A vegan - a person who does not consume or eat any animal products
This lifestyle choice is one which I have investigated for quite a while now and there it is so much more than eating fruit & veg.
Veganism is a lifestyle which stirs a fair bit of controversy among society as vegans are usually stereotyped as being 'in-your-face-activists' which for many is the case, however who says that is a negative, it does have to be said that vegans have a sincere message of care about the world which we all live in - a world which we all must share together.
However the primary sector of agricultural farming has played a major role globally for centuries not only in countries economy but in traditional culture, embedded in people's lifestyle. Looking at the UK specifically, since 2002 more tan half of all British dairy farmers have been driven out of businesses, and now fewer than 10 000 remain. For many the dairy industry have been in the family for generations, farms being passed down - for many they consider it in their blood.With unfair prices given to farmers from supermarkets, some are being paid less than the cost of production for a long time. With dairy farmers struggling as it is - what really lies ahead for their future?
I do however have to make a strong differentiation that if one was to say they have adopted a 'plant based diet' this usually means they are eating vegan mainly due to health reasons, where as 'vegan' is a lifestyle...for life. That means not using any animal tested products, leather (which is really an euphemism for dead animal flesh), honey, nothing.
Education
I have watched the what you could say 'queen of veganism' Freelee The Banana Girl for a good couple of years and I am always left amazed with her lifestyle, because the food she eats just seems so fresh; with an abundance of watermelon, figs, etc. - which makes a difference to to what the UK climate has to offer, it is a winner if you come across a decent apple (joking aside, I am grateful for what I am able to consume).
I also watch a few other vegan YouTubers such as Nina & Randa, That Vegan Couple and Niomi Smart. All of which have a different way of broadcasting their veganism, would recommend checking out all of them.
Watching Freelee has really opened my eyes about making the connection of what I put in my body really affects not only my health for the long term but also the planet. I mean before I thought cows milk was health and I was unaware that there were plant based alternatives and other ways of gaining calcium in the diet. The High Carb Low Fat diet (HCLF) makes you feel amazing and full of energy - the only way I can describe it as is, that is makes you feel just 'lighter'.
The Daily Mail just did an article a couple of days ago about vegetarianism a in relation to the risk of heart disease, and I was so interested to read what it had to say. Afraid I have to disagree with what the article said because I quote it said, 'The genetic mutation boosts vegetarians' production of arachidonic acid - a fatty acid which increases inflammation in the body - raising the risk of heart disease and cancer-'. This had me in stitches because it is a fact that 14 out of the worlds 15 causes of death are scientifically linked to eating animal foods (check out this video if you don't believe me) and the lead killer is heart disease, which is caused by the dietary consumption of cholesterol, which is only found in animal foods. Also the body cannot break down animal protein as easily as plant foods - so it puts real stress on the bodies digestive system when eating fat laden animal products. To consume animals means you are consuming a decomposing piece of flesh, is it really a shock that the body gets indigestion or what have you, however plant foods flow so easily though the system - cruelty free.
Do I think that all vegans are healthy? Absolutely not because not all adopt the HCLF vegan diet. Which is the best because it is feeding the body cells, which are what help keep the body ticking, with glucose which is what it runs on. In other words glucose = essential. One must remember that to be on a vegan lifestyle you must, must, must eat enough during the day to keep the energy levels high - and also why just eat a little when you can eat a lot....
Adding some facts into the mix:
It is a fact that producing 1 kilogram of beef is ten times more water costly than producing the same amount of rice. Water is a precious resource to which we are abstracting faster than what can be recharged - this affects the planet and peoples and animals environments.
According to the World Food Programme 795 million people in the world do not have enough to eat - which is devastating. Why? because food which could be used to feed the hungry are given to livestock to fatten them up for the meat industry. When people hear the word 'vegan' they immediately think 'but there're just animals': no, veganism looks into more than just the slaughter of innocent beings, it encompasses how we are treating others too, with our excessive water consumption (as shown above) this is using up water which farmers could be using for irrigation for crops. Without this they have no livelihood, no money and so no food to eat - it is as devastatingly simple as that.
Some say 'but you can still eat fish right? I mean it isn't treated that bad in production!' Just no. When large fishing companies collect fish they use massive nets which catch everything, even the baby fish. Because they are offspring they aren't what the companies can sell, so they are usually tossed back into the ocean - a wasted life and their bodies rot in the ocean.
I conclude with this: by no means do I actually 'condemn' anyone who chooses to eat meat, dairy and eggs because everyone is different (cliche much), I am still unsure about my own diet (I am currently a vegetarian, but I have tried veganism off and on), however I do believe that there will be a time when the world shall wake up to the truth - we cannot keep supplementing out greed because we only have one word. I did not write this article to push veganism in ones face because to truly make that connection, research and education is the key. So if this has interested you at all, please take a look the YouTube channels (also Gary Yourofsky) listed above, watch documentaries (e.g. Cowspiricy, Vegucated, etc.) and finally really just think about this: do you truly know where your food comes from?
Thanks for reading
(If you have any requests, questions or inquiries please feel free to tweet me, comment or email me)
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