Making moral decisions in our consumption, activities, and entertainment. Collectively, in a consumer-driven society, our individual decisions can effect greater change for animals and the environment than legislation can.
“By eating meat we share the responsibility of climate change, the destruction of our forests, and the poisoning of our air and water. The simple act of becoming a vegetarian will make a difference in the health of our planet.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh
One of the best ways to help end animal suffering is to adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet. Reducing the demand for animal products by not purchasing them helps limit the number of animals grown for the sole purpose of being killed in factories farms and slaughterhouses.
The United Kingdom is involved for the annual farming and killing of about 1 billion animals for human consumption; this number does not even account for fish and marine animals. Most of these animals will have come from what is known as a "factory farm," where they were kept in extremely crowded conditions.
All too often, animals on industrial farms are confined in barren, windowless sheds where they are denied access to natural elements like sunlight, grass, and fresh air. Diseases spread easily in these environments, and people are more likely to get hurt as a result of the high levels of stress they produce. In the interest of mass-producing meat and dairy products at low cost, many of their natural instincts and demands are suppressed. As a result, many farm animals will perish before ever reaching the slaughterhouse, and the rest face a painful and unnatural end.
What is veganism?
Veganism is the practise of avoiding all forms of animal products and byproducts in one's diet. Reduced animal suffering is one goal of veganism, which advocates for a diet free of all animal products.
This is more than just what you eat; it's a way of life. Meat, eggs, and dairy products are all eliminated from vegan diets in favour of plant-based options. Cotton, linen, and imitation leather are examples of plant-based fabrics that can be worn by vegans in place of wool from sheep and leather from cows, lambs, or other animal skins.
A perfect diet or lifestyle doesn't exist, and veganism is no exception. Commodity crops such as corn, sugar, and coffee can exploit workers and damage ecosystems if not farmed responsibly. Vegans try to live as kindly as possible.
Benefits of a plant-based diet
Animals have an important, yet often invisible, impact on our lives. The businesses that practise industrial agriculture are experts at covering up the horrific conditions in which their animals are kept. It's a common misconception that people wouldn't be able to stomach meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal products if they knew where they originated from. The unethical and hazardous conditions in which animals are raised and subjected, however, are becoming more widely known because to activities like undercover investigations and awareness campaigns.
Choosing vegan, plant-based foods over animal products is the most compassionate and consequential decision you can make for animals, your health, and the planet.
Here a few reasons to go vegan for your health:
Keep away from the Toxicity
Meat eating is associated with a wide range of health hazards, from carcinogens linked to cancer to chlorine residues on chicken carcasses used to eliminate pathogens like salmonella and listeria. Particularly fish can have worryingly high concentrations of harmful substances. Chemicals including dioxins and methylmercury have been detected in farmed salmon. Dangerous substances, such as persistent organic pollutants, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other compounds, have been found in fish taken in the wild and farmed for human consumption.
Eliminating these and other meat products from your diet will help you live a healthier, more sustainable plant-based lifestyle and reduce your exposure to harmful toxins.
Get the nutrients your skin craves so it can radiate.
It's been said many times before, but it bears repeating: your skin is your body's largest organ. Just like the rest of your body, it needs internal care to stay healthy. Antioxidant-rich foods help neutralise skin-damaging free radicals, allowing the skin to repair itself, maintain a healthy oil/water balance, and look radiant. Antioxidants, which are unfortunately scarce in animal products, are abundant in plant-based diets such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. In addition to being gentler on your skin, your entire body will benefit from the reduced stress caused by eating more plant-based foods.
Natural Hormone Balance
Research is showing that a vegan diet can support a healthy, balanced hormone system, which is crucial because hormones serve to regulate the body's internal processes. Comparing a vegan dinner to a meat-heavy meal, it was observed that gastrointestinal hormones that aid in weight regulation, blood sugar control, and satiety were all higher after the former. Normal hormone levels may also aid in the fight against excess weight and type 2 diabetes.
Let's not forget that, in addition to our health, one of our top priorities, a plant-based diet has the added benefits of bettering the environment, reducing our health risks, and reduce the dependence on our animal consumption.
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