Eating Well

I was reading a random blog the other day, and the subject was veganism. This girl was really into creating vegan food. I guess she had a craving for something non-vegan and had recreated it vegan. She listed what she had used to make this dish, and among the ingredients were all sorts of things like Vegan Cream Substitute, Egg substitute, etc. It just seems so silly to stop eating animal products for "health" (and I guess a lot of people, for the animals' sakes) and replace those things with artificial fillers and chemicals. I think that a lot of these substitutes could be made from natural things at home, but there seem to be many vegans that buy their substitutes already made. This doesn't seem any healthier than buying a frozen TV dinner. Not to mention the cost. It seems to me if you are worried about the way that animals are treated, you could take all the money you are spending on special vegan food and use it for meat or eggs that come from a local source that you feel comfortable with. (An aside, many vegans also claim to be environmentalists, but buying packaged food is a waste of energy, fuel and packaging.) The truth is natural foods are good for you, including those that come from animals. You need those vitamins and minerals, and often animal products are the best way to get them. People worry about how the animals are treated, maybe they should worry about how they are treating themselves as well. I'm not saying that veganism can't be done well, I think it can, but I have a feeling that is the exception not the rule. I wonder how many vitamin deficiencies, or long term health effects result from poor nutrition due to veganism.
I took anatomy and physiology and nutrition recently as pre-reqs, I felt it was really eye opening, and I think everyone should have to take these classes. They are like owner manuals for your body. I am by no means a nutrition expert, but I did learn enough to know that it is extremely complex, what interacts with what, what can or can't be absorbed in the presence of this or that.
I guess it's really none of my business, nor does it affect me, but sometimes I feel like people don't realize how important health is. How important it is to take care of your body, and to educate yourself. You only get one body, so take care of it now and you will be thankful later.