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Feature: Try Veggies, Beshies!
Try Veggies, Beshies!
Alapaap "Ulap" Coquilla of 11 - Amado V. Hernandez has been practicing veganism since December 2016. Back then, she was still in the Track and Field team and her coach required her to add more protein on her diet. In line with this, she became a pescetarian or pescatarian, someone who practices veganism but also eats white meat, such as chicken and fish.
On May 2017, Ulap stopped training with the Track and Field team and she continued practicing veganism. According to her, before becoming an "all-out" Vegan, there has to be a transition and that is by being vegetarian.
"Kasi ganito 'yan, yung pagiging vegetarian, sila yung tinatanggal yung meat sa diet nila. Pero kumakain pa rin sila ng dairy products, mga egg and milk ganun," Ulap explained. (Being a vegetarian, they remove meat from their diet. But they still consume animal products, such as eggs and dairy.)
The different types of veganism. Retrieved from: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/6/6/2131
As added by Ulap, vegetarians are people who eat more vegetables but still consume dairy products for additional protein content. Vegans, on the other hand, are those who don’t eat any animal products, even dairy and eggs.
On the other hand, James Marcellin Tolosa of the same section has been practicing veganism since June 2016. He was in Korea during his first week of transitioning when he almost vomited his food because dairy-free food alternatives were unusual to him.
There are a lot of benefits in practicing veganism. Though the vegan diet is often criticized for lacking protein, Vegans actually gain protein from vegetables like raw chopped kale, a cup of which would give you three grams of protein, a healthy amount for those who want to lose weight. For Ulap, being vegan gives you a healthy lifestyle since you gain various vitamins from vegetables. Speaking of vitamins, being vegan also makes you conscious of what you consume, encouraging you to learn about nutrient facts. Other than these, being vegan also encourages you to learn how to cook because you have to be more conscious of what you eat.
Vegetable salad served in a plate along with a spoon. Retrieved from: https://au.news.yahoo.com/artistic-salads-taste-better-study-24281601.html
Ulap said, "Basically, mas healthy siya over-all," (Basically, being vegan is healthier over-all.)
James, also adds, "What you eat with meat kasi, is excessive fats. Pero with gulay, wala ‘yon, so papayat ka talaga," (What you eat with meat is excessive fats. But with vegetables, there are so much less of it, so you really will be thinner.)
This was also mentioned in Marni Wasserman’s article titled “10 Bad Things about Eating Meat”. He mentioned in his article that meat isn’t as rich in nutrients as plants. Other than that, he also stated that meat is acidic, loaded with toxins, and is high in saturated fat.
Another benefit of veganism, according to James, is that it gives him faster metabolism. After going vegan, it became easier for him to gain muscle and lose weight. Also, he said it was very fulfilling for he was able to help the environment by preserving the lives of animals.
On the other hand, there are also struggles to being vegan. First and foremost is the cost. Ulap said that being vegan in the Philippines is really tough. This is due to the convenience of meat in the country. Almost every local dish consists of meat and therefore, meat is inexpensive. Vegetables on the other hand are more expensive.
A salad priced at 11 Singapore dollars (P422.88)
Retrieved from: https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g294265-d5424442-i105642622-Saladstop-Singapore.html
Most vegan dishes are expensive in restaurants. With this, Filipino families tend to be against veganism due to its expensiveness. According to Ulap, her meal is always different from what her family eats. Her family also keeps on pushing her to eat meat because more protein is gained when it comes to meat. However, Ulap chose to continue and cook her own vegan food so that it will be less costly.
James, on the other hand, had troubles staying awake at home when he first started to become vegan. According to him, eating meat makes a person’s body more awake and the transition to a vegan diet made him more sleepy and exhausted during the day.
“Sobrang hirap magkeep-awake. 'Di ba kung mapapansin mo madalas makatulog si Ulap nung kaka-start niya pa lang? Kasi nga 'pag iniwasan mo na yung meat, mas aantukin ka," As stated by James. (It's so hard to stay awake. Do you notice how Ulap used to always fall asleep when she was just starting to be a vegetarian? It's because if you avoid meat, you'll easily fall asleep.)
James’ parents knew about his troubles trying to keep awake and until today, they make him eat fish at least three times a week, despite James having already adapted to the vegan lifestyle.
The article, “Eating Too Few Calories Stalls Metabolism” by Krisha McCoy and Christine Wilmsen Craig, MD, poses a possible explanation for this. Veganism makes you avoid calorie intake, resulting to continuous exhaustion, according to the article.
However, James stands with the research that states avoiding meat reduces your chance of having cancer. As stated in Wasserman’s article, despite what most people think about the protein from meat, excess protein isn’t good for the body and it increases your chance of having cancer, osteoporosis and other diseases.
Being vegan in the Philippines might look like just a lot of struggle, especially if your family discourages you from practicing it. However, considering its many benefits such as increased metabolism, an effortless healthy lifestyle, reduction of cancer risks and other diseases, and the opportunity to preserve the life of animals that we are used to eating, maybe it’s time for us to try veganism. //by Ned Pucyutan
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