By Charlotte Webster-
There are many reasons to consider a vegan diet, and these reasons should never be under estimated.
I have been a vegan for just over two years and never looked back. It has not been an easy experience, but a very worthwhile one. I often miss that juicy taste of meat in chicken pies, and other tasty food I so readily indulged in, but have since learnt how much personal growth comes with discipline and awareness. Every Christmas and Easter period since I turned vegan has been a challenge, but I have been driven by knowledge and awareness that many times it takes being different and individualistic to be the best a person can be in life.
Apart from the evident health benefits that come with being vegan, the practise helps develop principles, moving from just head knowledge to practical lifestyle. I derive pleasure from the knowledge I have converted two members of The Eye Of Media.Com into veganism, and one member of my family made up of 5 people. Some individuals choose to deeply engage me in a debate whenever it comes up, others acknowledge the wisdom of my words but admit that they just can’t make the compromise. Veganism is a challenge everybody should rise to, it is very rewarding.
I have found myself usually too engrossed in other topics of new s and research with this site that I rarely get the time or encouragement to write on this topic, although I have done so a couple of times in the past. I have always been moved on the few occasions I have read of other people writing about this on this site. The collective impact of going veganism cannot be understated, it is a worthy course for all to pursue.
IMPACT
Consider the words of Joseph Poore from Oxford University. He said:
‘A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use … It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car.’
One major reason more people should consider a diet of veganism is that it helps the planet, a lot. According to a 2018 study of 40,000 farms in 119 countries published in the journal Science, cutting out consumption of meat and dairy contributes to the reduction of our negative environmental impact on the Earth. Research shows that just 18% of our calories and 37% of our protein from meat and dairy, but livestock suck up 83% of our farmland and generate 60% of the agricultural greenhouse gas.
A diet with far less meat goes a long way to improving our health. A study published this year in the Lancet, if we ate half as much red meat and sugar as we do now, on average, it would prevent more than 10 million premature deaths from conditions like heart disease and diabetes. And going full-on vegan might give you a health boost, too: “Vegans tend to be thinner, have lower serum cholesterol, and lower blood pressure, reducing their risk of heart disease,” a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found.
Going vegan also has its weaknesses. Most vegan meals do not have the same appeal of taste as other meals. A lot of discipline is required to maintain a diet of veganism. Vegans are expected to appreciate the principles underlying its practise, and attach more weight to that over taste. The overall benefits outweigh the disadvantages of knowing one is eating meat which is killed in a cruel fashion without any consideration or sympathy for animals which are conscious living things and deserve protection.
HEALTH
A vegan or vegetarian diet also improves the health. A study published this year in the Lancet revealed that consumption of half as much red meat and sugar as we do now, would prevent more than 10 million premature deaths from conditions like heart disease and diabetes. And going full-on vegan might give you a health boost, too: “Vegans tend to be thinner, have lower serum cholesterol, and lower blood pressure, reducing their risk of heart disease,” a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found.