So, you've seen us around. Posting videos about slaughterhouses on social media, or putting up GO VEGAN stickers all over the city, or just being that one annoying person in the group going through the menu asking "what do you have that's vegan?"
You know who we are. But do you know WHY we are? Why are we vegan? Maybe you do know, or maybe you're that individual who says "that's the same as vegetarian right?" Or maybe you've never even heard of the term 'vegetarian' and have zero clue what I'm talking about.
So let's clear it up:
Vegans or a Vegan lifestyle, are those who do not consumed any animal or animal derived product such as: milk, eggs, meat from any kind of animals including fish, shellfish, gelatin or honey.
That's right, not even honey. We also don't use animal-based products in our day to day life. No leather, wool, silk or beeswax.
Not not every vegan is as strict. a few will take honey from a a close friend with their own hive, or will still have a leather bag they received from before they went vegan, but you get the idea.
And now here comes the topic of this post: why? Why did we go vegan? What was it for? How could we have possibly made such a strange an to some 'extreme' choice? (Universal eye-roll for any vegan who reads this and knows what really is extreme...and it's not us!)
Well, if you want to know, there are really 3 main reasons why we, or you, go vegan. It could be just one reason, 2 out of three or all of them. Although in the end, some start with one reason, and then it evolves to include the other two. So what are they already?!
1. For Us
2. For Them
3. For Everyone
Confused? Intrigued? Enlightened? Annoyed? That's ok..let me explain.
1. For Us
This is straight forward. Vegan for yourself. For your own health and well-being.
It's been proven over and over again that a plant-based diet is ideal for a long and healthy life and all dietary needs can be meet as plants have protein, calcium, omega 3 and everything else that you need.
When done right, you can live a completely full life as a vegan. But by being smart. Don't just eat kale every single day. There is so much more that the world has to give us to keep us alive and well. And if you have everything you need to be healthy, strong, and satisfied just by plants, why wouldn't you do it?
If you want to know more, I will be witting a separate post on it, and will link it here once done.
2. For Them
So who's them? You're pushy vegan friends who give you the stink eye every time you order the chicken wings? No. Well, yes they would LOVE it if you went vegan, but that's not the them I'm referring to.
Obviously all your animal-based foods have to come from...where? It's not rocket science people, from ANIMALS. Living beings. Who have a nervous system that feels pain. Who have emotions and know the difference between joy and sadness. Who harness memory and can remember a face or a counting game. Who cry. Like the dairy mother's of new born calf being taken away, leaving them howling for days if not weeks looking for their babies.
The screaming piglets being bashed into concrete floors because the're 'too small' to grow into something for you to chew into.
The shaking lambs who are sprayed with the blood of the lamb who happened to be in line in front of them, and got their throat slit first to be butchered half-alive.
Was that too brutal? Was it too harsh? Are you angry I told you? Or are you angry that you know, and you don't like how it makes you feel; because damned if anyone is going to get in the way of getting what you want?
Know this, for every bite of flesh you take, every gulp of milk you drink, or every egg you crack open, you have immediately caused pain, excruciating pain on another living being. And that is no way for humanity to be.
Still need convincing? Want to know more about what they really go through? Is drinking milk really as bad as eating meat? I'll write another post dedicated to that and link it here once done.
3. For Everyone
There are changes happening in our planet...and they're not good. It's dying. And we're killing it.
We are destroying the very thing that gives us food, shelter, clothing or even every luxury item we have. Think about it, every single thing on this planet, has to come from the earth. Harvested somehow. And in massive proportions. Do you think the earth was created to supply everyone with endless amounts of ridiculous things like silly putty? No, and it won't last long.
And consuming animal products, on a massive scale is just as bad.
Do you think the earth was made to take the massive Co2 emissions from cattle farming or wiping out our sea life from fishing? Every living thing has a purpose and is made to be a part of life. and consuming animal products is destroying it.
And before you say, animals were put on this earth to eat, just be damned grateful animals don't mass re-produce on the scale as humans do and haven't figured out a way to control and farm us for their fast-food locations because then you'd wish you'd never been born like they do.
Want more concrete facts and information on how it affects the earth for everyone? I will be writing a separate post for that soon and liking it here.
The fact is, there are so many reasons to go vegan. These are the top 3 that I believe are the main reasons why and the most positively beneficial, no matter what way you look it at.
So...what do you think? Do you have a good enough reason to go vegan? Because there is no good reason not to.