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| "Don’t treat animals as animals. Treat them as living beings. That’s what they are." - Anthony Douglas Williams |
Veganism is a philosophy and a way of living. A vegan is someone who seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.
This is different from someone who adopts a plant-based diet for health and fitness reasons, just like it would be different from someone who was allergic to animal products in food but used animal products and other methods of exploitation in their daily life, or someone who boycotted venues of animal captivity (zoos, circuses, etc.) but ate meat, dairy, and eggs.
Why do people go vegan?
Preventing cruelty to animals is the major reason people choose to go vegan, although veganism is
often motivated by other ethical factors, such as environmental concerns and humanitarian reasons.
About 60 billion land animals and over a trillion marine animals are used and killed as commodities to satisfy human taste preferences, with millions more being killed or exploited for fashion, entertainment, and research. We breed animals into existence at such an alarming rate that it not only affects their health, but the health of our environment and the sustainability of our society and lifestyle. The agricultural industries which facilitate animal cruelty maintain the worst documented treatment to human workers compared to other methods of agriculture.
In a world that is beginning to show real support for environmental, humanitarian, and animal rights issues, veganism is the logical next step.
Isn’t it enough to be vegetarian, or do meat-free mondays?
The suffering caused by the dairy and egg industry is possibly less well publicised than the plight of factory farmed animals. The production of dairy products necessitates the death of countless male calves that are of no use to the dairy farmer, as well as the premature death of cows slaughtered when their milk production decreases. Similarly, in the egg industry, even ‘ethical’ or ‘free range’ eggs involve the killing of the unnecessary male chicks when just a day old, often being thrown alive into a shredder. These industries also contribute to the environmental impact of animal products, and take up valuable land.
When we realize that we care about these issues, it makes more sense that we should change our behaviour in ways that reflect our values rather than to make symbolic or temporary changes. We want our actions to have noticeable effects on the world around us, and though we can say “every little action helps”, we know it’s better to take more actions than fewer, and bigger actions than smaller.
With animal exploitation leading the climate crisis, contributing to poor resource management, human rights violations and severe animal abuse, it’s easy to get motivated enough to make the leap into veganism.
From a dietary perspective, is veganism healthy?
The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada said in 2003 that properly planned plant-based diets were nutritionally adequate for all stages of life, including pregnancy and lactation; people avoiding meat and dairy products are reported to have lower death rates from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and fewer incidences of type 2 diabetes and prostate and colon cancers.
Protein (including all essential amino acids), iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin b12 can all be found in plant-based food products. Many staples of the average vegan food pantry are nutritionally fortified. Check out this website for more info.
Being vegan and eating a plant-based diet doesn’t guarantee good health, since there is plenty of vegan junk food on the market. Just like in a non-vegan dietary lifestyle, it is up to you whether or not personal health is your top priority.
Is veganism hard or expensive?
Some people claim veganism is unattainable because it is only for the middle-class or only for those with plenty of time on their hands. And while it takes a little time to research how and why one should go vegan, it can be a very inexpensive and rewarding lifestyle. If you’ve ever been told you can’t go vegan because of these reasons, there are plenty of resources out there to help you along the way and show you that veganism is accessible to a wide variety of people.
Where should I go to learn more about veganism?
Visit this FAQ on veganism or check out The Vegan Society (many of the statistics, definitions and explanations in this post are sourced from their website).
Common Excuses to Not Go Vegan Dismissed
Compassion
Why do people go vegan?
Preventing cruelty to animals is the major reason people choose to go vegan, although veganism is
often motivated by other ethical factors, such as environmental concerns and humanitarian reasons.
About 60 billion land animals and over a trillion marine animals are used and killed as commodities to satisfy human taste preferences, with millions more being killed or exploited for fashion, entertainment, and research. We breed animals into existence at such an alarming rate that it not only affects their health, but the health of our environment and the sustainability of our society and lifestyle. The agricultural industries which facilitate animal cruelty maintain the worst documented treatment to human workers compared to other methods of agriculture. In a world that is beginning to show real support for environmental, humanitarian, and animal rights issues, veganism is the logical next step.
Isn’t it enough to be vegetarian, or do meat-free mondays?
The suffering caused by the dairy and egg industry is possibly less well publicised than the plight of factory farmed animals. The production of dairy products necessitates the death of countless male calves that are of no use to the dairy farmer, as well as the premature death of cows slaughtered when their milk production decreases. Similarly, in the egg industry, even ‘ethical’ or ‘free range’ eggs involve the killing of the unnecessary male chicks when just a day old, often being thrown alive into a shredder. These industries also contribute to the environmental impact of animal products, and take up valuable land.
When we realize that we care about these issues, it makes more sense that we should change our behaviour in ways that reflect our values rather than to make symbolic or temporary changes. We want our actions to have noticeable effects on the world around us, and though we can say “every little action helps”, we know it’s better to take more actions than fewer, and bigger actions than smaller.
With animal exploitation leading the climate crisis, contributing to poor resource management, human rights violations and severe animal abuse, it’s easy to get motivated enough to make the leap into veganism.
From a dietary perspective, is veganism healthy?
The American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada said in 2003 that properly planned plant-based diets were nutritionally adequate for all stages of life, including pregnancy and lactation; people avoiding meat and dairy products are reported to have lower death rates from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and fewer incidences of type 2 diabetes and prostate and colon cancers.
Protein (including all essential amino acids), iron, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin b12 can all be found in plant-based food products. Many staples of the average vegan food pantry are nutritionally fortified. Check out this website for more info.
Being vegan and eating a plant-based diet doesn’t guarantee good health, since there is plenty of vegan junk food on the market. Just like in a non-vegan dietary lifestyle, it is up to you whether or not personal health is your top priority.
Is veganism hard or expensive?
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| Humans are Herbivores [Click to Enlarge] |
Where should I go to learn more about veganism?
Visit this FAQ on veganism or check out The Vegan Society (many of the statistics, definitions and explanations in this post are sourced from their website).
Common Excuses to Not Go Vegan Dismissed
Compassion
- 269 Life
- The Vegan Society
- 10 Amazing Facts About Animal Sentience
- A Hen’s Relationship with her Eggs
- Chickens are Smart
- Animal Equality
- Compassion Over Killing
- Free From Harm
- Mercy For Animals
- Animal Emancipation
- Beyond Carnism
- Vegan Future Now
- Why I Am Vegan - fightingforanimals.com
- National Animal Rights Day, Toronto, 2015 Photos by Jo-Anne McArthur
- Why Veganism?
- Vegan Street
- One Green Planet
- Vegan Outreach
- I Love Vegan
- Tribe of Heart
- Animal Visuals
- Factory Farm Coalition
- Howard Lyman the Mad Cowboy
- Farm Kind
- Food Empowerment Project
- Animal Liberation Victoria
- Responsible Policies for Animals
- Humane Myth
- Vegan FAQ | ilovevegan.com
- Answers to Your Questions | Vegan Sidekick
- EVOLVE! Campaigns
- It's Not About Your Hurt Feelings by veggieprobs
Movies & Videos
- Earthlings (Movie)
- Forks Over Knives (Movie)
- Vegucated (Movie)
- Food Inc. (Movie)
- Cowspiracy (Movie)
- Speciesism (Movie)
- Meet Your Meat (Video)
- Dairy Industry in 60 Seconds (Video)
- Mercy For Animals | Dark Side of Dairy (Video)
- Mercy For Animals | Victims of the Egg Industry (Video)
- TED Talks | Beyond Carnism and Toward Rational, Authentic Food Choices (Video)
Health & Nutrition
- 21 Things That Happen When You Don't Eat Meat
- Myth vs. Fact
- 57 Health Benefits of Going Vegan
- 7 Reasons Vegetarians Live Longer
- Basic Guide to Vegan Nutrition
- Why Vegetarians Are More Intelligent than Meat Eaters
- Will Tuttle, PhD author of the World Peace Diet
- Vegetarian Resource Group - Nutrition
- Vegans & Calcium
- Red Meat & Colon Cancer | Harvard Medical School
- Nutrition on a Vegan Diet
- Milk Myth
- Building a Vegan Grocery List
- Three Glasses of Milk a Day can Lead to Early Death, Warn Scientists
- Benefits of a Vegan Lifestyle
- Size 26 to Size 8
- The 300 Pound Vegan
- Shattering The Meat Myth: Humans Are Natural Vegetarians
Environmental
- TIME | The Triple Whopper Environmental Impact of Global Meat Production
- 5 Ways Being Vegan Saves The Planet
- Cowspiracy | THE FACTS
- Vegan Organic Network
- Graph | Veganism & Environment By The Numbers
- Scientific American | How Does Meat in the Diet Take an Environmental Toll?
- via soycrates:
You can’t call yourself an avid environmentalist and be non-vegan:
Getting Started
- Take the United Nations’ advice and go vegan.
Recipes
- ChooseVeg
- Weakly Meal Plan
- The Veg Life
- Veg Kitchen
- Buzzfeed | 32 Vegan Recipes That Are Perfect For Thanksgiving
- Buzzfeed | 41 Delicious Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
- Vegan Yums
- Vege-Nom
- One Green Planet
- Mouthwatering Vegan
- Veganinspo
- Garden of Vegan
- Christina Cooks
- The Vegan Stoner (cheap and fast!)
- Vegan Sandra (cheap and easy)
- Vegan in the Freezer (cheap, easy, and freezable!)
- Vegan Richa
- PostPunkKitchen (written by the queen of vegan cooking, Isa Chandra, who wrote some of the most popular vegan cookbooks out there, her writing is delightful as well)
- MadeVegan
- LunchBoxBunch
- Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
- My Darling Vegan
- Oh She Glows
- Minimalist Baker
- Vegan Life On A Budget
- 23 Vegan Meals With Tons Of Protein
- Basic Cooking Tips and Supplies
Farm Sanctuaries
Books
- Skinny Bitch - by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
- Becoming Vegan: Comprehensive Edition
- Brenda Davis, R.D. & Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.
- Diet for a New America: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth - John Robbins
- May All Be Fed: Diet For A New World - John Robbins
- That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things - Ruby Roth
- Main Street Vegan: Everything You Need to Know to Eat Healthfully and Live Compassionately in the Real World - by Victoria Moran and Adair Moran
- MAD COWBOY: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat - Howard F. Lyman and Glen Merzer
Social Media
- Pinterest | Animal Rights
- Tumblr | EthicalSoldierSailorVegan
- Tumblr | liberateanimals
- Tumblr | Garden of Vegan
- Tumblr | Soycrates
- Youtube | Veganmakeup
- Youtube | BeautyTalkWithCin
- Youtube | CrueltyFreeQTs
- Youtube | ilymorgannn
- Youtube | xoLoveLeti
Shopping♡CRUELTY FREE MASTER POST♡
Funny/Sarcastic
- Herbivore Clothing
- Compassion Co.
- Arm The Animals
- BraveGentleMan
- MooShoes (visit the NYC storefront at 78 Orchard!)
- AlternativeOutfitters
- CompassionCoutureShop
- VeganChic
- VeganStore
- VeganEssentials
- VAUTE. Stylish and warm outerwear, dresses, shirts, and jewelry. Visit the flagship store in Brooklyn at 234 Grand Street (& Driggs)
- Love is Mighty. Gorgeous vegan shoes combining old-world textiles with modern designs
- Brave GentleMan. NYC-based all-vegan attire, shoes, accessories, and custom suits
- MATT & NAT. Design-centric, eco-friendly and vegan handbags and accessories
- Susan Nichole. Vegan handbags, wallets, and more
- Gunas. 100% cruelty-free eco-friendly bags
- OlsenHaus. Pure vegan boots, wedges, flats, and more
- Cri de Coeur. Ethical contemporary shoes, handbags, and jewelry
- Beyond Skin. Designer non-leather women’s shoes
- Pansy Maiden. Fashion-forward, cruelty-free bags and clutches
- Neuaura. Unique animal-free and eco-friendly footwear
- Melie Bianco. Stylish, luxurious, animal-friendly handbags at an affordable price
- NOAH. Italian vegan shoes, famous worldwide for quality and comfort
- Deux Lux. Women’s fashion handbags and accessories; glamorous, edgy, and ethical
- LeSportsac. Leading manufacturer of functional and chic handbags
- Cornelia Guest. Cruelty-free handbags
- Folli Follie. Fun, versatile, cruelty-free watches, accessories, and handbags (be sure to check out the Madison Ave. location at 56th and 57th!)
- John Bartlett. Be sure to check out the Ambassador Collection, which supports Farm Sanctuary
- Novacas. Animal-friendly, environmentally-friendly, and worker-friendly shoes for men and women
- Vegetarian Shoes. Featuring leather-free shoes, hiking boots, and belts
- NOHARM. Offering vegan shoes, boots, accessories, and clothing
- Mohop. Hand-made vegan shoes with interchangeable ribbons for thousands of styles
- Big Buddha. Eye-catching bags made from vegan “V-Leather”
- GirlieGirlArmy.com. The Glamazon Guide to Conscious Living
- TheDiscerningBrute.com. Fashion, food, and etiquette for the ethically handsome man
Funny/Sarcastic
Thank you for sharing this blog.
ReplyDeleteFollowing a Plant-based diet is tough Generally, People think only meat or dairy-based foods are rich in nutrition, but here non-veg or dairy-based nutrition Substitute is available on the market or planet, which is Vegan nutrition , plant-based foods also has good nutrition.