EDITOR JANA MINOR THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 5 Veganism transcends diet, leads to lifestyle adjustment Animal rights a common concern for adherents of plant-based dietary regime By TYLER HOOPER time to promote and celebrate the vegan lifestyle, which often ex- tends far beyond dietary guidelines. For many, becoming a vegan is more than just adopting a plant-based diet, but also assuming a new way of life. Many vegans are not only concerned about their health, but also with facto- ry farming and animal treatment at food processing plants. “When it becomes a part of your cul- ture it no longer becomes a diet,” said Bridget Burns, co-founder of The Veg- an Project. “It’s more ‘I am a vegan’, not just ‘I eat vegan.” Burns said being a vegan entails a cultural lifestyle, not simply following dietary requirements. She added the vegan lifestyle is not necessarily for ev- eryone, but said of herself, “It’s who I am.” Burns also said the issue of animal rights in the food industry played a_ large role in her choice to become a veg- an. But she ad- mits she’s “not perfect,” yet tries N ovember is World Vegan Month, a AMY SKY her best to buy Langara student, — yroduets that are vegan animal-friendly. Matt Leyes, a 66 butcher at Hark- ness & Co. Butch- I became ers, used to be a ° ° vegan but aban- INCTEASING- aoned the diet. ly aware Working in the restaurant indus- of the try required him harm that to taste a variety . of non-vegan animals foods to check for come to quality so it was in factory impossible to ad- . here to the strict farming. dietary guidlines of the plant-based diet. However, Leyes said Harkness does its best to ensure it follows ethical practices when it comes to purchasing their meat. “We do have a focus here on bringing in animals that have had good lives and been treated well.” Langara student Amy Sky was a veg- etarian for several years until becom- ing a vegan, when allergies forced her to change her diet. “I was allergic to dairy. That made a big difference.” In addition to her allergies, Sky said the treatment of animals also influ- enced her decision. “I became increas- ingly aware of the harm that animals come to in factory farming.” Although the animal rights issue may be an influential factor for some, others are more concerned about their own dietary needs. First-year Langara statistics student Hannah Gilgoff said she likes cheese too much to be a vegan, but considers herself a vegetarian as she rarely eats meat. “Being vegan, I don’t feel like I would get a sufficient diet.” Bollywood dancing Clockwise from top: Sisters Jahnavi (left) and Esha | Singh teach Bollywood dance at Langara Family | YMCA; Dallas Jones of Get Fit Vancouver and client Sam Bailey (right) participate in a Nordic walking class; Keighty Gallagher of Tight Club. NICK EAGLAND | photos § new fitness craze Plus Nordic walking and high intensity Tabata workouts latest exercise trends to hit local gyms By NICK EAGLAND hanks to some new globally themed fitness classes — origi- nating in Scandinavia, India and Japan — getting fit in south Van- couver has never been more exotic. Dallas Jones is a trainer and owner of Get Fit Vancouver in Marpole. His new Nordic walking class is based on the popular outdoor European exercise that uses poles for increased stability and muscle engagement. “It’s definitely catching on. The re- search says it actually burns 20 to 46 per cent more calories than normal walking.” Jones said that because it engages the oblique chain of muscles, it strengthens a walker’s core, plus lats, triceps and abs. “There are definitely more intense forms of activity out there. But if you enjoy hiking, using the poles over a long hike makes a huge difference in your posture.” He said he hopes it encourages peo- ple who primarily walk for exercise to try something new. Sisters Esha and Jahnavi Singh teach Bollywood dance at the Langara Family YMCA. Esha said they want to “bring some of the colour from the Bol- lywood industry into the class.” “Bollywood is India’s film industry and it’s really rich in song and dance. Our class is based on the hit songs that are played in the movies. “We have high-impact dance, lots of cardio and some fitness moves in it as well.” Esha said she has lost 20 pounds since she began teaching the course in September. “Tt just came off because it’s so high intensity, but you’re having so much fun you don’t even realize it.” Keighty Gallagher runs Tight Club, an alternative fitness club that features a new class based on Tabata, a form of high intensity interval training created in Japan. “You can get as much work done in a 20-minute set of four different Tabatas as you can in an hour of weight train- ing,” she said. Gallagher uses body weight exercis- es, a body suspension system, and tar- geted stretching to ensure a balanced workout so “you get your ass kicked,” she said. FITNESS classes BOLLYWOOD DANCE LANGARA YMCA Instructors: Esha & Jahnavi Singh Friday 6:30 p.m. Sunday 2 p.m. Drop-in, $15 vanymca.org TABATA TRAINING TIGHT CLUB Instructor: Keighty Gallagher Tuesday 6:30 p.m. $15 tightclub.com NORDIC WALKING GET FIT VANCOUVER MARPOLE Instructor: Dallas Jones Sunday 10 a.m. Free getfitvancouver.net Sugar Is like drug in body: dietitian drugs, but harder to avoid, says local health specialist By JENNY PENG fter the recent death of her Phere brother from heart disease, health coach Andrina Tisi is certain her diet of fresh foods and reduced sugar is the road to opti- mal health. Almost every member of Tisi’s im- mediate family — her father, brother and mother — has heart disease or been diagnosed with it. In response, Tisi has cut out sugar in processed foods in her own diet, and is generally eating only unprocessed, fresh foods. “Sugar is similar to alcohol, ciga- rettes and drugs. You have a little piece and you want more,” said Tisi. “Tt’s really hard to get off. Once you quit it you have symptoms, like a detox. “The problem is — alcohol, ciga- rettes, drugs — you can avoid it if you want to. Sugar is really hard to avoid because it’s in everything. Companies don’t want you to know.” Her recent medical check-up results reveal her efforts may be paying off. So far, she seems to be eluding her he- reditary predisposition. Tisi coaches her clients to reduce their sugar intake which in turn im- pacts their blood sugar. Blood sugar levels reflect the amount of glucose circulating in the blood- stream. Some foods contain less glu- cose than others and are considered low glycemic. According to HealthLink BC, foods in the low glycemic index, such as fruits and vegetables, break down in the body much more slowly than foods in the high glycemic index, like white bread and desserts. As a result of reducing their sugar intake, some Langara students have re- ported numerous beneficial results. “Whenever I would go do an exercise or an activity, such as sports or during bodybuilding, I would have more ener- gy and motivation, more focus and con- centration,” said science student Charles Esplana. Instead of munching on chocolates and pastries, student Hema Ranchod also reported positive differences after three months of avoiding excess sugar in processed foods. “I feel better, I feel fresh. I can notice myself losing weigth and looking healthier.” JENNY PENG photo Health coach Andrina Tisi warns sugar consumption can be as addic- tive as alcohol and tobacco use.