Vegan diet, vegan life - what exactly does that mean?
Nena (55) does it, Johnny Depp (52) and Kaya Yanar (42) do it, and "Stromberg" actor Christoph Maria Herbst (49) does it too: they give up animal products and eat no eggs, no dairy products, no honey and of course no meat or fish. The market for vegan food is growing. Food scandals, a new environmental awareness and the poor conditions in which livestock are kept are the main reasons.
But there is more to the switch to a vegan lifestyle. The basic principles are being extended as far as possible to all areas of life: Not only vegan food, but also vegan clothing is becoming more and more of an issue. Avoiding wool, leather and cosmetics with animal ingredients as well as a conscious and resource-conserving approach to everyday objects are also part of this.
Vegan diet: these are the advantages
Environmental protection: a plant-based diet causes fewer emissions and uses less water, among other things.
Ethics: Vegans do not want to be responsible for the killing and poor treatment of animals.
Health: Vegans are rarely overweight. A purely plant-based diet can be very good for the body and improves blood values, for example, as independent studies have shown.
Cons: The problems
Effort: A balanced vegan diet is more time-consuming. You need to be well informed and cook a lot yourself, because eating out is quite difficult - there aren't that many vegan restaurants yet.
Costs: A vegan lifestyle is sometimes associated with higher expenses, e.g. for safe clothing.
Health: If you eat a vegan diet without good planning, your intake of vitamin B12, iron and calcium will be too low.
Vegan shopping
Supermarket: The "Veganz" chain can be found in more and more German cities: Berlin, Leipzig, Essen, Hamburg, Munich and Frankfurt are already included. You can usually also find a selection of vegan specialty ingredients in organic markets, DM stores and large supermarket chains.
Online: You can also easily order vegan food and more online. The best stores: www.smilefood.de, http://www.veganic.de, www.vegan-total.de and www.veganbasics.de.
Vegan nutrition: Stars and their books
Patrik Baboumian, strength athlete: "Vegan ganz anders".
In 2011, the vegan won the title of "Germany's strongest man". His readers can expect a mix of home cooking and filling shakes. 19.90 euros. Orgalahad Multimedia.
Andreas Bär Läsker, German music manager: "No need for meat".
The manager of the "Fantastischen Vier" lost 45 kilos on a vegan diet. He also gives personal advice in his cookbook. 24.99 euros. Trias publishing house
