This presentation outlines vegan living, a set of choices governed by a simple logic: Any being that feels pain should not be put to pain. Thus, a vegan avoids all animal products, including milk & dairy products, meat, eggs, honey, wool, leather, fur and silk. Not many people know that (like meat) milk and eggs also lead to killing [as detailed below]! Moreover, even in Indian tabelas/dairies, cows undergo as severe suffering as chickens do in the egg/meat industry. Hence, unlike vegetarians, vegans also refrain from all milk items (such as paneer, cheese, ghee, butter & curd). Succinctly put, vegans eat nothing from a mother, nothing with a face. Compassion aside, plant-based (i.e. vegan) food is also critical for our own health, and that of the environment. There is compelling evidence that cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high BP, asthma, bone weakness and obesity can all be prevented or reversed through vegan eating. Plus, you can now achieve all of this without sacrificing your favourite tastes: Be it sweets, chocolates, cakes, ice-creams, curd, paneer, cheese, pizza or tea/coffee, almost every dish you are used to can now be found/made without animal ingredients! More on http://hyderabadvegans.wordpress.com/why-vegan-detailed.

1. Living well by letting live!

2. What is vegan living?
 A lifestyle based on a simple logic
 Any being that feels pain should not be put to pain.
 So, a vegan avoids all animal products:
 milk & its products, meat, eggs, honey
 Wool, leather, silk, pearl, fur…
 (like meat) Milk and eggs also lead to animal killing and
torture! Yes, that’s true in India too .
 Even in traditional Indian tabelas/dairies, cows have to be
subjected to unbearable repeated forced pregnancies and a lot of
other misery.
Be universally fair, NOT selectively or conveniently fair.

3. The scope of impact of vegan choices
A) Make the planet
sustainable
B) Feed a lot more
people
C) Save billions from
torture/death
D) Make you fit and disease-free in a lasting manner

4. Watch the video
http://youtu.be/3r8JpB2FbSc
before viewing further.

5. “But, don’t plants feel pain too?”
o A non-vegan consumes not just meat, eggs & milk,
but also the plants fed daily to the farm animals for
their entire lifetimes!
o Eating plants directly i.e. eating vegan does the
least damage to plants too (not just animals).
If plants feel pain, that’s actually yet anther reason to be vegan!
A user of animal products consumes many times
more plants than a vegan does.

6. “But, why not just campaign for
‘humane’ milk production?”
Because ‘humane milk’ (like ‘cruelty-free eggs’) is simply not feasible!
 Cruelty is inherent to the financial viability of milk production:
 Repeated rapes for a constant cycle of pregnancy, birth and milking
 Selling male babies to be slaughtered (or starving them)
*In egg hatcheries too (even the ‘free-range’ ones),
male babies are brutally killed]
 Keeping calves largely deprived of mother’s milk
are all unavoidable for any dairy/tabela to survive economically!
 The environmental aspect
 Several times more cattle – and hence, land & water - needed!
 Robbing a being of the freedom to make her own choices is in itself
cruel.
 We abolished human slavery, rather than opting for ‘humane’ slavery.
 This notion, formalized as abolitionism, was pioneered by Prof Gary Francione.

7. Leather, wool and silk are NOT
cruelty-free byproducts
 The dairy industry is the most
common source of leather.
• Male calves have no use
in dairy!
• They are often intentionally
starved so that can be skinned
quickly.
• leather (and wool) buyers make meat much cheaper.
• Wool also causes many atrocities such as flesh stripping on sheep.
• A silk cloth leads to the exploitation and killing of tons of silk worms.

8. How is honey cruel?
 Honey is nothing but bee-vomit.
 It is the buffer food stored by honey bees, used during
winter months.
 Bees spend enormous amounts of time and efforts to
produce honey, drop by drop. And, we ruin that in
minutes by invading their hive and stealing all their food
security!
 The queen bee’s wings are often cut off, so that she is
confined to the hive, with the other bees.

9. Why love some and torture/kill the others?
Do dairy cows and chickens feel less pain
or deserve less happiness
than the cats and dogs we adore?

10. Species-ism
 When it is not fair to hurt beings
from other castes & genders, how
is it fair to enslave and torment
beings from other species?
 That too merely for pleasure,
not survival!
 Why should justice and kindness
be confined to humans alone?
The exploitation of a set of species (animals) by
another (humans).

11. Similar to human slavery, but much worse
Imagine being born just to be enslaved & tortured for life!
That’s exactly the story of the 10s of billions of farm animals (several
times the human population) we birth i.e. breed every year!
 Cause of slavery: Centuries of powerful conditioning
 Good news: Eventually, we chose ethics & fairness over
history & culture.
It’s high time we take the next leap in our ethical
evolution: Eradicate animal slavery & oppression!

12. “200 years ago, Americans would have thought you were absurd
if you advocated for the end of slavery.
150 years ago, they would have laughed at you for suggesting
that women should have the right to vote.
75 years ago, they would have loudly objected to the idea of
African Americans receiving equal rights under the law.
They laugh at us now for suggesting that animal slavery be
ended. Someday they won‟t be laughing.”
- Gary Smith
“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons.
They were not made for humans, just like black people were not
made for whites, and women not for men” - Alice Walker

13. Conditioned v/s Natural
Ever wondered why milk and eggs are the only unbranded
foods being advertised?
Because natural, instinctive foods like fruits and
vegetables never need to be marketed!

14. Humans are plant-eaters, NOT omnivores
From laterally moving jaws to long folding intensities,
humans possess a dozen physiological traits that makes us
plant-eaters, not omnivores.
Our so-called canine teeth do not make us omnivorous, as
canines are also found in several herbivores.

15. Our natural instincts
What would a small (unconditioned) child pick up when
offered an apple, and a live chicken?

16. When babies grow, they wean themselves off milk,
and start eating other foods……

17. …except human babies!
Is there any species in
nature drinking another
species’ milk?!
OR any milk at all post
infancy?!
Why were cows – and not apes like gorillas – picked for milk?
Because cows are gentle/docile - easy targets for exploitation!
Otherwise, there’s no reason to take cow’s milk, which is
hormonally/biologically totally unsuitable for humans.

18. Plant-based food: The healthiest choice
Milk, eggs and meat account for most of our cholesterol and
saturated fat, and contain no fibre.
o Plant foods are rich in fibre (good for digestion), and contain no
cholesterol.
 Alarming summary from a number of independent studies, including
the biggest study ever to link food and health [Undertaken by Oxford
University, Cornel University and others under the name 'The China
Study’+:
Milk, eggs & meat cause or worsen many dreaded diseases including
heart disease, high BP, cancer, asthma, diabetes and bone weakness!
So, vegan food does way more than the removal of excess body
fat, and improvement of fitness/energy & digestion. It‟s essential
for good health.

19. Unclog arteries merely with food!
Terrified of heart disease, hyper tension
& repeated bypass surgeries?
Source: “Reversing Heart Disease”, by Dr. Cardwell Esselstyn
„The Last Heart Attack‟, a CNN documentary, features many
eminent doctors/researchers advocating vegan food, aside from
Bill Clinton, who is vegan and has cured his heart disease

20. Myths: Calcium & Protein
There’s absolutely no nutrient that vegan food
cannot provide!
[B12 deficiencies equally likely in non-vegans]

21. Calcium: Plants are better than milk
• Humans absorb only 32% of the calcium in cow’s milk,
compared to the absorption rate of over 50% from plant
foods!
• Many plant foods also contain more calcium than milk. Here
are some:

23. How milk causes osteoporosis (bone weakness)
 Animal protein is different from plant protein.
 When animal protein enters the body, it breaks into amino
acids very quickly, making the body Ph too acidic.
 To balance that, the body has to leach out alkaline minerals
such as Calcium and Magnesium from bones.
The countries with
the highest incidence of osteoporosis (bone weakness)
are those boasting
the highest consumption of dairy products!

24. Vegans get more than enough protein!
• Protein is a building block of any food.
• So, if you consume enough calories, you are bound to get
enough protein!
– Protein deficiencies mostly found in malnourished people.
– In fact, excess protein leads to serious harm!
• There are plenty of protein-rich plant foods:
– all pulses (dal)
– soya products
– all legumes
• peas like chana
• beans such as rajama
– almonds & other nuts
– seeds, etc.

25. Vegans get more than enough protein!
Many have also sustained babies and pregnancies on
totally vegan food, and are healthier for it!
Quite a few world-class vegan athletes and body builders:
Long-distance runner turned
renowned bodybuilder Robert Cheek
A vegan since birth;
Two-time Olympian

26. Animal foods – a cocktail of toxins
 Alarmingly high in antibiotics, pus cells, hormones (natural
and artificial), mercury and pesticide
 Much higher pesticide concentration than in plants
 A 7 year study by Indian Council for Medical Research, across
12 states, found pesticides residues in all milk brands beyond
permissible limits.
 “68% of India’s milk contaminated”- Food Safety Authority of India

27. Awareness rising in India too!
 Dr Nandita Shah
 World-renowned for reversing diabetes and heart diseases merely
through vegan food!
 Dr Suketu, CEO, Asha Parekh hospital
 Reversed his heart disease through vegan food.
 Their nutritionists exclusively prescribe vegan food to patients.
 Dr Kajal Bhatia (nutritionist), Dr Rupa S, Dr Pramod Tripathi (Pune)
and many more

28. Vegan celebrities are on the rise!
‘Olympian of the Century’
Carl Lewis
Former Citibank Vice president Philip Wollen says that being vegan is
“to be able to look in the mirror without feeling profound ashamed”.
 Venus & Serena Williams
 ‘Avatar’ director James Cameron
 ‘Spiderman’ Tobey Maguire
 Actress Alicia Silverstone
 Singer Bryan Adams
 Body-builder Joel Kirkilis
 And many more
The acclaimed sprinter and
long jumper publically credits
vegan food for enhancing his
athletic performance.
Actress
Amala Akkineni

29. Vegan for food security
Growing loads of crops for animals and then feeding on
them is a terribly inefficient way to feed ourselves!
Up to 10 kg of grains 1kg of animal food
As much as 50% of India’s maize becomes cattle feed!
We can feed a lot more people if we all eat vegan!

30. Vegan for the environment
• Animal products deplete resources such as land & water
massively, since the animals have to be daily fed and
hydrated all through their lives.
• A UN study deems animal products culpable for
– 70% of the world’s agricultural land
– 18% of the greenhouse gas emissions
– Considerable deforestation.
There is simply not enough land & water to sustain
the world on animal products!

31. Does it harm employment? Not at all
A vegan world will not have fewer jobs.
• The reduced employment in the animal products industry
will be compensated for by increased openings in the
vegan products industry.
• Jobs decline when the demand diminishes, but veganism
doesn’t reduce the demand. It only changes the demand.
– And, history shows that the market is very adaptable.
• From tobacco to chemical weapons, there are many
unethical things wherein people are employed, but, do
we approve of such things? No, because there exist
enough cruelty-free means of employment.

32. Agreed, but what about mosquitos?
• The idea is to try one’s sincere best to cause the least
amount of cruelty necessary for survival.
– Rather than killing mosquitos, keep them at bay through
cleanliness, mosquito nets and/or repellents.
• It’s one thing to inflict pain in occasional self-defence or
accidentally, and totally another to do so when there is
no necessity!

33. Animal rights – a growing trend worldwide
• The European Union and India recently banned all
animal-tested cosmetics!
• The number of vegans in the US alone:
– 22 Million, as per the Public Policy Polling Survey, 2013

34. Be it tea, curd, ice-creams or cheese, it’s all
there in vegan form!
 Being vegan is easier than ever!
 Be it sweets, chocolates, cakes, ice-creams, curd,
paneer, cheese, pizza or tea/coffee…
…almost all your favourite tastes can be
found/made without animal ingredients.
• Tons of recipes that use plant based [cashew, coconut, soya, almond, rice] milk to
veganize everything you love!
• Restaurants of every cuisine serve dishes that are devoid of dairy, eggs, & meat
(including pizza in US Pizza/Papa Jones).
• Food aside…
• Ample options for non-leather furniture, footwear & accessories
• Shampoos, soaps & cosmetics involving no animal testing/ingredients
• Wool, silk, fur and honey can be easily avoided too.

35. Cruelty-free alternatives
 Animal milk –> Plant milk from almond/coconut/soy/rice/cashew
 Curd –> Peanut curd, coconut curd, rice curd, cashew curd
 Cheese –> Vegan cheeses made with cashews or tofu
 Butter for spread –> Nut butters (peanut, cashew, almond)
 Meats –> Mock/Fake (plant-based), soy nuggets
 Paneer –> Tofu (same taste, better health)
 Tea –> Soy/cashew milk, green tea, masala tea, lemon tea, herbal tea
 Coffee –> Black coffee or with vanilla flavoured soy milk/coconut milk
 Chocolates –> Nestle’s dark chocolate, Ritter Sport (2 varieties)
 Cakes & Ice-creams –> how-to-order info on the blog and booklet
 Wool -> cotton, polyester, acrylic, etc.

36. Chocolates:
Nestle’s dark chocolate,
Ritter Sport (2 varieties)
Biscuits: Oreo, Parle’s
bornbon, Hide-n-seek,
Monaco, etc.
Ice-creams:
Berrys (soy-based),
sorbets
Tofu: An excellent healthy
alternative to Paneer
Soy milk: easily
available in
different flavors
Sweets: Haldiram’s classic
Soan Papadi (2 flavours) and
Badaam Halwa
Almost every food product you are used to
is now available vegan!

37. https://www.facebook.com/groups/hyderabad.vegans
 715 members… and counting
 Open not only for vegans, but anyone interested
Blog: http://hyderabadvegans.wordpress.com

38. Meet some Hyderabad Vegans!
Aravind Arige (Management professional, 27 years):
• A non-vegeterian turned vegan
• Became a runner and cyclist
after turning vegan!
Sejal Parikh (Telecom engineer turned writer, 30 years):
• Also studied nutrition from Cornel University
• Vegan for 3 years
• Above average calcium/protein levels throughout
her fully vegan pregnancy despite hardly taking any supplements!
• Delivered a very healthy baby boy with 3.75 kg weight!

39. Meet some Hyderabad Vegans!
Dheeraj Chakilam (11th class student, 18 years):
• Became vegan on his own 1.5 years ago,
and inspired his parents to follow suit!
• His sinusitis vanished after cutting out animal products.
In fact, from asthma to severe joint pain, several serious illnesses
have been cured through vegan food within this group itself!
Suresh Panchal (Business man, 35 years):
One of the many vegan body-builders!

40. Give veganism a chance
• Increasingly many people make the complete switch instantly.
• Others start by reducing the non-vegan consumption maximally,
and typically fix a date by which to phase it out entirely.
For health. For the planet. For the animals

41. Thanks!