I became vegan in the spring of 2008, standing atop the Acropolis, and I haven’t looked back. It feels in every way the right thing to do, giving me energy, compassion, and darned delicious food. For most people on the planet, living and thriving as an herbivore is not only possible, but pretty easy — and a plant-based diet has far-reaching benefits…
It’s good for your health.
Animal products are highly correlated with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and even cancer — even in small amounts. Something as wholesome-seeming as dairy is linked to Type I diabetes in children who drink non-human breast milk, and high rates of osteoporosis in dairy-loving countries. Leave cow’s milk to calves, and give almond milk, coconut ice cream, and soy yogurt a shot. Plant-based foods are free of the cholesterol and unhealthy saturated fats that are found only in meat, dairy, and eggs. Instead, they contain fiber to aid in digestion and detoxification; antioxidants that fight cell damage and aging; phytonutrients that boost the immune system; vitamins and minerals that keep you healthy and strong; and all the good energy-providing carbohydrates, fats, and proteins you need. Even high-performance athletes can be vegan!
It’s good for the animals.
Farm animals, though they may not be as smart as humans, are perfectly capable of suffering. Imagine a mother cow seeing her calf dragged off to become veal, while her udder is torn by machines several times a day until it is painfully inflamed. Hens’ beaks are cut off to prevent them pecking each other in crowded battery cages (“free-range” isn’t much better). Cattle are fed corn instead of grass, which gives them chronic digestive pain and liver disease and eventually death. And every animal who doesn’t die of sickness is killed when they’re no longer working at “full capacity,” at a fraction of their natural life span. Going vegan saves over a hundred animals a year — yes, it does make a difference!
It’s good for the environment.
The high demands for meat, dairy, and eggs in the modern world require greater density of animal agriculture, and all those animals packed into small, dirty places breeds disease that makes people sick. Their toilet facilities drain untreated into once-clean rivers, and no offense to the cows, but their farts produce enough methane to significantly affect climate change. (You would think eating them would solve this problem, but economics dictates the inventory be restocked.) An herbivorous diet keeps our environment healthy by diminishing demand for animals and animal products that require intensive farming and shipping.
Resources
Vegan Action
A general overview of veganism.
Compassionate Cooks
An amazing resource, including the podcast that brought me from vegetarianism to veganism, and put ethics on the table.
VegNews Magazine
Get your glossy (or online) fix of news, reviews, and recipes without an animal product in sight.
Vegan Essentials
Find everything your heart desires, from faux meats to cruelty-free shoes to vegetable oil soaps.
Herbivore Clothing Company
Cute clothes and a huge selection of vegan cookbooks and activist reading material.
Eating Animals A great introduction to the ethics and impacts of meat-eating from many perspectives, from factory farms to family traditions.
Recipes
VeganYumYum
Sumptuous recipes and easy-to-follow directions.
Vegan Visitor
Recipes you can serve your omnivorous friends without fail.
Sweet Beet and Green Bean
Healthy recipes based on seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Hello Veggie
A great collection of vegan recipes.
Fat Free Vegan
Healthy vegan recipes without the oil, and delicious anyway.
Have Cake, Will Travel
For the sweet tooth in you… and for PBJ fans!
