While veganism can receive lots of criticism for its ideals, we’re going to focus on the positive. Going vegan can have huge health benefits. Fruits and veggies aren’t just side dishes or meal garnish, they’re extremely good for you! For example, blueberries are a great antioxidant, and it is said that even just a cup a week can improve your health (and ladies, it helps reduce your risk of breast cancer!). If you have trouble digesting all this information, just remember that you should have at least three colors on your plate. The more colors you have, the more nutritious your meal will be. Still think all of this isn’t for you? Try having designated vegan days, such as Meatless Monday. This way you can have your meat and eat it too, while still reaping the health benefits of eating your greens!
Staying away from meat, red meats especially, can also help reduce your risk of heart and cholesterol related issues. Since foods like vegetables, whole grains, and nuts are abundant in antioxidants and fiber, they also help reduce your risk of diabetes and some types of cancer. Even if you can’t bear to part with animal products, it’s a good idea to add these to your regular diet. Alternative or substitute products are also a good way to cut back while making a more discreet change (such as dairy alternatives: soy milk, almond milk, etc).
In addition to being good for you, reducing or even eliminating your intake of store-bought meat is also good for the environment and reduces your carbon footprint. Large scale, commercial meat production creates a variety of problems: from deforestation to greenhouse gas emissions. It requires lots of land to raise these animals, and it takes even more to grow enough food for them. In addition, making environmentally friendly purchases can get a bit expensive at times, so this is another good reason to try the Meatless Monday route.
The vegan lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but let’s all remember to take care of our bodies and the environment!
