Veganism Q&A and Tips with Abeer AlSharhan

To celebrate and support World Vegan Month (who knew that existed??) I interviewed Abeer AlSharhan, the founder of Kuwait Vegan Society (anyone else surprised to find out that existed too?) my third cousin from our mom’s side (if anyone is interested) and a person with a big heart (times 1000!).

Although I eat plant-based most of the time and share mostly vegan recipes on the blog, I wanted someone who was all-in and for some time (read below to find out for how long, I was shocked) to answer your frequent questions.

So here you go…anything we missed please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below.

How long have you been following a vegan lifestyle?
- I’ve been vegan for 15 years, and before that 2 years vegetarian. It’s become a part of my life that I don’t even think about.
Tell us about the Kuwait Vegan Society?
- It’s currently under establishment to be officially recognized, however it was founded in 2014.
- We are active in raising awareness about veganism including lectures and movie nights showing documentaries. We were in Marina mall on November 1st for World Vegan Day teaching people about the benefits of following a vegan diet and lifestyle.
What was the most difficult part about following a vegan diet at the beginning?
- Giving up seafood was the most difficult part, I still love the smell of it to this day 15 years later. Other foods were quite easy for me to give up.
- The other difficult part was figuring out what to eat, reading nutrition labels, and realizing it’s best to make my own food to make sure no animal products are used.
What if you became vegan now in 2018, not 15 years ago?
- It would have been MUCH easier. In Kuwait now most supermarkets would have both milk and cheese alternatives. In more specialized places you can even find meat alternatives. There’s also more information available such as vegan cookbooks and online recipes.
What are the main reasons that spurred you to follow a vegan diet and lifestyle?
- The main reason for me personally was for the animals. However the more I read, the more I realized that it’s also beneficial for my health and the environment.
- Ethical vegans that follow the diet as they are against the killing of animals for food have no hesitation in following the diet 100%, however those who follow it for their health or the environment may be more on the flexible side. However people who have reduced their animal consumption still have a positive effect on reducing animal suffering and environment damage, while still benefiting their health. So even if someone can’t go 100% vegan, at least they can try their best.
Can someone lose weight if they follow a vegan diet?
- The short answer is yes. Because meats and dairy high in saturated fat and calories. However if someone is overweight to begin with, they may loose weight to begin with but might gain the weight back if they overeat, especially if eating the not so healthy vegan meals such as pasta, chips and oreos. So in the end the quantity and type of food and activity level like on any other eating plan plays an important role.
What have the recent studies and research shown about the health benefits of following a plant-based diet on our health?
- According to many studies, following a plant-based diet can help reduce your risk of certain diseases such as diabetes, heart-disease and certain types of cancer.
- However not all vegan food is considered healthy. These health benefits are more prevalent in those following a whole-food plant-based lifestyle.
- Following a plant-based diet also encourages people to be more active and have a more positive outlook on life.
- Trying to eat more plant-based meals raises awareness about not only health, but also where your food comes from and even the working conditions of farmers for example…so one’s life starts to have a deeper meaning which reflects positively on their health overall.
Can you explain why the large consumption of animal products has a negative effect on the environment?
- Many people are shocked to discover that annually 150 BILLION animals are slaughtered for human consumption. That is 150 thousand million in just 12 months. And humans on earth are just 7.5 billion.
- The excrement of these animals ends up in the oceans and lakes, while 30% of the entire earth’s land surface is being used for animal agriculture, an inefficient use of these precious resource.
- In addition animal agriculture is the largest producer of methane gas, which is a more powerful green house gas than COS. To make it more clear, animal agriculture’s harmful effect on global warming is more powerful than all automobiles, trains, and air planes combined!
- According to the journal Science by Oxford University, the best thing a person can do to have a positive impact on the environment is to follow a vegan diet.
Another popular question, where can we get our protein from if we follow a plant-based diet?
- Most plant foods contain protein, even potatoes and lettuce, but of course in varying quantities. However for higher protein plant foods one can have lentils, chickpeas, soya beans that are used to make tofu and tempeh. Also nuts and seeds are rich in protein.
What are your top tips to following a plant-based diet?
- Go easy on yourself, if you can’t stick to it 100% of the time, it’s okay. It’s gradual and give yourself some time.
- Organize yourself and your meals and don’t leave yourself to chance.
- So many restaurants now offer vegan options. Get ideas from them and try to make something similar at home. Vegan food is usually simple but tasty.
- Surround yourself with other vegans, ask them questions and get tips from them.
- Have a strong reason for choosing this lifestyle, and remind yourself of it if it ever gets tough.