So you've gone vegan? That's great! Whether you're a new vegan or not, you may sometimes lose sight of why you're vegan when you're being bogged down by others who just don't get it. Being vegan isn't a stage, once you're vegan, you're always vegan. If you need a little pick-me-up of why we continue to be vegan, here are my top ten reasons- although I'm sure you could come up with more.
1. Not contributing to the cruelty and slaughter of animals
This is the main reason I give to people when they ask me why I'm vegan. Many people realize that they don't want to be a part of cruelty to animals and will turn to grass fed meat or free range eggs thinking that they're doing better for the animals. While this can be a step in the right direction, it is not enough. If you're really concerned about the cruelty and slaughter of animals, veganism for life is the only answer and solution.
2. It's much better for the planet
Animal agriculture is the single worst thing for the environment. If you want to know just how bad, go watch the documentary Cowspiracy. It's even on Netflix. Go ahead, I'll wait...
Did you watch it? Well in case you didn't here are the highlights of the effects we have on the planet by consuming animal products: animal agriculture accounts for eighteen percent of greenhouse gas emissions, is destroying the Amazon, utilizes 34-76 trillion gallons of water a year, and 75% of the world's fisheries are exploited or depleted. Vegans utilize less resources than both vegetarians and meat-eaters.
3. It's better for your health
By being vegan, you will be decreasing your chances of diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Vegans also tend to live longer, healthier lives than their non-vegan counterparts. Many report that they also lose weight on a vegan diet. People ask me how I'm slim and I say it's because of what I eat (and exercise of course). I was never as fit as a omnivore as I am now.
4. Social issues and principles are aligned
A common criticism of veganism is that we care too much about animals and not the suffering of human beings. This mostly stems from a misunderstanding of what veganism is. Because vegans want ALL beings to be treated with respect and dignity- yes, that includes other humans. By eating some animals and loving others, non-vegans are falling for the trap of speciesism. This is when you believe that certain lives matter more than others. Vegans no longer believe in this arbitrary spectrum and therefore being vegan gives you an unobstructed view of all discrimination is society. This includes sexism, homophobia, racism, ableism, etc. If you oppose violence, you should be vegan. If you are a feminist, you should be vegan. If you're an environmentalist, you should be vegan.
5. Better food
I always hear that I eat like a rabbit or that if I'm hungry, I can go graze a field. This is what people tend to think a vegan diet consists of. I hate to break it to you, but my diet is more diverse now than it was when I wasn't vegan. When I ate animal products, my meals mostly consisted of a meat, some type of grain, and a vegetable dish. Now that seems bland to me. There's unlimited resources for finding vegan recipes if you don't know where to start or feel like you're just eating potatoes and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I also explore other cultures dishes more now in search of quality vegan food. Just Google imagine "vegan food" and see what comes up. Does that look bland to you?
6. Consumerism of animal products doesn't affect you
I don't know how many times a day I see something being advertised that contains animals or their secretions and instantly ignore it. Beforehand, I would be hungry when these ads would appear and most likely overeat. Now that I no longer find those "food" items appealing, it is actually more freeing. Even with buying household products and only buying cruelty-free and vegan, it is more freeing. I don't see it as a restriction. I know what is in what I'm eating and I know that no harm comes to animals because of my purchases.
7. Because you can survive and thrive on a vegan diet
People say all the time that they can't survive without their meat, dairy, and eggs. But you can. About 8% of the world in either vegetarian or vegan so obviously a human being can survive on a vegan diet. Not only that, but you have the health benefits that was listed under number 3.
8. Because if I believe that something is morally wrong but everybody around me is doing it, it doesn’t mean that I should be doing it too
We have all heard an adult at some point in our childhoods say "if your friend jumped off a bridge, would you?". We all resent this statement as a child, but then feel uncomfortable to think about doing something that is different than the majority. Following the herd (yes, that is a pun) isn't always what is right. Think to times such as the Holocaust or slavery in America. Those who stood up and said that it was wrong were the minority. But now we recognize that the minority was right. Maybe one day we'll be appalled that we ever treated animals this way.
9. Because I care about poverty and hunger in the world
"Of the planet’s nearly 7 billion humans, roughly 1 billion people are malnourished and 6 million children starve to death every year." (Freefromharm). Animal agriculture uses a variety of resources- one of which is food. The USDA states that it takes thirteen pounds of grain to yield just one pound of beef. Right not we feed half of the world's grains to animals. Often times, these grains will be grown in third-world countries where people are dying of hunger and instead of feeding the hungry people the grains, they give it to the animals. Then the animal meat is shipped to another country. We have enough food to feed the world, the problem is that we'd rather give the food to animals for us to consume.
10. Because it's the right thing to do
Somewhere deep down, we all know this. This is why people are quick to respond when they feel like they're being attacked for their food choices. Because part of them knows that it is wrong. Vegans are not a part of the suffering and death of millions of animals all over the world. One of my favorite sayings is that veganism "isn't the most we can do, it's the least we can do." (That's from That Vegan Couple, in case you haven't heard that before). And it's true, the least we can do is not cause suffering to animals. It's the right thing to do. You are not the center of the universe and what you do affects others.
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