VEGANISM
So many people have a pre-conceived idea about vegans. That they all are self righteous, or lacking in nutrition. Truth is, this has become an unfortunate thought process through miseducation, and people closing their minds off to the possibilities that we can live healthier and more consciously without consuming animals and helping the world (corny, but true!)Â
Here, you will find a whole host of information on veganism, this is an open forum for you. We will show you the facts, recipes and some cool information along the way.
Whether you want to just give being vegan a try for a few weeks, or go whole hog (excuse the pun) and dismiss animal consumption for good, this page is for you.
Feel free to comment with your experience, views or any questions you have too!
GOOD FOR THE WORLD
Eating further down the food chain (plants rather than animals), has a massive impact on your carbon footprint. This is because not eating animals means your diet requires far less water and far less land than an animal product diet. Hooray!
We can actually reduce the impact of climate change, rainforest destruction, AND pollution, while saving water and other precious resources that are getting destroyed at an alarming rate.
In fact, raising animals for food, produces more greenhouse gas emissions than ALL of the cars, planes, and other forms of transportation combined….crazy right!?
GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH
A plant based diet, is naturally high in fibre, vitamins and minerals, and low in saturated fat (the bad fat), and cholesterol. Eating a whole food vegan diet can reduce the chance of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and even some cancers. Studies show that people who live off a plant based diet live longer, healthier lives, than those who don’t. So if we stop eating the flesh of other species, we can preserve our own!
GOOD FOR THE ANIMALS
A lot of vegan blogs, websites, pages and groups focus on this subject – the animals. Whilst yes, this is the main reason most people go vegan, in my opinion, it is also the reason people are desensitised by the killing of animals. We see it every day, it has unfortunately become normal to many people that animals suffer and are killed for humans to consume them.
Even in ‘free range’ systems, animals raised for food are treated as commodities, rather than as sentient beings with emotional and physical needs. They are treated barbarically, and completely exploited from birth.
The suffering caused by the dairy and egg industry is possibly less well publicised than the that of factory farmed animals.
The production of dairy products necessitates the death of countless male calves that are of no use to the dairy farmer, as well as the premature death of cows slaughtered when their milk production decreases. Similarly, in the egg industry, even this ‘ethical’ or ‘free range’ eggs involve the killing of the ‘unnecessary’ male chicks when they are just 1 day old.
It’s tempting to want to believe that the meat we eat is ethical, that our ‘food animals’ have lived full, happy lives and that they have experienced no pain or fear at the slaughterhouse.
The sad truth is that all living creatures (even those labelled ‘free range’ or ‘organic’) fear death, just as we do. No matter how they are treated when alive, they all experience the same fear when it comes to slaughter. No living creature wants to die, and it is in their nature to try to stop it.
HOW TO GET STARTED?
- Speak to other people who are vegan: chat, be open to learn and develop.
- Experiment with food: Some of your favourite foods may be vegan or can be easily veganised. There are lots of examples in our recipe section.
- Embrace the change: this is exciting! You can learn new things, try new food & feel better. This is a positive change in your life – treat it that way.
- Savvy up on alternatives: swapping cows milk for soy or plant based milks, using lentils and beans instead of meat in dishes, try olive spread instead of butter – buy some testing things and see how you go, see what you can make and swap in your fridge.
- Relax and enjoy it: you can still enjoy treats, and delicious food. You can still dine out! Many places cater for vegans, and it is so cool to try solely vegan places in  your area. Happy Cow is a great app to use for sourcing them.
Learn: there are some great documentaries, including Cowspiracy, Forks over Knives and Earthlings. Many websites have great recourses to understand more too, favourites are:
HAPPY VEGANING!Â
