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| WHY |
| GO |
| VEGAN? |
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| Soymilk, soymilk, yummy-yummy SOYMILK !! I actually like it better than cow's milk....better for you, too! |
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| (or, how a "dedicated carnivore" decided to stop poisoning her body and the world she lives in.) |
| YOU'RE TOO SMART TO EAT MEAT !! |
| ??If you would have asked me (not too long ago) if I would ever consider going vegan, the answer would have been an emphatic "no". The majority of vegans I had encountered in my lifetime were either zealots who lectured me if I swatted a housefly, or modern-day "hippies", whose following of veganism would end as soon as they grew tired of their Madison Avenue tie-dyes and $200 sandals. I knew veganism was better for animals, but could it be healthy? Besides, I enjoyed eating meat, eggs, and dairy-they taste good! Sure, I knew how they got to my plate, but I conveniently "forgot" as I enjoyed my steaks. My fiancee, Maxx, was a vegetarian at the time but, kind soul that he is, never lectured, and let me eat in peace. Then we had a son. I started re-educating myself on nutrition. After all, this hungry mouth we were in charge of feeding deserved the best and healthiest foods we could give him. I became vegetarian myself, and after learning that not only do babies not need meat, but that the majority don' t even like it, I had no qualms about us raising him vegetarian as well. I still drank animal milk and ate eggs, though. Then I kept learning. The image of content, cared for cows and hens sharing their bounty with us is gone, replaced by one of intensely cruel treatment, unsanitary conditions, and an overall disregard for life, animal and human. The farm has been replaced by an animal factory (where 90% of our animal products come from), animals are now machines. Oiled with anti-biotics (to counter the diseases spread by intense over crowding) and growth hormones (to make them gain weight and produce more, well beyond their natural limits, leading to organ failure, crippling arthritis, and many other unnatural physical maladies), these animals are cogs in the machine-no more, no less. Did you know that livestock aren't covered under the Animal Welfare Act? That means that workers can, and do, treat the animals any way they damn well like, with slaughtering them being possibly "kindest" of all. Can't produce milk (usually due to overuse)? You're dead. Got male chicks, therefore non-egg producers? Throw 'em away (dead or alive). Driven mad by over crowding and worker abuse? Beat 'em to death. Don't think the workers have it easy, either. Did you know that the animal industry (including fast food) is home to some of the most dangerous, worst jobs in America? Unsafe, inadequate working conditions, extremely low pay, and general disregard for worker health, happiness, and training. This is the norm, not the exeption. Nobody is winning here, except for maybe the owners and stockholders. But is the meat produced by these animal factories at least safe? Hardly. Turn on the evening news, pick up a local paper...e.coli, salmonella, parasitic infection, meat recalls, it's all there. Could we get Mad Cow disease over here? How would we know? The USDA doesn't even regularly test for it!! But we need cows milk-does a body good right? No, and no! The only milk we need as humans is mothers milk. Milk isn't even nutritionally good for us ! WE HAVE BEEN LIED TO!! OK, but what's so bad about eggs? The fact is, birds in the poultry business are treated the worst of all. Confined in incredibly large numbers in extremely small cages, insanity, disease and self-mutilation are the order of the day. Driven violent, they start pecking at each other. Are they put in bigger cages? No, they have their beaks cut off. What is a vegan, exactly? A vegan is someone who doesn't eat meat (beef, fish, poultry, etc.), dairy, or eggs, and any of their by products, as well as not using animal textiles and products tested on/ containing animals or animal by-products. Is veganism healthy, though? Can I get enough protein/vitamins/food? It certainly can be !! A well-researched, well planned vegan diet is possibly the best diet for humans. Don't just take my word for it.....many Doctors say so as well !! Not witch doctors, or "spiritually healing" doctors, but real MDs. Many vegan foods are fortified, and dont forget about supplements. As far as veganism limiting your food choices, I've found quite the opposite to be true!! Is veganism safe for babies and children? Yes!!! A well-balanced vegan diet is medically approved as being very healthy for growing minds and bodies. Isn't it hard/ expensive to go vegan? I'll be the first to admit, the prospect of veganism was extremely daunting. When you start reading labels, it seems like everything has some sort of animal product in it ! I swear though, once you get the basics (easily) down, it's pretty much smooth sailing from there. There are also more prepared vegan foods than ever before, making it even easier (especially if you have a life outside of veganism). As far as being more expensive goes, watch the prepared foods I just mentioned (veggie meats, faux cheeses and the like). While surprisingly quite yummy, these can really take a toll on your wallet if you go overboard. The more people buy them, however, the more production costs will go down, translating into less expense for you. One person can go healthfully vegan for less than $100.00 a month! You can be vegan on a budget !!! Did going vegan change my life? In some ways, yes-I feel better, both physically and spiritually. I pay more attention to what goes in my body, what I'm feeding people, and their consequences. I don't feel like a hypocrite anymore, professing kindness to animals, while supporting the cruelest tretment of animals on the planet. Look, I'm not trying to tell you what you eat is wrong, or the way you live is evil. I just want you to look into what's out there, read what I've read, see what I've seen-and go from there. Check out the links page for more information. Do it for youself, and those who love you. Kelly |
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