Why go Vegan?

As we settle into the new year, more and more people are becoming intrigued with the popular non-profit organisation that promotes, encourages and challenges individuals into leading a vegan lifestyle. This well-known yearly challenge, set by Veganuary, has led multiple people into deciding to try a plant-based diet for 30 days. Veganuary helps to encourage individuals to gain an insight into what it means to be Vegan by providing them with information and knowledge, as well as endless recipes! 

Veganism begins with understanding what it means to be vegan, becoming educated on the environmental and health benefits, as well as making that connection the compassionate side we all have within us. Now for those of you who may not have any knowledge of what “Veganism” actually is, it is the practice of excluding, as far as possible and practicable, all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty for food, clothing and any other purposes. This lifestyle is taken up by individuals who feel passionate about making a difference.

“One serving of processed meat per day increased the risk of developing diabetes by 51%”

“Studies show plant-based diets are, not only healthier for humans, but can reserve some of the world’s most prevalent killers like diabetes and heart disease.”

How do you get your protein?

Questions that Vegans are commonly asked are  “where do you get your nutrients from?”  and “How is it possible to get all the nutrients that are needed to be healthy?” 

The answer to that question is to simply have a varied and balanced diet, all the nutrients that humans need to survive and thrive can be found in plant foods.

Listed below are just some examples of plant-foods vegans can include in their diet in order to get those essential nutrients that humans need to have in their diets.

Protein                 

• Seeds such as Sunflower seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds.
• Nuts such as Almonds, Peanuts and Pistachios.
• Tofu
• Sweet potatoes, Brussel sprout and Asparagus.

Calcium

• Broccoli and Spinach
• Soybeans and sesame seeds.
• Fortified plant milks like oat milk and Soya milk.
• Tofu

Iron

• Beans, Chickpeas and Lentils
• Seeds such as Chia seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds.

• Nuts such as Cashews and Walnuts.
• Dried Apricots and Figs.

Isn’t vegan food boring? What do vegans even eat? 

These are two very frequently asked questions that people tend to ask when showing an interest in plant-based diets. As someone who enjoys tasty meals, I can personally say that this was one of my biggest worries when making the decision to live a vegan lifestyle. But wow was I wrong, my relationship with food has completely changed and I find that I am way more creative when it comes to cooking than I ever was when I was a meat-eater.

Traditional meat meals can easily be substituted with vegetables or other meat alternatives as new alternatives are continuously being made and becoming more readily available in this day and age. Supermarkets and popular food chains have started to produce and sell their own plant-based ready meals and most restaurants have at least 1 vegan option, making it easy for vegans to go out and enjoy a nice meal with their loved ones or recreate a delicious dish from the comfort of their homes. The possibilities are endless and beyond your wildest imagination.

Veganuary, cookbooks and various websites are out there with recipes that can help individuals find the inspiration they need to create delicious meals that can meet everyone’s specific needs,  whether this is, healthy and low-calorie foods, gluten-free or fatty, greasy foods. The possibilities are truly endless!

Environment

One of the biggest reasons individuals decide to change their lifestyle to a vegan one is because of the climate impact that animal agriculture has on our planet. The demand for meat, dairy and fish has increased significantly due to the world’s population growing vastly. With more and more people adding to the demand, more livestock is required as well as animal feed. Because of this, half of the world’s habitable land in used for animal agriculture whilst only making up about 18% of our calorie intake.  Animal agriculture is responsible for 91% of the rainforest’s destruction. With 1-2 acres being cleared every second to farm land and grow crops to support the livestock alone. 

The industry is also the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones and habitat destruction. The damage that is caused to the environment and to other species makes it questionable whether eating meat, dairy and fish is worth it.

                                                                                                         Animals

Going vegan for the animals is the reason most individuals decide to become vegan. Realising the cruelty behind the scenes and understanding that these animals feel in the same way we do is the key factor for most.

Most people would be upset to hear of a child being taken away from its parent immediately after birth, this is exactly what happens to cows. It causes immense distress to the mother and the offspring, mother cows have often heard bellowing and calling out in distress for their offspring days after they are taken away. The mother cow is then hooked up to machines to obtain the milk and 45-60 days later the cow will be bred again.

Continuous breeding makes cows exhausted and when milk production slows down they are sent to the slaughterhouse and killed. The offspring will most likely be bred between 13-15 months and the male cows are usually slaughtered after birth or sold to for Veil or beef. When you look at these animals and imagine the pain they have to go through just for us humans to have a bit of milk in our diets it really makes you question if it is worth it. Most people would not drink a cup of tea with human breast milk in it, so why do we drink it from a cow?

Is all that suffering worth it for a glass of milk?

Pigs

Pigs are known to be one of the most intelligent animals on our planet. In fact, they are actually more intelligent than dogs.  They learn their names in just 2 weeks and can even play video games! Crazy right?

Mother pigs also sing to their babies whilst nursing, how sweet is that? In factory farms, the mother pig has no room to move. When the offspring is hurt they have no other choice but to watch their child die. As a mother, the mere thought of having to go through this breaks my heart and gives me so much compassion for these poor animals. All the pain and suffering these animals endure just for them to end up on our plate doesn’t seem worth it. 

 Chickens

Chickens are intelligent animals that love to play, run and enjoy sunbathing. They often teach sounds to their chicks whilst they’re still in their eggs. Chickens make strong bonds and connections and will grieve for them after they die. 

My Personal Journey 

In July 2020 a very dear friend of mine called Maya made the decision to become vegan, something she grew to become very passionate about. This opened up a natural curiosity for me as it was something very important for her. I did not understand why someone who had always LOVED meat had suddenly decided to cut this out of her diet. I became concerned with how she would get the nutrients that she needed, had she been brainwashed? Was she having some sort of mid-life crisis?

As the months went by, and restrictions were eased I made the decision to sign up for Veganuary. Now as you can imagine, my friend was over the moon that finally someone she cared about had shown an interest in something she was so passionate about. Naturally, all the conversations we began to have was centred around veganism. I started to wonder how ethical it was to consume animals for pleasure. If my friend was looking so healthy and fitter than she had ever been surely it wasn’t essential to eat meat in order to thrive.

My next steps

I arranged to watch a couple of documentaries that touched the subject of veganism with my friend 2 days before I was due to take the 30-day pledge. We began watching “COWSPIRACY” and followed this by “WHAT THE HEALTH”. I can honestly say that these two documentaries opened my eyes in a way that I never thought was possible.

Suddenly, I felt this intense feeling of guilt, responsibility and an urge and passion for change. I opened the fridge without hesitation and got rid of every single animal-derived product I owned. I could no longer stomach the thought of putting a sweet, vulnerable, voiceless animal on my plate. I stopped seeing milk as milk and started seeing it as breast milk from an animal. I imagined the pain these animals endure just so we can consume it in less than 5 minutes. How was this right? I became vegan that day in September and can say now, it was the best choice I could have ever made. For myself, for the animals and for the environment. 

What do I struggle with?

Its been nearly a year and a half since I decided to become Vegan and live a Vegan lifestyle. This journey has been anything but easy, but at the same time extremely rewarding. 

One of the things I struggled with the most was understanding what to cook. I found it challenging to get my head around what I was going to eat.  There are so many different vegetables, legumes and seeds I now had to consume in order to be healthy. This was very challenging. 

I went through a couple of stages where I didn’t eat the right foods and I lost some hair in the process, it only made me realise how important those nutrients really were. 

I’m only human 

Another thing I found challenging was the cravings I had for Cheddar Cheese!  I am not the biggest fan of processed vegan food, preferring to use vegetable substitutes than meat alternatives. 

I have had slip-ups where I’ve eaten something without thinking and I’ve also done this without realising. In actual fact, I accidentally ate some pork pies not so long ago.  Someone had put this in the Vegan Isle and I assumed they were vegan. Did I taste the meat? Nope, I enjoyed 3 whole pork pies without even knowing. This as you can imagine, brought a deep feeling of guilt. It made me feel like I had done all of it for nothing, how could I have been so silly? 

I learned to accept there is nothing I could do to change this. It was not intentional. It made me realise that despite this I have made so much difference, so I  decided not to beat myself up for it is part of the journey. 

 Tips for anyone considering veganism

• Meal plan, ensure you are getting the right nutrition in your meals this is important to stay healthy.
• Educate yourself through research and documentaries. Form your own opinion and go with it. 
• Veganise your favourite meals so you don’t feel that you are missing out.
• Always check the labels.

Want more information? 

https://roamingvegans.com/why-go-vegan/

https://www.whatthehealthfilm.com/facts

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/

https://www.cowspiracy.com/facts

https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/blogs/10-facts-about-pigs

https://www.four-paws.org.uk/campaigns-topics/animals/chicken/10-facts-about-chickens