Why Vegan? A Handful of Reasons…for Healthier You

Hola secret –keepers!!!
Are you still in doubt whether a vegan lifestyle is the right one for you? Do all sort of questions still poppin’ into your mind as for what sort of an exotic fruit a “vegan” is and what the reasons and benefits are for slowly transforming into one too? Yes…that’s right…take it SLOW! As any other small or big change, it takes some time. You need to first make a change in your mind, the way you see and think about food and that itself is quite a crucial process.  Suddenly picturing your life without this creamy milkshake or double cheeseburger can be quite disturbing thought, right? But don’t worry, because nobody is expecting that from you. We are different and oh…this is awesome, so you can take it at your own pace and go through this process feeling comfortable and guilt-free if you “fail” now and then along the way. Once you take the decision to try a vegan lifestyle, you don’t have to take it as a permanent and irreversible state. Try new meatless dishes, make sure you are not eating too less, drink enough water and just…explore!! Explore new tastes, flavors, ingredients, products and make your plate and your life FUN and COLORFUL!

Now this leads me to the idea to share with you how I got myself into the vegan lifestyle and what my motivations and reasons were. But since there are actually a lot of things to mention there and I don’t want to skip or miss even a tiny detail I think that it deserves a separate post, where I can tell you about all the ups and downs I had and well…my tiny little sins and slips now and then. So now I’m just going to say that it kind of happened overnight for me. It was a year ago, right after Christmas, when I came across a short documentary on youtube, called “The Truth about Slaughterhouses”. A really short video…a whole 11:50 minutes in total, which just changed me forever!  But anyway…more about my personal story another time. Now back to the topic and a handful of reasons to consider becoming a vegan J

Vegan for Health

1. Vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters
2. Breast cancer rates are significantly lower in nations, such as China, that follow plant-based diets
3. Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer, including cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries, and prostate
4. Blood analysis of vegetarians reveals a higher level of “natural killer cells,” specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells
5. Vegan diets can significantly reduce blood pressure
6. A higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, which are rich in fiber, folic acid, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, is associated with lower blood cholesterol concentrations, a lower chance of stroke, and a lower risk of mortality from ischemic heart disease
7. Plant-based diets drastically decrease one’s genetic tendency of developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes type 2 and cancer
8. A diet high in fiber results in more frequent bowel movements, which helps in preventing colon cancer.
9. A well balanced vegan diet consisting of high fruit and vegetable intake and low in fat can prevent from and reverse obesity
10. Consumption of plant-based foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, rich in vitamins, boosts the immune system.

The above mentioned are just some of the health benefits from going towards a more natural and plant-based food. Next post will be about the animal welfare and the way we can if not completely stop, at least reduce the number of suffering, exploited and killed animals...
I'm now going for a midnight snack...oranges and a hot cup of organic white tea with PEPPERMINT (SMELLS SOOO GOOD)!!!

Why Vegan? A handful of reasons…for the Environment

Many of you may be asking themselves this question…”To be or not be a vegan AND WHY?”, and I guess there is no right or wrong answer. Taking such a decision however needs to be based on proper and detailed information and research. The best decision is the one you are confident about and knowing your reasons is the best way to start. And one very important thing - never judge others only because they don’t see, understand, value, believe or know the same things as you DO! It’s easy to just turn your back to those who think differently and show ignorance. But we need to learn to communicate and be a bit more patient and understanding to each other.  Well…yes, there will be weird questions and judgmental looks. You have to be ready to hear something in the lines of “What’s wrong with you that you don’t eat meat?” or “Are vegans some kind of a sect?” And that’s OK…like seriously…no need to get offended and take a defensive position by turning the “favor”. Just simply explain your vegan reasons, show that it was a well thought decision and just share your knowledge.  

You better be ready to hear many solid and frightening reasons why being a vegan is actually a dangerous and life threatening endeavor though J)…yes…it surely is life-threatening for the poor innocent pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys, horses, fish, snails and all other creatures, until homo sapiens only pays respect to them when nicely flavored and seasoned in its plate.

I will try to list some of the many reasons for leaving the juicy stake or the roasted chicken wings in the past and for good. Since there are many reasons for going vegan such as Environmental Benefits, Health Benefits or Ethical/ Animal welfare reasons I will start with our precious “Planet Earth” and the bitter facts are…

Vegan for the Environment

1. The livestock sector causes deforestation in Latin America, responsible for 70 percent of forests cleared for grazing in the Amazon.
2. From 1966 to 1983, 38% of Amazon rainforest was cut down for cattle pasture.
3. The livestock sector causes 20-70 percent of pasture degradation, resulting in overgrazing, soil loss, soil compaction, and desertification (i.e., when pasture or agricultural land becomes infertile desert).
4. The livestock sector causes 55 percent of soil erosion in the United States.
5. The livestock sector is the largest user of fresh water
6. The livestock sector pollutes our waterways with manure, pesticides, antibiotics and hormones.
7. The livestock sector produces 65 percent of human-induced nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is almost 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in heating up the globe
8. The livestock sector produces 68 percent of human-induced ammonia, contributing significantly to acid rain.
9. Beef generates 27.1 kilos (59.6 lbs) of CO2 [equivalent] per kilo consumed or 39.25 kilograms of total greenhouse gas emissions.
10. Farmed animals in the United States produce 130 times as much waste as the human population.
11. 75 percent of major fisheries are fully exploited, over exploited, or depleted.

To be continued…”Vegan for Healthier You” coming soon! Stay well, do good and eat your veggies J