Why You Should Go Vegan This Christmas
My honest thoughts about what people should really be thinking about this Christmas.
Many of the important issues aren't "convenient". There's never going to be a convenient time to deal with anything worth doing in the long run. But Christmas is a good time to start thinking about positive changes we can all add to our daily routines to make everyone's lives better.
When I think of Christmas, I think of compassion, peace and generosity. I think of good deeds and paying it forward. It’s a time of giving and thinking about those we care about. It’s a time we all start to think about what would please those around us, either for the short term or in the long term. I've inserted my favourite shots of vegan meals that I've had this past year to show that vegan food isn't about restriction and is certainly not boring.
I’m not expecting anyone to become a vegan right after reading this -- especially during Christmas. But in a perfect world like the one I live in, inside my head, Christmas is the time to go vegan. This is going to seem unfair and upset some people, but for those who are religious and think that they live by what “Jesus would do”, honestly, I seriously think that if Jesus were alive today, he would totally be a vegan, regardless of what people think the bible says, because people need to accept the fact that all things change and people need to learn to adapt in order to thrive and live a life of abundance without causing harm to anyone, human and animals alike, and most importantly we need to learn how to thrive without harming this one planet that we all call home.
I just received my renewed Vegan Society membership card and the tagline on their letterhead is “Vegan for the animals” and although this may be half true, it annoys me a little because no one ever solely goes vegan just for the animals. The majority of vegans found this lifestyle because of a health problem or they were looking for another avenue for weight loss. I’m not saying that there aren’t those who went vegan solely because they just couldn’t stand animal cruelty, but there is so much more to being a vegan than just saving the lives of animals.
People are so disconnected, that when they go into the supermarket to buy their pre-packaged meat, they don’t ever think about how it was once part of a living, breathing sentient being with emotions and a right to live, a being who basically spent its entire life in a constant state of abuse. And they definitely don’t think about how they are paying to support an industry that is steadfastly destroying our environment.
Like most things, the longer you stay on a path and the deeper you go, the more meaningful it becomes. I was always aware that a vegan diet saves animal lives. But then I found out about how abstaining from meat is good for the environment, saves water and has amazing health benefits. I can already sense myself getting a bit preachy, so to get to the good stuff, here are my top 5 reasons why I think you should at least consider adopting a vegan lifestyle.
Save planet Earth
If you consider yourself to be something of an environmentalist and you’re not vegan, then you’re doing something wrong. Consuming meat is one of the worst things that you can do for the environment. It is extremely wasteful in terms of water, land use and is the main cause of enormous amounts of pollution. The meat and dairy industry is the biggest cause of climate change. Going vegan is way more effective than switching to a “greener” car in our fight against climate change.
Meat is literally dirty
People put all manner of gross junk foods into their bodies. That sort of indulgence is fine occasionally, but if you really knew just how contaminated factory-farmed meat is, you would never voluntarily allow that stuff to come near you, let alone put it in your mouth. But don’t take my word for it. Take responsibility for what you put into your own body and watch Earthlings, Forks Over Knives, and last but not least, Cowspiracy.
Vegans are sexy
Vegans tend to be fitter than meat-eaters. I’m not saying you won’t ever come across a fat vegan, but generally, people start to lose weight fast within three months of adopting a vegan diet without any exercise. The increased intake of fiber, whole foods, and fruit with high water content efficiently remove all the built-up salt and toxins stored in the body. (50% of what you think is fat is actually just fluid retention from consuming salt/MSG..etc.). Vegans have more energy, which means more time with that special someone, which means more exercise ;) – Side note for men: the consumption of animal fat and cholesterol from eggs, dairy, and meat clogs important arteries and hinders blood flow down 'there' as well as the arteries in your heart. Vegans tend to go longer and stronger than their meat-eating counterparts and even taste better. Case closed. What’s sexier than compassion?
It’s not just about you
I hate hearing “but I love bacon” or “it’s MY body, mind your own business”…it may be your body indeed, but it’s a fact that what you put into your mouth, what you vote for every time you make a purchase - affects our environment and society as a whole. Whenever you consume meat and dairy products, you are taking part in the destruction of our planet.
“The money-hungry farmed-animal industry exploits poor people and immigrants (many of whom are undocumented). They work for low wages, and union organizing is notoriously difficult. Slaughterhouse work, in particular, is filthy and extremely dangerous—worker injuries are rampant, and dying on the job is a very real possibility. A Human Rights Watch researcher found that “meatpacking is the most dangerous factory job in America,” and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration notes that the “Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports injury and illness rates for the Meat Packing Industry as 2½ times higher than the national average.”
Equality starts at the dinner table
I’ve always been an animal lover. Ever since I was a kid. Come to think of it, I’ve never met a child who didn’t love animals. It’s second nature. But something happens as we grow older. We get brainwashed and desensitized to the horrors and abuse that pigs, cows, and chickens go through. No, scratch that, we don’t even get to learn about it because the meat industry hides that reality from us. We lose our shit when the people of that one town in China have their annual dog-eating festival but it’s ok for the rest of the world to keep eating cows and pigs every day? I’m pretty sure most of the folks in that dog-eating town are uneducated and lack a lot of the niceties that most of us take for granted. So for those who have access to the internet and better use of their brain, please try and connect the dots. If you replaced all the cows, pigs, and chickens with dogs and cats, or even ethnic minorities, then I hope you understand the point I’m trying to make.
The production of meat is just evil, for lack of a better word. No one benefits from it apart from the meat industry. The animals are abused, the workers are abused and consumers are abused by being misled, because I’m sure you don’t really want to consume growth hormones, diseased meat, and antibiotics. Cancer much?
Even if the idea of adopting a vegan lifestyle makes you uncomfortable, it should still be a topic that is at the forefront of your mind. Change takes time, but most people see an idea they don’t like and just sweep it away from their consciousness and go back to living within their comfort zones, regardless of the consequences.
