Some days you wake up in your bed that’s covered by confectionary wrappers, a plate that has the remains of a steak you made, and packets of unfinished pork rinds from every brand under the sun. They cause you to reminisce about yesterday night’s food binge that you insisted future-you will deal with. And now future-you regrets making that deal because the sight of all the junk food scattered on your bright duvet is too harsh for your eyes, and so is the thought of consequent health issues. You think of picking up your new year’s resolution again – the aspiration to stuff your body with only healthy food. The idea then quickly dissipates because you immediately remember going to your local café that was riddled with watercress and chickpeas. You wonder if vegan food is worth your time. So, you grab your phone and scroll online. Hoping that, perhaps, reading about the advantages of it can help change your view.
Vegan/Vegetarian food
Vegan/Vegetarian food serves various benefits to the body (other than the power of being morally superior to others) and can also put your mind at ease about the effects of what you’re eating.
Don’t go breaking my heart
I’m great at titles. But seriously, it is believed that vegan/vegetarian food is linked to good heart health. It is shown in an observational study that compared to non-vegetarians, vegans possibly have an advantage of having up to 75% lower risk of developing high blood pressure. Just eating mostly fruits, vegetables and all the other good stuff can make it less likely for you to get high blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease. It can also reduce your blood sugar which in turn decreases your risk of getting diabetes. So, eat well knowing you’re doing your heart a favour!
Moo-ove
I know, it can be hard to say no to meat. But besides the cruel ways in which animals end up on your plate, another reason to stop eating meat is to decrease the risk of having cancer (specifically breast, stomach, colorectal, and prostate cancer). When cooked at high temperatures, it’s believed that meat can encourage different types of cancers.
The weight just falls right off!
Well, not really. I’m aware that not everyone wants to lose weight. Some people like the way they look and there’s nothing wrong with that! This is why I’m making it known now that the paragraph below is for those who wish to shed weight.
Many studies have been done in regard to the link between veganism and weight loss. Some indicate that compared to non-vegans, people who have a vegan diet tend to be thinner. They also have a lower BMI. Compared to a standard western diet, the vegan diet had a better effect on study participants. The best part is that they weren’t even following the diet strictly! Not encouraging you to be lazy but if you are when it comes to the diet, be at ease knowing you’ll still be helping your body lose weight!
Borne. Food Borne.
I’m terrible at puns/jokes, sue me. But don’t sue me for telling the truth! Now, being vegetarian doesn’t stop the possibility of catching food-borne illnesses. However, it does significantly reduce the risk. Seafood, meat, and poultry are usually the culprits when it comes to food-borne illnesses. Being vegan/vegetarian doesn’t make you immune to sickness. But you can gladly be smug when your colleagues are all sick from eating at your workplace’s barbeque event!
The Environment
I think I’ve given up on making “funny” titles.
Compared to a plant-based diet, a meat-based diet increases carbon emissions 2.5 times more . Animal release greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming. Another reason vegan/vegetarian meals are better for the environment is because of resources. According to the website fruitsandveggies -
And the last reason I’ll give you is about pollution. Veganism/Vegetarianism help reduce pollution in the ocean, streams, and rivers. Pollution mainly comes from animal faeces (yuck), which harms both humans and animals. It can contaminate the air, harm aquatic ecosystems, and destroy topsoil. It’s horrific.
Conclusion
So perhaps this is the sign you needed? Or maybe the sign you wanted to have? Or maybe you just stumbled on the wrong article. Either way, I hope I helped you on making that life-changing decision! Or that at least, I’ve given you enough facts to consider.