You don’t need to launch any investigations to know that veganism is an eating movement that has really begun to take hold over the last decade in Australia. And while there will always be those protesting the essential need for meat and a ‘protein-rich’ diet, there are now plenty of very healthy-looking (and performing) athletes such as Serena Williams, Mike Tyson and former Mr Universe Barnabas du Plessis putting paid to that old theory.
But apart from it being somewhat of a trend, there are many proven reasons why a switch to an all-plant based diet could be the life-altering change you’re seeking.
Weight loss
First up are the potential weight-loss benefits. If you’re still feeling the effects of the summer holiday binge then it’s worth noting that those following a vegan diet were found to lose comparatively more weight than those who ate mainly meat or even a mix of both.
Not to push the point too hard – when your belt is feeling a little tight – veganism has been shown to reduce obesity. And if you look at Australia’s statistics on how many of us are carrying a few too many kilos these days, this can only be a step in the right direction.
Disease prevention
Add this to the other health benefits of veganism found in various studies: a reduction in the risk of both diabetes and heart disease, two of the biggest killers down under, an ease in the symptoms of arthritis and you have yourself a very health-conscious reason for giving vegetables a chance.
The other part of the equation is: veganism is good for the environment. Agriculture is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and the unhealthy levels already occurring are only set to increase, according to current projections. But it’s more than just gas emissions, chicken farms produce horrific amounts of waste and pollution and agriculture is the world’s largest polluter. It’s not an overestimation to say that if meat production ceased, the global warming fear would cease to exist.
Ethics & Environment
Then, of course, comes the ethical question. Is the suffering of animals even palatable in 2018 when meat substitutes are both prevalent and tasty. Food trends have also changed enormously. Everyone is a foodie these days. MasterChef saw to that. But the upside is people have a greater appreciation of ingredients, variety and taste. This is great news for vegans because it’s the lack of food choices and options which has been so preventative (for people making the switch) in the past.
Sam from Raw Passion explains, “the vegan food scene has exploded in the last few years. Not just the amount of vegans but the number of food outlets and businesses that cater for their needs. As a supplier of vegan cakes, we’ve certainly noticed an increase but, most importantly, as a vegan eater, I’ve got more choices on where to go. Whatever your reason for going vegan, even if part time, the upside includes both ethics and health benefits.”
Australians are famous meat eaters. We love BBQs, sausage sizzles, hot chicken, roast dinners, burgers, burgers and oh, did I mention burgers? But, fortunately, there are now a number of very likeable meat substitute food outlets including the Plant Based Burger Co.
It’s quite common for new vegans, or those in transition, to start finding substitute food groups to help make it easy to ‘crossover’. This is especially true with coffee. Soy milk sales have grown exponentially in the last few years – mainly as a reaction to dairy farming practices – with a lot of meat eaters now preferring soy milk.
Here’s a fun fact
Eating vegetables makes you smell better. A recent study compared the sweat of individuals whose diet mainly consisted of fruit and vegetables compared to regular meat eaters and it was deemed by both sexes to smell more attractive!
Give Veganism a go
Be kind, healthier, look good, smell better… do you really need another reason to give Veganism a go?