12 Great Reasons To Go Vegan NOW

On the fence about veganism? Here are some great reasons to go vegan, now!

By Diane Small

Veganism used to be the realm of hippies and Hindus, but today, it’s taking over the world. There are lots of great reasons to go vegan, besides just loving animals. And so from California to Calcutta, people are shunning meat for health, environmental, economic and ethical motivations.

If you’re still not convinced,  we’ve come up with 12 great reasons to go vegan right now. Check them out – you only need one good reason to change your lifestyle. And there’s no better time to start improving your health and increasing animal welfare than the present!

If you’re already vegan, why not share this article with someone who’s not? It may be just the nudge they need…

12 Great Reasons To Go Vegan NOW

1. You’ll live longer

One of the biggest reasons to go vegan now is simply to boost your own health! Plenty of studies have shown that vegans are less likely to develop the main killer diseases in the West: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Despite what many people believe, vegans can get  all the nutrients that they need to be healthy from their diet, including protein, fiber, and minerals. And they can do that without ingesting all the nasty stuff that meat has, like hormones, antibiotics and the bad kinds of saturated fat.

Even if you go vegan one day a week, you’ll make an impact on your health – and the environment.

2. You’ll get slimmer (maybe)

Beyonce said even after going on some crazy diets (cayenne pepper and maple water, anyone?) she still couldn’t lose weight. Until she went vegan, that is!

Vegans are, on average, up to 20 pounds lighter than carnivores. Just be careful: some people think going vegan is all about breads, rice, pasta, nut loafs, vegan chocolates and vegan ‘cheesecakes’.

Sure, they’re all super tasty, but be sure to watch the carbs and calories, and also ensure you’re getting lots of vegan proteins like tofu, hemp protein powder or quinoa.

Pam Anderson for PETA

3. It’s WAY better for the planet

Another of the great reasons to go vegan now is to save our planet!

One of our favourite movies, Cowspiracy, shows that eating meat and wearing leather is not green. These activities are actually wasteful and cause enormous amounts of pollution. If you care about the planet, know this: adopting a vegan diet is more even more effective than switching to a “greener” car in the fight against climate change!

In fact, it’s one of the best things you can do to save the planet, full stop.

4. You’ll save the animals!

This one may seem to be the most obvious of all the great reasons to go vegan. But did you know that each vegan saves the lives of more than 100 animals a year? Whoa, right?

Some may argue that ‘if the animals are treated with kindness, then it’s ok.’ But this is simply not the case – as anyone who has witness the slaughter of even grass-fed animals knows, these guys do not want to die! And it’s just not justifiable to kill a sentient, emotional being that doesn’t want to die, just so you can enjoy a hamburger with bacon. Not our bodies, not our choices, folks.

But remember: even organic dairy and eggs are still mass produced in a cruel manner. Calves are still ripped away from their mothers, and hens are kept in crowded conditions, they’re just fed organic feed. Watch the video below to see proof.

There is simply no easier way to help animals and prevent their infinite suffering than by choosing vegan foods over meat, eggs, and dairy products.

5. It’s yummy and easy

This is perhaps one of the lesser thought of reasons to go vegan now. Veganism is definitely more mainstream these days, and dairy-product alternatives are so common that even Starbucks has loads of plant based milks.

Pizzerias are offering vegan cheese pizzas, and there are plant based burgers that taste like the real thing. Can’t find these in your town? Never fear! Many bloggers like Madeline Shaw, Deliciously Ella and even PETA have great recipes you can try cooking yourself.

But here’s a caveat: don’t be fooled by so-called synthetic meats. They’re super unhealthy, and aren’t even strictly vegan, either. Go for a lentil burger instead!

12 Great Reasons To Go Vegan NOW

6. Meat is actually pretty disgusting

Meat is often contaminated  with feces, blood, and other bodily fluids. No wonder  animal products account for the top source of food poisoning in the United States!

And by ‘meat’, we’re not just talking beef here. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tested supermarket chickens and found that 96 percent of  Tyson chicken  was contaminated with campylobacter, a dangerous bacterium that causes 2.4 million cases of food poisoning each year, resulting in diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever. Ewww!

 

7. Dairy is incredibly cruel

According to Elise Desaulniers, author of Cash Cow: Ten Myths about the Dairy Industry, milk and cheese are full of hormones, antibiotics and even organic dairy will have pus and blood in it! Yuk!

Plus, many people are allergic to lactose and will experience gas, bloating and tummy aches after eating dairy. Milk products also encourage the production of mucous in our bodies, which is kind of gross, right? And despite what cheese lovers may tell you, dairy is NOT the best way to get calcium in your diet. Leafy greens, almonds, broccoli and non-GMO soya products like soy yogurt are a great way to get this mineral.

Last, but not least: obviously, a cow needs to have a baby to lactate. And did you know that calfs are immediately taken away from their moms? Just so we can steal the milk that was meant for them? This is true not only in industrial farms, but small, ‘eco friendly’ farms where cows are ‘grass fed’. The result? Both moms and babies cry out for each other. For days. Weeks. Some cows become so depressed, they have to be force fed. And those babies? If they’re male, they’re usually slaughtered before they’ve had time to grow into young adults. It’s called ‘veal’.

Yes, dairy is just as cruel as meat. Sorry, vegetarianism just doesn’t cut it.

8. Vegan fashion is getting way cooler

Another of the great reasons to go vegan is that you’ll look cool!

Call it the ‘Stella effect.’ Since Ms McCartney demonstrated beyond a doubt that vegan fashion can be super stylish, loads of designers have followed.

Today, top brands like Beyond Skin, Freedom of Animals, and Sydney Brown are matching and surpassing the looks of mainstream designers who insist on cruel fashion.

9. You’ll help end hunger

According to PETA and Cowspiracy both, eating meat doesn’t just hurt animals–it hurts people, too. It takes tons of crops and water to raise farmed animals. In fact, it takes up to 13 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of animal flesh!

All that plant food could be used much more efficiently if it were fed directly to people. The more people who go vegan,  the better able we’ll be to feed the world. Is there a greater reason to go vegan than that?

Oh, and btw: when carnivores try to argue with vegans that ‘plants have feelings too’…well, that might be true. But given the stats above, vegans actually harm far fewer plants than meat eaters. So, there!

cowspiracy facts

10. You’ll save loads of money

One of the core reasons to go vegan now for many is, unfortunately, because they’re broke, and frankly, meat and cheese are always the most expensive things in the average person’s shopping basket. By swapping to vegan proteins, you’ll be saving a packet!

I mean seriously – how cheap are beans lentils and peanuts? Buy them in bulk and they’re practically free – plus you’ll avoid packaging waste!

 

11. You’re in good company

Who’s gone vegan? More like: who hasn’t gone vegan?!  Joaquin Phoenix, Natalie Portman, Ariana Grande, Al Gore, Flo Rida, Tobey Maguire, Shania Twain, Alicia Silverstone, Anthony Kiedis, Casey Affleck, Kristen Bell, Alyssa Milano, Common, Joss Stone, Anne Hathaway, Dave Navarro, Miley Cyrus and Carrie Underwood are just few of some of the hottest, high profile vegans we know about.

See our 15 sexiest vegan men here, if you need more motivation!

 

12. It’s not a religion

If you go out with friends one night and they all order a pizza to share, and that mozzarella looks really tasty right now…well, eat it.

Despite what some militant vegans might say, going vegan doesn’t mean if you have a pair of leather boots or eat a piece of cake that was made with eggs you’re going straight to vegan hell.

The idea is to try to do the best you can, and to remember that every little change helps not only you and the animals, but the planet on the whole too.

Spinach pizza

Last image: Wikicommons

Diane Small
RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Reddit

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Reddit
Scroll to Top