Why Vegan?
O.K. Here's the deal...I believe how you feel and how you look is directly connected with what you put in your body every day. Also,I believe animals were not put on this earth to be food for humans. If you do not believe this then you might as well move on to another website because you will never make it in the vegan world. If you do not believe that a plant based diet can make you feel and look better than you ever have...if you do not have compassion for mistreated animals, then nothing I can say will convince you to be a vegan.
If you are still with me then let's explore those two major reasons for going vegan: your health and compassion for animals.
Health:
When I adopted a vegan diet I did it mostly because of my feelings for animals. It was not for health reasons. Three weeks after starting a vegan diet I looked at myself in the mirror one day and noticed that my face seemed thinner. I had been eating as much as I wanted to eat every day. I had made no attempt to deprive myself but when I stepped on the scales I found that I had lost 6 pounds without even trying. I did not go vegan to lose weigh since I was just slightly above my ideal weight but without even trying I lost six pounds. I also noticed that my skin had a clear glow I had not had for years. And I felt great. Wow, I thought, this vegan diet really does work.
After my initial weight loss of 6 pounds I did not lose any more. Seven months later I eat all I want and my weight has stabilized right at my ideal weight. And, cooking easy delicious meals has become easy.
Here's some facts: meat (including chicken and fish), dairy (including milk, cheese, butter and eggs), refined white sugar, plain table salt, white flour and saturated fats from any source are a major cause of hypertension, heart problems, diabetes and some cancers. I'm not a doctor so don't take my word for it. Look it up for yourself on the internet. Just be sure to avoid information from the meat and poultry industry. They have obvious incentives to hide the facts.
Compassion for and Love of Animals
As I said, my reason for going vegan was not health. It was my love of animals. I'm reminded of a quote by George Bernard Shaw who said, "Animals are my friends...and I don't eat my friends." The meat and dairy industry spends millions each year to hide the facts from you and paint a pretty picture of the industry. Here's a fact. The meat and dairy industries are cruel to animals and a disgraceful insult to every individual that believes animals deserve a decent life without pain, stress and abuse.
Here's another fact. 93.000 cows and calves are slaughtered every day to satisfy the human desire to eat the flesh of a dead animal. And the industry would have you believe these innocent creatures are raised and killed humanely. Again, nothing could be further from the truth.
The beef and pork you eat comes from cows and pigs that have been pumped so full hormones they are practically zombies. And all those hormones are passed on to you if you consume their flesh.
The poultry industry is shameful. Chickens spend their entire life crowed into a space where they can barely move. They are turned into egg laying machines. They never touch the ground or see a bug or blade of grass. Since males are not needed as much as females, they are killed early, sometimes being thrown live into wood chipper's or tossed on top of each other in waste bins to suffocate.
Wild fish are contaminated by mercury and farm grown fish are pumped full of antibodies and have been found to contain industrial toxins. Anyone that loves animals should be appalled and horrified at the treatment these innocent creatures receive.
What a little graphic proof? Go to www.youtube.com and type "animal slaughter" in their search box. Then spend 30 minutes watching several of the hundreds of videos that will be listed. I warn you...some of these videos will horrify you and some will bring a tear to your eye. If they do not...you do not need to be on this website. Nothing here will be of interest to you.
I know all the vegans in the world will never eliminate or change the meat industry, I can not control that. But I can control my actions and I know I will never knowingly contribute to the suffering of any animal.
