Living Without Eating Chicken Or Cheese? Essay

It has long been believed that animal products are an important element in a healthy diet, but recent discussions have become more common on whether they positively or negatively affect an individual's health. Many have argued that animal products are essential to a healthy life, and make them the staple of their diet. But being Vegan vastly increases your health, decreases your negative impact on the planet, and saves countless innocent animals from a meaningless death.

There are vegetarians all over the world. They just want what most people want: good food and a choice. And some people become vegetarians because of their religion, their culture, and the place they live.

I discovered Veganism on social media, like many others I believe. Because most Teens haven't been vegan all their lives. Most teens don't have vegan parents. They discover veganism themselves and care enough to change.

There has always been a negative remark towards people that choose not to eat meat. I have been a pescartrain, a person that abstains from eating any meat except fish, for three years and most of the time people tend to either assume that I want to lose weight or try to convince me that it is an unhealthy lifestyle. They always say, “you aren 't getting enough protein”, or one of my personal favorites, “so, you only eat salad?”. As absurd as it sounds, I get asked this multiple times either from people I just met and even my family. People often stereotype vegetarians as skinny and extremely fit; however that is not the case. Adapting to non-meat eating lifestyle can be difficult; however there are many benefits. Even though many people assume vegetarians do not get enough protein, becoming a vegetarian can decrease the chances of certain cancers and heart diseases.

Most people have a preference when it comes to food and very few people like every food that if offered to them. Some people believe that eating animals is wrong and prefer become vegetarians. Some people go even further and become vegans who don’t eat any products that come from animals.

I have adopted veganism into my lifestyle because I don’t support the ethics behind the meat, dairy, and egg industries. Whilst already vegetarian for a year, I unintentionally came across a video about veganism that introduced new and persuasive facts that I had no prior knowledge about; I knew immediately that this lifestyle was for me. Unlike vegetarianism, veganism is a lifestyle and what that means is no leather, no feathers, no products that have been tested on animals, no products including animal ingredients, etc.. Those wanting to become vegan should take it slow because then they can discover new recipes and replacements, and it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. The main thing to focus on is trying your best.

According to vegansociety.com, “ Veganism represents a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, other animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, other animals and the environment.“ People that follow this way of living are called vegans. The vegan diet is more a lifestyle choice and a philosophy than just a diet. The vegan life is the best way to live because it’s healthier, helps the environment, and is kinder to animals.

Some people choose a vegetarian diet for ethical and environmental reasons and some choose to be vegetarian because of food safety issues.

More than 150 billion animals are slaughtered each year. “Every year in America, without mercy, we murder 10 billion land animals, and 18 billion marine animals. Not for health, survival, sustenance or self-defense. People eat meat, cheese, milk and eggs for 4 reasons: habit, tradition, convenience, and taste.” (Yourofsky). Making people go vegan for a month or years, can significantly drop the high amount of animal cruelty that happen each day. This can cause an growth in the animal population. It can help animals live a happy life instead of being trap in a slaughterhouse waiting for their

"Going vegan is empowering. In addition to feeling better physically and emotionally, it helps instill confidence," Said Gene Baur founder and CEO of Farm Sanctuary. "There are many things in this world that are outside of our control, but each of us has a lot of power over what we eat. Being mindful and intentional about the way we eat can lead to improvements in other parts of our lives as well."

I would love to say that becoming a vegan was a walk in the park, that the process was overnight and I would wake up as a successful new person. I would have loved to have said all those things but the truth is, it wasn’t that easy. My transition to a non-meat eater was a gradual one. A gradual transition might have been the best for most, but it wasn’t the best for me at all. Instead of having a set out plan, changing

Transitioning into a vegan might be hard at first, but you get used to it and it becomes a healthier living lifestyle.

Sometimes people try new things and in the end, the experience ends up being nothing more than a novelty. Sometimes, the experience can totally change the way you live your life. Sometimes, the effect can be somewhere in the middle. So far, becoming a vegan has leaned more towards the latter.

There are many variations of it, however most people choose not to eat, wear or buy anything that has been made or is an animal product. Some things that a vegan wouldn’t eat or wear would be animal-tested toiletries and make-up, ice-cream as it contains milk and fish as it is an animal. Going vegan can really change someone’s life, depending on many things such as the person’s personal preferences, their fitness levels and their day-to-day lives.

Some would not be able to live without eating any animal products in their diets, such as, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, and honey. For vegans, however, this is a normal way of life. Vegans are frequently misunderstood as either people who have eating disorders, or an unnatural passion for animal rights. It is time for people to realize that veganism, a challenging yet rewarding lifestyle, goes way beyond being skinny or caring for animals. In reality, veganism can be extremely advantageous to anyone who adapts it as a way of life and has many different benefits that come along with it.