Veganism

Veganism is the practice of abstaining from using animal products, especially in food, but it applies to all parts of life.

Benefits

Eating vegan benefits the animals, environment, and your health and well being. It is a win-win situation where everyone is better off. There are no real disadvantages to eating a plant based diet. The only one I can see is the social pressure. Unsupportive friends or family members can strongly influence your decisions, and they probably are not your real friends if they negatively influence you.

Animals

The most immediate benefit of eating a plant based diet is you will save innocent animals from being slaughtered. As a consumer, every dollar spent is a vote for what is in demand. The less people buy meat, the less demand there will be.

Environment

With a lower population of animals to feed, fewer resources will be required. The current meat and dairy industry is unsustainable. It takes an enormous amount of water, food (plants), land, and energy to make meat. The meat industry is also the number one contributor to green house gas emissions and habitat destruction.

Personal Health

Eating a plant based diet is better in every possible way for your personal health. Among the obvious medicinal benefits (like lower cholesterol), eating vegan gives you a lot of energy. You have more strength and persistence. You also recover more rapidly from injury. On a vegan diet, you are giving your body the nutrients it needs to thrive. Aside from the physical benefits, I believe living a vegan lifestyle is a more mindful lifestyle. There is intention behind your choices that connects you to the world in a loving way.

Misconceptions

Vitamin B-12

Naturally occurring sources of B-12 come from bacteria, and humans historically got it from eating small amounts of dirt on their food or from drinking river water. Now, with antibiotics and chlorinated water, it is recommended everyone should take a B-12 supplement.

Protein

Protein is an amino acid that is produced by plants. You get more protein eating plants than meat.

Soy has a lot of estrogen

Soy has phytoestrogen – estrogen-like compounds structured similarly to estrogen but is not estrogen. Estrogen and other hormones are actually found in cow’s milk.

Vegans are weak

There are countless vegan athletes setting world records. There are high achieving vegan athletes in football, martial arts, body building, soccer, track and field, marathons, arm wrestling, and more.

Vegans are killing plants too

Plants do not have a central nervous system and do not feel pain the same way as animals do.

Even if they do, it is justifiable because we need to eat plants to survive. Meat, on the other hand, is not a necessity. Additionally, it takes 16 kilograms of plants to make 1 kilogram of meat, so veganism causes the least amount of harm and no unecessary harm.

Vegans are snobby