Have you ever wondered why so many people go vegan? Check out these great 6 reasons to go vegan
6 great reasons to go vegan
What is a Vegan?
Veganism is not a new concept, but it has been receiving more attention and growing rapidly lately. There are even several celebrities who have gone vegan, like Ariana Grande, Peter Dinklage, Miley Cyrus, Sia, Ellen DeGeneres, Steve-O, Alicia Silverstone, and Barry White to name a few and an amazing amount of vegan products have appeared in stores.
So what actually is Vegan?
The word “vegan” was coined in 1944 by a small group of vegetarians who broke away from the Leicester Vegetarian Society to form the Vegan Society. These founders of the vegan community chose not to eat dairy, eggs, or any other products from animals. They saw the need to form a society that better represented their views. In 1979, the Vegan Society became the first vegan charity to register. Veganism is a way of living that excludes all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty as such a possibility, be it for food, clothing, or for any other purpose.
Vegans choose to avoid any and all animal products. These include eating meat, chicken, eggs, honey, fish, shellfish, and dairy. Vegans also avoid foods containing any ingredients that come from animals. Like albumin, casein, carmine, gelatin, lactic acid, pepsin, shellac, vitamin D3, whey, or certain animal-derived E-numbers to name a few. Foods that contain these ingredients can include some beer and wine, marshmallows, frosted mini-wheats, pop tarts, certain gummy candies, and chewing gums. Vegans also avoid wearing animal-based items like leather, fur, silk, as well as some synthetic materials. They also avoid animal-based ingrates in cleaning, skincare, makeup, and hair dye. I know it sounds like a lot but in today’s world it is so easy to be vegan, and still, maintain your normal lifestyle.
So Why Go Vegan?
Going vegan is one of the best things you can do for yourself, the planet, and the animals. It is super easy and really no reason not to. It is also one of the easiest ways you can actually make a difference where what you do matters.
“Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life?” -unknown
1. It Helps Animals!
On average one vegan saves nearly 200 animals per year? Being vegan is the easiest way to help animals and prevent suffering than by choosing plant-based foods over meat, eggs, and dairy. Your dollar counts, and is a vote for what you want, by buying plan-based foods, you are voting to end the mistreatment of animals, factory farming, and animal suffering.
To understand this better I encourage you to watch Cowspiracy, Earthlings, Food, Inc, SPECIESISM, and Meet Your Meat. You will never be fooled again when it comes to the harm that animal agriculture does not only to the animals, but to the workers, the environment, and to yourself.
2. Be Healthier and even Happier!
Being vegan is amazing for your health. According to an organization like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (1), vegans are less likely to develop certain diseases. These diseases are cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.. The plant-based foods that vegans eat have been proven to even reverse some of these diseases and can help you live a longer life.
To understand this more some of the films you can watch are What The Health, Forks Over Knives, and Vegucated.
3. Help Feed the World!
How many times have you heard I want to end world hunger, being vegan is a way of doing that It takes tons of crops and water to raise farmed animals. Actually, it might take up to 13 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat. All that plant food could be used better if people just ate it directly. The more people who will go vegan, the better we’ll be to feed the hungry in the future. The gain used to feed billions of animals could easily feed the world population several times over and that is with just the grains we already make. The best documents to learn more about this is Cowspiracy, Unity, and Earthlings.
4. Save the Planet!
Who does not want to end climate change, save animals from going extinct, and save the planted? Meat is not environmentally friendly, no matter how you look at it. Buying it, and eating it is actually one of the worst things that you can do for the Earth. Meat production is wasteful to water, grains, and the animals we kill for it, think how much of the animal just gets tossed out or turned into dog food, because it is not fit for human consumption and causes huge amounts of pollution, and the industry is also one of the biggest causes of climate change, from the Co2, and waste of the animals, to the transportation, and when you talking millions of animals a day it matters. In the fight against climate change, adopting a vegan diet is much more effective than switching to a “greener” car. To learn more a few films I recommend are Before the Flood, More Than Honey, H.O.P.E What You Eat Matters, Racing Extinction, and Food Choices.
5. Vegan Food Is Truly Delicious!
When you go vegan, you can still eat all your favorite foods, and wear the clothing you love out there and you eat it, wear it, bath with it, or clean with it there is a vegan option for it. The only difference? You’ll be ditching the cruelty that goes hand in hand with using animals. Because of the high demand for vegan, companies are coming out with more and more delicious meat. Dairy-free options that taste great, are much healthier, and don’t hurt any living beings.
6. Being vegan is cool!
Veganism is no longer a niche, trend, or fad. This growing awakening is spreading globally with ample momentum.
Want to go vegan?
If you would like help in going vegan I have included some links below that will do just that, and make the transition easy for you.
1. https://veganuary.com
You will get an amazing Vegan Starter Kit, Vegan Recipes, Eating Out Guide, News & Blog.
2. https://www.challenge22.com
You join a wonderful community that will answer any questions you have, get a mentor, and meal plan that fits your life and access to tons of recipes.
References – 6 great reasons to go vegan
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: https://www.eatright.org