Go Vegan! Why You Should And How to Do It Properly
Contents
This won’t be a list along the lines of ‘13 reasons why’ or ‘10 benefits of’, because going vegan is a life-changing choice.
The direction of that change depends entirely on your devotion and level of commitment.
The list of reasons why you should is endless and growing every day.
People around the globe are finding that a well-planned vegan diet can meet their nutrition needs and may bring real health benefits.
Just in case you haven’t heard, let’s see what you’ll gain by going vegan and what you can ‘lose’.
We’ll also look at how to properly set up your diet, so you’ll get all the nutrients you need.
Why?
Besides the most obvious and most vocal reason, which is, of course, the murder of innocent creatures, their abuse, breeding them for the sole purpose of feeding, and god knows what else, there are many more reasons which aren’t directly connected to animal cruelty.
These reasons are more directly relevant to you and how you could benefit personally.
Animal Cruelty
This is a key motive for going vegan. Every living creature deserves a chance to live a normal life.
We should have the same compassion for animals that we do for humans.
Critics say conditions on many factory farms cause animals serious suffering.
Animals are kept as long as they’re useful and killed when no longer needed or killed because of our never-ending appetite for meat.
Health Benefits
If you’re not touched by reason the reason above, that’s ok, nobody’s judging, it takes time to quit meat!
However, think of your health. Think of all the benefits of eating more veggies and fruits.
The number of studies on eating plants are increasing and the benefits are piling up. According to MedlinePlus, a vegetarian diet may help reduce your chance of obesity and lower your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
It does not cure diseases like cancer, and claims about younger skin or reversing autoimmune disease are not well supported.
A diet based on protein, iron, calcium, vitamins and minerals, all plant-based, can be a life changer and a lifesaver too.
Vegan diets are linked to a lower chance of obesity, but they don’t guarantee it. Fries and sweets are vegan too.
A Better Planet And a Better Life for All
It’s not only the killing and abuse of animals. Livestock farming is a major source of human-caused greenhouse gases.
It’s also uses up a huge amount of land and causes land degradation.
It’s also a major contributor to water pollution and a leading driver of deforestation in places like the Amazon.
Meatpacking and slaughterhouse jobs are also known for hard and dangerous working conditions.
If human rights are your trigger, go vegan.
It’s Delicious
If you’re surprised, go ahead, go out and order something vegan, I dare you.
An array of diverse tastes and flavors and colours, all natural and innocent, will blow you away.
All the Cool Kids are Doing it
Many celebrities have talked publicly about eating a vegan or mostly plant-based diet.
Some say they did it for animals, others for their health or the planet.
So, are you in?
Avoid Meat at all Costs
Raw meat, especially poultry, can carry harmful bacteria.
Animal advocates often cite a Johns Hopkins test that found Tyson chicken samples contaminated with campylobacter. We could not confirm the exact figures.
MedlinePlus lists raw poultry among the foods most commonly contaminated with Campylobacter. This bacterium is a common cause of food poisoning, with symptoms like diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever.
There are so many reasons, but just by reading this or similar articles you’re on the right path.
Educate yourself, and you’ll find your own personal reason for going vegan. Believe me, one reason will be good enough.
Some advocates claim that each day, a vegan diet saves large amounts of water, grain, forest land and carbon emissions, and one animal’s life.
Those popular figures come from advocacy estimates and are hard to verify, but plant-based diets generally use fewer resources.
So, when you find that reason and go vegan, be sure to follow a well-planned diet that’ll suit your needs.
Make sure you get all of the protein, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs.
It takes some planning, especially for vitamin B12, but it’s very doable.
Protein
The myth that you can’t consume enough protein without meat is just that.
Many plants are rich in protein. Eating a variety of plant proteins through the day gives you all the essential amino acids your body can’t make.
Eat a lot of beans, lentils, chickpeas, and tofu, soy alternatives to milk and yoghurt, or peanuts.
Protein is important because it gives your body structure as part of the muscle and bones, fighting infection, growth, body repair etc.
Fat
We all need fat in our bodies, and fat isn’t our enemy, as we’ve been told for years.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential because your body can’t make them. Omega-6 is easy to get from plant oils, but omega-3 takes more attention.
There are plants that have these components in them, plants like hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts and soya spread chia seeds, ground linseed.
Use vegetable (rapeseed) oil as your main cooking oil. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, so use it sparingly.
Minerals
Calcium, iron, iodine, zinc and magnesium can come from plants or fortified foods, but some take planning.
Calcium can be found in kale, pak choi, okra, spring greens, dried figs, chia seeds, and almonds, but also in calcium-fortified vegan food, like calcium-fortified tofu.
Iron needs more attention. Your body doesn’t absorb plant iron as well as iron from meat, so eat beans, lentils, tofu, whole grains and dark greens.
Pair them with vitamin C foods such as peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, avocado, kiwi fruit, oranges, strawberries and orange juice to help your body absorb the iron.
Vitamin B12 is not found in plant foods unless they are fortified, and deficiency is more common in vegans. MedlinePlus lists fortified cereals and some nutritional yeasts as sources, and many vegans take a supplement.
Vitamin D and iodine may also need a supplement, so ask your doctor or a dietitian what fits your needs.
Good luck, and consider seeing a registered dietitian to help you plan a balanced vegan diet.
Sources
- Vegetarian diet, MedlinePlus
- Vitamin B12, MedlinePlus
- Campylobacter infection, MedlinePlus
