(Is getting fit and healthy on top of your new year resolution list this year? Then look no further, because we’re giving you the lowdown on all things veganism. From why going vegan is the better choice to its many health benefits and how you can give it a try this Januar—Veganuary.
Key Takeaways:- Discover what veganuary promotes and how you can participate
- Understand the personal and sustainable benefits of going vegan
Veganuary is a non-profit organisation that endorses going vegan for the month of January and hopefully, beyond. During its campaign in 2021, the organisation claims that more than 500,000 people took up their pledge to try a vegan diet, while more than 825 new vegan products and menu options were launched in their key campaign countries. When you sign up for their pledge, look forward to nutrition guides, easy meal plans, a celebrity cookbook and daily coaching emails to help you during your vegan trial period.
The doctrine of veganism is simple; it rejects all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, with regards to food, fashion or any other purpose.
When it comes to food, vegans exclude meat, eggs, all forms of dairy, and anything animal-derived. Otherwise known as adopting a plant-based diet, medical research has shown that vegans benefit from aided weight loss, reduced risk of heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, along with high fibre, calcium and protein than an omnivorous diet.
The sustainable veganA comprehensive study by Science magazine claims that adopting a vegan or plant-based diet could be our best chance at saving the planet. Researchers have found that excluding meat and dairy from our diets could potentially reduce a single person’s carbon footprint from food by 73%.
In fact, if the whole world stopped consuming meat and dairy, the study found that global farmland use could be reduced by 75% — an area that’s the equivalent of the US, China, Australia and the EU combined.
Not only would this result in a significant drop in carbon emissions, but it would also save wild land lost to agriculture, which happens to be one of the main causes of wildlife extinction.
Making significant changes to your diet can be hard, which is why we recommend approaching veganism in small steps. It’s not so much about banning meat, but more about upping your vegetable intake. The key to successfully adopting a vegan diet is focusing on adding more plants to your plate during every meal — think legumes, beans, nuts, seeds and peas.
They say it takes about 21 days to form a habit. So if you were to give veganism a go today — even if you don’t manage to fully convert to the lifestyle — there’s a very good chance that you may have a different perspective on mindful eating, animal cruelty and a sustainable diet, altogether.
Published by: Vibhuti Vazirani/ 2022-01-13