A vegan is usually defined as someone who decides to avoid using or consuming any animal products. Veganism is therefore a lifestyle, and it involves everything from what you eat to what you wear and even what medications you take. Strict vegans embrace animal-product free living, and that includes their diets. On the other hand, there are people who follow a vegan diet, yet don't subscribe to the vegan lifestyle.

Some individuals choose to follow a vegan diet for health reasons, or to avoid food allergies or contaminants typically found in animal products. Yet, they may still purchase and use or consume other types of products that are animal derived.

Eating a vegan diet does not imply or have to involve any affiliation with animal rights organizations or a preference for avoiding such products as leather goods or animal-tested cosmetics. You can eat a vegan diet simply because you want to, regardless of how you feel about animal products.

A vegan diet simply means you avoid consuming all animal products. It is often thought of as an extension of vegetarianism. There are different types of vegetarian diets people may follow, but there is only one type of vegan diet.

Some vegetarians avoid eating any type of animal flesh, but still consume products produced by animals. For example, a lacto-ovo vegetarian refrains from consuming beef, pork, poultry, fish, and any other type of animal flesh. They do however consume eggs and dairy products such as cheese and milk. Pescatarians avoid eating all types of animal flesh, but do consume fish and shellfish. By contrast, vegans do not consume any animal products whatsoever, including dairy products, eggs and fish or shellfish.

Vegan diets are vegetarian diets because they are entirely plant-based foods diets. Certain types of vegetarian diets such as the two mentioned above are obviously not vegan diets, however.

There are all sorts of reasons why people choose to follow a vegan diet. In some cases, it happens almost naturally. If you are concerned about hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals that may be contaminating animal products you consume, you may choose to avoid eating them. You may opt to cut out animal and fish products, plus eggs and dairy. Almost inadvertently, you would be following a vegan diet.

In other cases, people suffer from allergies to animal products. They are healthier if they simply avoid consuming dairy, eggs and animal flesh altogether. Such individuals are following a vegan diet.

Some people choose to experiment with a vegetarian diet first, and find they feel so much better, they decide to take it a step further and opt for a vegan diet.

There are many health benefits associated with eating a vegetarian diet, and many people believe it is even healthier to follow a vegan diet. You can avoid exposure to antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals that may be found in dairy products and meats by subscribing to a vegan diet.

A vegan diet will also tend to be very low in fat and high in fiber. You are likely to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables and plenty of them in place of animal products on a vegan diet. This is exactly the type of diet that nutritionists and dietary organizations recommend for the prevention of many types of diseases, including obesity, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

If for whatever reason you decide you would like to try following a vegan diet, you will need to spend some time learning about nutrition. You will need to plan to consume enough complete proteins, and you may need a special dietary supplement to ensure you take in enough vitamins and minerals. This may seem contradictory, since the vegetables, nuts, fruits and grains that will make up your diet are known to be highly nutritious.

While you can certainly consume enough protein from beans, nuts, soy products and various other plant-based foods, you may not be in the habit of eating protein-rich, plant-based foods until you become accustomed to eating a vegan diet. You don't want to risk vitamin deficiencies or ill health during the period of time it takes to adapt to your new diet.

Anyone interested in adopting a vegan diet should consider consulting with a nutritionist, especially if this is a switch from a non-vegetarian diet. Although there is plenty of information on the Internet and at your library to help you get started with healthy vegan eating, it is much easier to understand your body's nutritional needs and how you can best meet them without animal products with the guidance and support of an expert dietician or nutritionist.