01 Nov 7 Reasons to Go Vegan
What we choose to put on our plates every day can have a huge impact on our own lives and the whole planet and its inhabitants. When you go vegan, you contribute less to animal suffering and decrease your environmental footprint and risk for chronic health issues.
As per definition, veganism is an ethical lifestyle choice that seeks to exclude the exploitation of animals. However, the benefits of going vegan can go way beyond that!
Here are 7 reasons why you should consider going vegan:
Shifting to a plant-based diet often initiates a virtuous cycle. By eating plant-based, you’ll inevitably discover one healthy and delicious food after another.
1. Reduce risk of diseases
We all know that too much red meat increases your chance of heart disease. The World Health Organisation also tells us that too much-processed meat causes cancer. Plant power to the rescue! Studies have shown that a plant-based diet can reduce the build-up of plaque in your arteries and may even reverse it. Cancer Research UK has also gathered lots of research on how fruit and veg can reduce your risk of several cancers.
2. Lose weight
Veganism is the opposite of a fad diet because it’s so simple and flexible. There’s just one rule: don’t eat animal products! That means it’s easier to stick to in the long term than an extremely restrictive juice cleanse or a complicated weighing and measuring routine. You might worry a diet is ineffective if it’s not overly strict. However, research reveals that a vegan diet is more likely to result in natural weight loss than eating meat or even eating vegetarian.
A well-planned vegan diet can fuel the highest levels of fitness, while reducing our risk of various chronic diseases.
3. Boost your mood
Managing emotions can be a critical component of a happy, productive life. Luckily, studies have shown that a vegan diet can lead to an improved mood—meaning a greater sense of well-being. In one study, vegans reported less anxiety and stress than people who ate an omnivorous diet. Consuming plant-based sources of Omega-3 fatty acids—including flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and vegetables like collard greens and spinach—can help elevate your mood.
4. Save money
A lot of vegan foods, like grains and pulses, are incredibly cheap. They also last forever, so you can buy them in bulk and save them in your store cupboard for donkey’s years (approximately). Fruits and vegetables also take extremely well to preservation: you can freeze, can them, dehydrate them, or pickle them. Even when they’re a bit past their best, they go great in pies and breads. The same is not true of grey meat!
5. Going vegan is easier than ever before
The number of vegans in the UK has increased by over 360% in the last ten years. Any retailer who ignores this huge growth knows they’re missing a trick. These days, our supermarket shelves are filled with high-quality meat and dairy alternatives, from coconut ice cream to seitan sausages. A lot of plant-based products (like soya milk, for example) are also fortified with essential vitamins and minerals.
Vegan diets carry a number of environmental advantages. Like enabling more people to be fed using less farmland, reducing air and water pollution, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Global warming
Factory farming is responsible for emitting an enormous amount of greenhouse gases, including potent gases like methane. These gases play a pivotal role in global warming and climate catastrophe. Conservative estimates show that animal agriculture is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions—more than planes, trains, and motor vehicles combined. Clearly, animal agriculture is among the most significant contributors to today’s climate crisis—leading to extreme temperature shifts, ravaging wildfires, deadly tsunamis, and more.
7. Prevent cruelty to animals
Thousands of animals are slaughtered for food every second. If you’re an animal lover or pet owner, that’s hard to stomach. Animals fear pain and death just like we do. Their lives on factory farms are short and cruel, in conditions we find hard to read about. This may be the most obvious reason to go vegan, but it’s also one of the most important.
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