Sunday, February 26, 2017

Veganism

 Veganism is becoming more of a popular topic and lifestyle as time goes on. Not only is it likely one of the strictest diets, but also one most beneficial to your health. "Those who follow a plant-based diet are found to have lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancers, type-2 diabetes and insulin resistance" (Palmer).
 Surprisingly, not consuming any type of animal product isn't the only hard thing about being vegan, but the social side of it too. When going out to eat with non-vegan people or any other social event, you can expect some form of criticism. "When people get super self-conscious about eating around you because they worry you'll judge them, when really you just want to quietly eat kale alongside them." (Moore). Not only do you have to pick your food wisely, but you have to deal with what anyone around you will likely say, usually in a negative context.
 A big part of being vegan is the toll it could likely take on your love life. Dates (first's especially) are almost always centered around food, so if your date is not vegan, you'll often have issues finding places suited for both appetites. Unless you have a large budget and don't mind the hassle of your clashing diets, the relationship would be harder to maintain compared to two people of the same diet. A woman who's been vegan almost her whole adult life experienced this first hand: "When I told him (boyfriend) I was considering making a switch to veganism, his response was blunt: 'If you do, I will break up with you.'" (Eisenberg). Even if you managed to get through the first date and the relationship progressed, maintaining the conflicting diets won't become easier. Cooking meals together and buying groceries will always be an issue, no matter how flexible you both are.
 Personally, I think if you can maintain a vegan diet, then you should go for it, considering all of the health benefits and not to mention how eco-friendly it is. Although there are some social issues you will likely face, it's not the end of the world and I'd say it's worth it.

Palmer, Ilissa M. "The Statistics of Vegetarians Vs. Meat-Eaters." LIVESTRONG.COM. Leaf Group, 12  June 2015. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

Moore, Lane. "14 Problems Only Vegans Understand." Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan, 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

Eisenberg, Zoe. "3 Strange Social Challenges I've Encountered Being Vegan." The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 16 Sept. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

5 comments:

  1. Veganism is so interesting to me! I think a big reason lots of people go vegan is to take a stand against animal rights (there are some horrifying facts and documentaries about what goes on with our meats, etc) and to stay away from all the unnatural chemicals, pesticides, fats, added hormones, etc in order to be healthier. As for the criticism, I just don't understand why people need to bash veganism so much. If you like meat, dairy etc, eat it! If other people wish to refrain from doing so because they believe in what they are doing, respect it!

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  2. Veganism is an interesting health diet. I personally think it takes serious discipline not to eat any meat at all. I honestly wouldn't be able to be a vegan because I love ribs and steak too much. Although there is some good beneficial health results you mention, I'm proudly a carnivore. A+ Good blog :)

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  3. its very interesting that people are starting to become a vegan, at some point i would like to try their types of foods they eat and what other things they do to keep their health good, i wouldn't do it everyday because i like tacos and other things with meat in it but other then that this blog is very good.

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  4. I think Veganism would be an incredibly hard lifestyle to live because of society and just health too. I know many people that eat vegan that have experienced situations where people are rude and disrespectful to their choice to be vegan. I don't understand why people feel the need to say something about what someone eats, its their way of life. I personally am not vegan but I do sometimes choose the vegan option because it is a healthy alternative. I think if your happy and healthy you are eating the way you should no matter what it is.

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  5. Being vegan seems to be a lifestyle that is becoming more common. Even though it can be looked down a upon by others, I think people should be able to eat however they want. Especially since there has been multiple studies that show supporting a vegan lifestyle has numerous health and environmental benefits. I think its important to look at what food you put in your body and notice what the ingredients are. With certain animal products they have hormones and pesticides that go inside the meats, which people should stray away from. Whether or not you are supporting a vegan lifestyle, the most important thing to remember is to watch out for the ingredients you re putting into your body.

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