to me veganism is about progress, compassion, ahimsa or nonviolence and respect for all life. simply do what you can when you can, perfection is unattainable. most importantly it is a shift where you start to cultivate a certain awareness of your actions in all aspects of your life; it forces you to be conscious and present. never forget you are part of a community called planet earth.
i choose to be vegan for health, environmental, and ethical reasons. i’m personally convinced that a plant-based, whole-foods diet is absolutely sustainable and highly beneficial. i hope this blog helps someone have an easier time transitioning into a new diet, especially if they are doing it alone. and of course if you're just looking for some new recipe ideas.
comments, questions, inquiries, thoughts and ideas are always welcome.
health
- a balanced vegan diet is naturally lower in saturated fats, higher in essential fats, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C & E and iron. Higher in antioxidants and probably to toxins due to eating lower on the food chain
- they typically have lower risks of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some cancers
- lower blood pressure, and lower body mass index, lower total and LDL cholesterol
- vegans consume more foods that are known to be protective against many cancers
- reduced your risk of food poisoning since the worst cases come from animal foods such as red meat, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese and milk-based foods.
- eggs, dairy, meat and fish are also common allergens
- vegans/vegetarians have longer life spans on average about 6-10 years more than meat eaters
ethics
- Peter Singer is a leading philosopher that has argued for animal rights and coined the term speciesism which says that there is no ethical reason that we can put ourselves above animals who are sentient beings- ignoring the welfare of animals is wrong the same way that racism is wrong
- many feel it is immoral to treat and use animals in the unnecessary and cruel ways that we do to produce our meat IE factory farming
- we know animals have many similar qualities to humans like the ability to feel pain and suffer as well as pleasure and happiness
- since we can practice a plant based diet without needing there is no justifiable reason to consume animals
- the good that we get from the meat far outweighs the bad done to the animals
- animals have a right to live the life they were meant for and not to be used at our expense
- harming an animal is simply as wrong as harming a human being- just because they don't speak doesn't mean they don't matter
- the way we raise farm animals is a tremendous burden on our resources
- it is no Old McDonald Farm we get our meat from but industrial complex that slaughters 10 billion animals a year in the United States
- animal waste is a huge problem that many do not know or properly dispose of which leads to rainwater runoff that pollutes near by body's of water
- The United Nations reported that livestock production is in fact responsible for land degradation, climate change, air pollution, water shortage, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity
- it is known that factory farms produce more carbon emissions than all of the motor vehicles in the world combined
- 70% of Amazon deforestation is due to livestock production
- the planets marine ecosystems are adversely affected due to overfishing for food and oils used in cosmetics and pharmaceutical products
- 1 lb of wheat takes 25 gallons of water to produce and an equal amount of meat takes 2,500 gallons
- feeding grain to animals to make protein for humans is inefficient and wasteful- ten times as many people could be fed on a plant based one than a diet of beef
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