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What the Vegan is going on?

12 Jun 2019

Anyone wondering what all the hype about Veganism is? Is this a trend or a new fashion? What exactly is involved in being Vegan?

Here are some of the answers and information you may find interesting!

In short, there are three main reasons, someone would go vegan: health, environment, animal welfare. Of course, these can be combined or there are an array of personal reasons that can switch individuals to try and stay vegan. Here we explore some of the main ones, and the reasons why this is definitely not a trend, but a new lifestyle that a growing number of the world’s population see as the only way forward.

HEALTH

This is where my personal vegan journey began. In looking for ways to improve our overall health, to combat a huge number of common ailments and autoimmune diseases, and to not develop and even reverse some of the western world’s top killers such as heart disease, certain cancers and diabetes among others, a balanced whole food, plant-based diet always triumphs. Why aren’t all doctors and specialists talking about this? Well unfortunately most doctors have to do limited, if any, nutrition studies during their university years and hardly any after graduating. They are taught, and become experts, in problem solving once the problem has arisen, but not in treating the cause. There is also a lot of outdated information out there, but the good news is that new information and findings from studies are becoming available daily, proving without a shadow of doubt that all nutrients, including iron and protein, can be obtained in abundance if you go vegan.

ENVIRONMENT

Removing animal and dairy products from your diet is the single handed biggest move a person can take to help stop climate change. Many people are simply shocked to read statistics on the pollution caused directly and indirectly from the meat and dairy industry, let alone the amount of water consumed in the process. Recent studies have shown that the animal agriculture industry produces more climate changing omissions than every train, car, aeroplane, truck and transport vehicle in the world. On top of that, raising animals requires a lot of water and grain. The water used to produce just one beef burger is about the equivalent of a person not taking a shower for a whole month, while the grain used to feed the livestock could feed much, if not all, of the third world. Deforestation and is needed for the physical land to rear livestock and our oceans are also suffering from pollution from rearing animals on land and overfishing in the sea.

ANIMALS   

Sir Paul McCartney said that ‘if slaughterhouses has glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian’.

We all know that animals are killed to end up on a plate, but how they are killed and where they are raised is ignored or fantasied with a green meadow and happy farmers taking care of happy animals. This image couldn’t be further from the truth, very unfortunately, and with the added awareness on various media platforms, many in the general public want to put an end to animal abuse and torture. The dairy industry has also been exposed as a cruel industry where dairy cows live an average of only 5 years (as opposed to 15 if in nature), often collapsing under their own weight after having their calves either shot in front of them or taken away at birth to be reared for veal or another dairy cow.

WHAT TO DO

‘I could never give up meat’ is a line that every vegan around the world has said before, so don’t think this is not for you. Even if going meatless is not something you would want to consider now, meat free days could be a good way to start, for example creating a family ‘Meat free Wednesdays’ or ‘Vegan Fridays’. The number of recipes available online are incredible, and vegan food has come so far from a salad and baked potato option of the past. It’s also good to do some further reading, so whatever you eat, you are more informed of both positive and negative aspects surrounding your decisions. The term ‘Flexetarian’ has also now been coined for those who are mainly meat and dairy free, but will occasionally eat something not deemed ‘vegan’ should the craving or situation arise. Most people who try going vegan, and who do it properly, are surprised by how much energy they have, how good their skin looks, how full they feel and how their overall health improves. For many, it’s also a great way to show feel gratitude for all we have and feel better connected to nature. 

VEGAN FACTS AND FIGURES

Each Day a person who eats a vegan diet saves: 1,000 Gallons of Water, 45 lbs of Grain, 30 sq ft of forests, 20lbs of Co2, one animal life

Shellac – yes the polish used on nails or in some sweets – is actually the resin secreted by female lac insects.

Many people feel addicted to cheese because it has morphine-like compounds called casomorphenes (from the milk protein casein found in all milk products) that attack the brains opiate receptors (the same as many drugs) plus the high levels of salt and fat which studies have shown it very addictive to many people.

Beans Vs Beef per 100g

FURTHER RECOMMENDED READING AND WATCHING 

www.veganuary.com and ‘How to go Vegan’

www.nutritionfacts.org and Dr. Michael Gregor’s ‘How not to Die’

Forks Over Knives and Cowspiracy on Netflix

‘The China Study’ by Dr Colin T. Campbell

Dr Caldwell D. Esselstyn ‘Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease’

Dr Dean Ornish books and website https://www.ornish.com/

Vegan Definition: Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

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