by Christine Pesta
If you are considering veganism and wondering how it might have an impact on your life and the world around you, here is a brief explanation as to some of the reasons you might wish to make a positve change to your lifestyle.
Helping to Save the Lives of Animals
This is arguably the most important reason many vegans have turned to a vegan lifestyle. While there are those who may no longer eat meat and dairy for health reasons, most turn to veganism for ethical reasons. Even those who go into it kicking and screaming because their doctor told them they had to change their way of eating, eventually “get it”. Once a person makes the connection, they understand that each meal they eat is not worth the cost of a life.
Vegans’ passion for animal rights does not just revolve around their plates – its about all animals everywhere. The fight for animal justice has been taken up by vegans against factory farms, but also against the issue of trophy hunting and companies who use animals to test their products, as well as bullfighting, and the abuse of animals in circuses and water parks.
Making a difference, no matter how small, in the lives of animals, is one of the best and most satisfying reasons for most who have become vegan.
Living a Healthier Lifestyle
With the alarming increase in reported cases of diabetes over just the past ten years, and heart disease still one of the top killers of people over forty, its no wonder people are looking for answers when it comes to their health.
Fad diets have been big business for decades. However, as they have all come and gone, the vegan diet has remained a way of eating that no one can argue against as it is not a fad, but a proven way of helping to prevent or repair those health issues so many are experiencing. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, as well as heart disease and diabetes mentioned earlier, are things that a vegan diet can help to address.
For those who have not already made the move, but are considering a plant-based diet, speaking with your doctor is a good first step.
Leaving a Smaller Footprint
While ethical and health reasons are both good motivators for people to look to veganism, ecological reasons cannot be ignored. Climate change is a huge issue around the world and, while some choose to ignore it, many believe that education is key in the fight to save our planet. Vegans, on the whole, have been among those at the forefront taking up the responsibility of trying to help people to become aware of the impact their choices have on the future of the Earth.
Many do not realize that where meat and dairy are concerned, resources used to feed livestock, as well as the waste produced, have more of an impact on global warming than any other industries. While recycling, commuting to work, and cutting back on water use have an important place in being good custodians of the Earth, nothing can make more of a difference than if every person cut back on or eliminated meat and dairy from their diet.
There are many books, films, and organizations that can help anyone tring to learn more about veganism and the issues important to the vegan community. Anyone wishing to learn more can further explore this site or some of the resources listed in various posts here and in our archive.
Christine Pesta is a writer, and the owner and Executive Editor of Live Your Life Vegan. You can follow her here, on Live Your Life Vegan, where she contributes regularly, as well as on social media.
