Becoming a vegan is something many people choose to do for health and ethical reasons. Vegans want to live their lives without causing any harm to animals, and it can also be an extremely healthy diet (there are many vegan athletes and bodybuilders!). So if you're considering switching to a vegan lifestyle, here's what it can do for you (and the world) …
1. You'll Be Healthier
Vegans can be much healthier than carnivores, and tend to experience lower rates of problems like heart disease and diabetes. As a vegan, you'll make more food from scratch rather than relying on prepared foods. You'll eat less saturated fat and more fiber. You'll have lots more energy and your skin will look great (just don't exist on potato chips and other junk food!).
2. The Vegan Lifestyle Avoids Animal Suffering
One of the huge advantages of the vegan lifestyle is that it avoids animal suffering. No animal will die for your benefit (vegans not only avoid meat and fish, but also honey and other animal by-products) or live in a cage because of you. As humans, we are responsible for caring for the planet and animals, so take a stance and refuse to be part of the system that causes them such suffering.
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3. Environmental Benefits
The environment will also benefit if more people turn vegetarian. Did you know that livestock eat ten pounds of grain in order to produce one pound of meat (source: peta.org). It's a hugely inefficient use of natural resources and land. With so many people starving in the world, if more people turned vegan then land could be used to feed more people.
4. It's an Ethical Way of Life
Veganism is a very ethical way to live. Your conscience will be clear - you'll know that you're not causing any harm to animals and they won't have to die so that you can eat. No animal will suffer in any way because of you. It's a great feeling to know that you're living as ethically as you can!
5. Weight Loss
Got some excess pounds you want to shift? While you probably wouldn't turn vegan just to lose weight, it is a bonus of the vegan lifestyle. Vegans weigh less than meat eaters -10-20 pounds less! (source: peta.org). And because it's not a fad diet but a healthy, sustainable way of eating, you'll be more likely to maintain your lighter weight.
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6. You'll Experiment More with Food - and It's Tasty!
'But what do you eat?' people often ask, thinking you'll be deprived. But that's far from the case; the vegan diet can actually be far more interesting than your old, meat-eating diet. You'll experiment with lots of new ingredients and discover new ways of cooking. There are also plenty of meat substitutes that you can cook in your favorite dishes. Believe me, you won't be deprived at all!
7. You're Not Supporting the Cruelty of the Meat and Dairy Industry
To be fair, there are some farmers who try to raise their animals ethically. But the majority of the meat and dairy industry is very cruel and the animals live unhappy lives before being slaughtered. By going vegan you are taking an ethical stance and refusing to support the cruelty in these industries any more.
Becoming a vegan is a personal decision, but if you do decide to make that change you can be happy that you'll be living a healthy, ethical lifestyle. What changes would you like to make to your diet?
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