The longer I am vegan, the more ridiculous the notion that eating a plant based diet is any any way whatsoever, restrictive. In contrast, meals that contain animal flesh, eggs, milk, butter, etc., are truly exclusive-meals, because it means there are people who are excluded from eating them. A plant-based meal is an all inclusive meal. Literally everyone can eat it! We are but leaving off of our plates a single item out of thousands of other foods. How it came to be that there is somehow only one "food" that is based upon the flesh and secretions of animals astounds me. My diet now is vastly more widely varied and abundant than it ever has been in my entire life! I'm 53 and have tried more fruits and vegetables in the past 16 months that I simply never thought to try - my plate is alive, colorful, fresh, and interesting. Something I could never say before.
And this statistic:
"Approximately 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, affecting more than 90 percent of adults in some of these communities."
So, instead of the logical conclusion that this should lead to (that we are simply not designed to consume lactose), people opt to take pills so they can continue consuming it (a substance that is quite clearly making people sick, in addition to causing an ungodly amount of unnecessary suffering and death). Why? I don't get it. (And taste is NO excuse, when clearly anything can be made to taste like [milk/cheese/bacon/etc].)
And thoughts about tooth problems...
I am convinced that all of my dental issues - all of the cavities that I had as a child growing up that led to multiple crowns and root canals, and ultimately 2 extractions, are a direct result of the diet upon which I was raised which was very heavy on animal products (in addition to the fluoride treatments and the fluoride toothpaste I used). I stopped eating mammals 28 years ago - and in that time I've had less than 10 cleanings and have had NO new cavities since then. None. (I also stopped using fluoride toothpaste at least 16 yrs ago.) If you follow the acidic/alkaline model of eating, this would make a lot of sense, since meat and dairy are at the top of the acidic foods list.
And on social networks...
I just unfriended someone who posted a photo of their dead chicken meal. In my "old age," I'm simply do not have the tolerance for it anymore. It's SO utterly unappetizing and I don't want that stuff filling up my screen. I mean seriously - I don't tell people what to eat, it's not my style - but no one wants to see that. It's just not pretty. I'm genuinely confused why people think the sight of meat on their plate is something attractive enough to post publicly. (It should be noted that this person was not really much of a friend anyway, but a former college classmate who never interacts with me anyway, so it really wasn't a big deal to dismiss him. He's not a bad person, but the speed at with which I unfriended was rather unprecedented.)
On vegan for health reasons:
I make no apologies for many of the health benefits being a catalyst for my becoming a whole food vegan. There is cancer and heart disease in my family, and quite frankly, I want to be around for my son (my only child) as long as possible. And this focus on the importance of health in becoming vegan was without a doubt integral to my decision to eliminate the alcohol from my diet and life, so there's a double benefit. It just so happens that as I made these decisions, the ethical aspect of veganism came with it and has expanded into other areas of my life. Why on earth would someone want to purchase or wear items made from the skin of an animal when it is completely unnecessary, or consume a product that was tested on animals when it doesn't need to be? All of it is completely and utterly unnecessary. It makes no sense whatsoever.
So, when someone asks me why I am vegan, I say, "Because it makes no logical sense not to be."
And this statistic:
"Approximately 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy.Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in people of East Asian descent, affecting more than 90 percent of adults in some of these communities."
So, instead of the logical conclusion that this should lead to (that we are simply not designed to consume lactose), people opt to take pills so they can continue consuming it (a substance that is quite clearly making people sick, in addition to causing an ungodly amount of unnecessary suffering and death). Why? I don't get it. (And taste is NO excuse, when clearly anything can be made to taste like [milk/cheese/bacon/etc].)
And thoughts about tooth problems...
I am convinced that all of my dental issues - all of the cavities that I had as a child growing up that led to multiple crowns and root canals, and ultimately 2 extractions, are a direct result of the diet upon which I was raised which was very heavy on animal products (in addition to the fluoride treatments and the fluoride toothpaste I used). I stopped eating mammals 28 years ago - and in that time I've had less than 10 cleanings and have had NO new cavities since then. None. (I also stopped using fluoride toothpaste at least 16 yrs ago.) If you follow the acidic/alkaline model of eating, this would make a lot of sense, since meat and dairy are at the top of the acidic foods list.
And on social networks...
I just unfriended someone who posted a photo of their dead chicken meal. In my "old age," I'm simply do not have the tolerance for it anymore. It's SO utterly unappetizing and I don't want that stuff filling up my screen. I mean seriously - I don't tell people what to eat, it's not my style - but no one wants to see that. It's just not pretty. I'm genuinely confused why people think the sight of meat on their plate is something attractive enough to post publicly. (It should be noted that this person was not really much of a friend anyway, but a former college classmate who never interacts with me anyway, so it really wasn't a big deal to dismiss him. He's not a bad person, but the speed at with which I unfriended was rather unprecedented.)
On vegan for health reasons:
I make no apologies for many of the health benefits being a catalyst for my becoming a whole food vegan. There is cancer and heart disease in my family, and quite frankly, I want to be around for my son (my only child) as long as possible. And this focus on the importance of health in becoming vegan was without a doubt integral to my decision to eliminate the alcohol from my diet and life, so there's a double benefit. It just so happens that as I made these decisions, the ethical aspect of veganism came with it and has expanded into other areas of my life. Why on earth would someone want to purchase or wear items made from the skin of an animal when it is completely unnecessary, or consume a product that was tested on animals when it doesn't need to be? All of it is completely and utterly unnecessary. It makes no sense whatsoever.
So, when someone asks me why I am vegan, I say, "Because it makes no logical sense not to be."
