma!

Please don't keep that vessel with curds near them; they may feel bad!'. May be, vegans consider curds as meat!! :(

BTW, stopping dairy products in diet will surely make one lose weight. One girl in my extended family, living in the U S of A, does

not like the 'cow smell' in the milk available here and will refuse to take milk, curd and ghee. She loses many pounds within six

weeks of her stay here!
 
Dear RR ji,

I have noted after I stopped milk/yogurt the respiratory system is practically free from mucus/phlegm and the quality of the voice improves.

One hardly even catches a cold.
 
........ I have noted after I stopped milk/yogurt the respiratory system is practically free from mucus/phlegm and the quality of the voice improves.

One hardly even catches a cold.
Dear Renu,

A good point to ponder, for the singers! Thank you! :)
 
There is an advt in our forum for an 'Apartment for rent'.

It will be given only to Vegetarian Brahmins! :)

Hmmm ....... This will happen when Brahmins start eating NV!! :hungry:
 
Two weeks back, there was a discussion on Vijay TV - Neeya Naana program between those who have changed to

Veg food from non.veg food and those who have changed vice versa. Here is a clipping:

Veg vs Non-veg eaters

One person said later on in this show that if all the people eat ONLY vegetarian food, the price of vegetables will go extremely high!

In the Tamil film Meendum Kokila, released during 1980, which was a remake of Hindi version Pathi, Pathni and Woe (starring Sanjeev Kumar and Vidya Sinha), the hero was shown as a B, who tasted NV item. Comedian Surulirajan, who acted as a Director, commented that if Bs were started taking NV items, the cost of NV items would go up.
 
In the Tamil film Meendum Kokila, released during 1980, which was a remake of Hindi version Pathi, Pathni and Woe (starring Sanjeev Kumar and Vidya Sinha), the hero was shown as a B, who tasted NV item. Comedian Surulirajan, who acted as a Director, commented that if Bs were started taking NV items, the cost of NV items would go up.
Sound similar to 'If all are vegetarians, the price of vegetables will go up!' :D
 
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