Since I began to follow a compassionate vegan diet 10 years ago a lot has changed. There has been a 360% increase in the number of people following a vegan diet in the UK. Awareness and understanding have increased greatly in society making life much easier for those of us who choice this way of living, around half a million people in the UK alone.
Though there are people who continue to ask me with a doubting glance and lowered eyebrow, how is it being a vegan and comment on how difficult it must be. For me it's not at all difficult, okay sometimes it might be challenging to find food when out and about, particularly when I additionally tend to eat organic foods and avoid gluten and refined sugar. Though on the whole I am delighted to follow a compassionate, plantbased diet and can't imagine ever changing it. The cartoon below humorously exaggerates some of the extreme reactions people sometimes have about veganism :)
Though there are people who continue to ask me with a doubting glance and lowered eyebrow, how is it being a vegan and comment on how difficult it must be. For me it's not at all difficult, okay sometimes it might be challenging to find food when out and about, particularly when I additionally tend to eat organic foods and avoid gluten and refined sugar. Though on the whole I am delighted to follow a compassionate, plantbased diet and can't imagine ever changing it. The cartoon below humorously exaggerates some of the extreme reactions people sometimes have about veganism :)
My reasons for this lifestylce choice are varied and complex. So I have decided to break it down and summarize some of my primary motivations.
- Ultimately because it feels good and right for me (OK that's a bit of a vague statement, but it's true!)
- For my health and well being. I feel that following a plant based diet is far healthier than eating meat and animal products.
- For the well being of all life. Many millions of animals are unnecessarily treated horrendously in order to provide food for us. Even organic free range eggs come at a huge cost, with male chicks mostly being killed at birth.
- Additionally when an animal is killed it is stressed and it's energy field is full of fear, it is likely that this negative energy remains in the meat and as a result we absorb some of this energy when we eat it.
- I love food that is fresh and vibrant, and so I delight in eating fresh, organic fruit and veg.
- We all know that the earth's resources are dwindling at a very fast rate. The production of meat is one of the biggest contributors to the destruction of rainforests and a huge contributor to climate change. The difference in the amount of land required to provide meat for human consumption compared to the amount required to provide for vegetables is hugely significant.
- I have developed an intolerance to dairy and wheat since changing what I eat.
- Vegan food can taste absolutely delicious and I can easily have a varied and balanced diet. Trinity of Trinity's Conscious Kitchen is my greatest inspiration for nutritious and truly awesome recipes.
- Science seems to indicate that the human is designed to be herbivore rather than carnivore. Some of the facts are explained by the Pig in the video.
Vegan Myths
Below are 27 vegan myths, for more information follow this link
1 Humans are naturally omnivorous so they shouldn’t be vegan
2 We’ve evolved eating meat so it’s best for our bodies
3 Our bodies optimally digest meat
4 Some blood types need meat
5 Vegan diets don’t supply enough protein
6 Only animal products supply complete proteins
7 Tofu is the only complete vegan protein
8 You need to combine different plant foods to get a complete protein
9 Our bodies need protein for glycolysis to convert into ATP
10 Milk products are healthy
11 Being vegan doesn’t supply enough calcium
12 Vegan diets aren’t healthy
13 Vegans have too many rules about what they can eat
14 Everything is good for you in small amounts
15 Vegan men are weak and impotent
16 Vegans don’t get enough iron
17 Vegans easily get b12 deficiencies
18 You’ll eat nothing but carrots, celery & lettuce
19 Vegan food isn’t gourmet or interesting
20 Vegetables don’t taste good
21 Being a vegan will ruin your social life
22 Eating a vegan diet is very expensive
23 Being vegan isn’t better for the environment
24 Being a vegan is less sustainable than being a local eating omnivore
25 Fruits have too much sugar and should be used in moderation
26 Plants feel pain too
27 You still have to kill a plant to eat it so it’s essentially non-different
I'd love to hear from you if you have any further comments or questions.
Namaste, Fiona
1 Humans are naturally omnivorous so they shouldn’t be vegan
2 We’ve evolved eating meat so it’s best for our bodies
3 Our bodies optimally digest meat
4 Some blood types need meat
5 Vegan diets don’t supply enough protein
6 Only animal products supply complete proteins
7 Tofu is the only complete vegan protein
8 You need to combine different plant foods to get a complete protein
9 Our bodies need protein for glycolysis to convert into ATP
10 Milk products are healthy
11 Being vegan doesn’t supply enough calcium
12 Vegan diets aren’t healthy
13 Vegans have too many rules about what they can eat
14 Everything is good for you in small amounts
15 Vegan men are weak and impotent
16 Vegans don’t get enough iron
17 Vegans easily get b12 deficiencies
18 You’ll eat nothing but carrots, celery & lettuce
19 Vegan food isn’t gourmet or interesting
20 Vegetables don’t taste good
21 Being a vegan will ruin your social life
22 Eating a vegan diet is very expensive
23 Being vegan isn’t better for the environment
24 Being a vegan is less sustainable than being a local eating omnivore
25 Fruits have too much sugar and should be used in moderation
26 Plants feel pain too
27 You still have to kill a plant to eat it so it’s essentially non-different
I'd love to hear from you if you have any further comments or questions.
Namaste, Fiona
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