I am passionate about food. I’m sure you are too.

Obviously, people enjoy eating. If we didn’t, there wouldn’t be as much time and effort put into the process. Nourishing the body isn’t only necessary but pleasing.

There are many different thoughts concerning the best food lifestyle to adopt and many different food “identities.”

I’ll focus on just one of these lifestyles, one that I don’t agree with: veganism.

Vegans abstain from all animal products and byproducts. (For example, chicken meat as the product and eggs as the byproduct.)

I believe incorporating a vegan lifestyle potentially clashes with biological programming, needlessly assumes vitamin deficiencies and fails to satisfy the ethical standards vegans cite as reasons to abstain from animal products.

According to research, ancient tribes ate differently depending on location and availability.

Many consumed plant-based food regularly because the calorie and energy rich meat wasn’t always as available as a drive to the grocery store. But there were differences.

For example, three tribes located in different regions relied on a different source of protein due to availability. One depended on plant-based food, one on meat and one on fish.

We are descendants from these people – our varied backgrounds originate from geographically diverse tribes and biologically diverse genes.

Today, those with a gene capable of handling large quantities of meat can live healthful lives eating more meat than those better suited for starchy foods (and vice versa).

But in our society, people decide what to eat and how to eat with no consideration to their genetic makeup.

Be cautious regarding veganism. Research your ancestry and consider what your genetic inheritance looks like. Biologically, you probably need meat, if just a little.

Nutritionally, veganism is known to cause vitamin deficiencies.

I could go through the vitamin alphabet but I’ll highlight a few. Vitamins A, B12 and D are all more easily contrived from animal products than anywhere else.

A vegan’s response would be to take supplements. But I fail to see the logical point of taking supplements every day just to survive. This defeats the purpose of living as closely aligned as possible to the way your body was designed to function.

The third point nods at the noble (but I think misguided) ethical considerations many vegans cite. One of the main reasons they don’t consume animal products is because they’re sensitive to animal cruelty.

But there’s a problem.

Ward Clark, a freelance writer who’s followed the animal rights movement, bluntly quotes “Every potato, every stick of celery, every cup of rice, and every carrot has a blood trail leading from field to plate.”

Animals die in order to sustain a vegan diet, too.

Hunters shoot clean shots that kill wild game instantly. But many animals either lose their home or die at the expense of every field of vegan-friendly food. They’re killed either by rotating blades, traps or pesticides; which don’t necessarily equate immediate death.

Though I am not a vegan, I understand the sensitivity regarding animals and the desire to leave a small environmental footprint.

This is more realistically possible than you might think.

Purchase organic meat, eggs and dairy products from small, local farms. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables that are free from harmful pesticides. Cook with fresh ingredients and minimize processed foods and sugars.

In conclusion, consider your individual genetic needs. Fill your body with nutritious food first and supplement second, not the other way around. And finally, strive to truly understand the processes and effects that occurred in order for your food to reach your plate.

The circle of life is our existence and reality, not just a song in “The Lion King.”