I did not go vegan because I've been brainwashed by PETA, I strongly dislike PETA.

That's an angry blog post for another day.

I did not go vegan because I believe killing animals is inherently wrong, but the way we do it is wrong.

Eating animals is part of our evolutionary story as humans. We needed meat to survive winters or droughts where plants were not readily available. Hunting animals from their natural habitat out of necessity is moral and natural. Destroying an ecosystem to create a monoculture of farmed animals so that the western world can eat animal products at every meal is immoral.With the advances in farming today, eating meat is not required for survival. In fact, animal products are linked to 14 of the 15 leading causes of death in America, yet we continue to shovel in all the meat we can for fear of protein deficiency. If it is not necessary to eat animals, we are killing for taste and convenience alone. Would you be okay with eating dolphin, giraffe, or horses?

Why is it okay to eat cows, chickens, and pigs while loving and caring for the family cat or dog?

I did not go vegan to save the Earth, I went vegan for the people on it.

Did you know that if we redirected all the grain fed to livestock, and used it to feed starving humans, we could eradicate world hunger? Think about how much a cow eats during its life, only to produce meat to be eaten by few. Taking out the middle man means more food for those who need it. In response to agriculture's impact on climate change, the Earth does not need saving. Humans are the ones in trouble.

Nearly half of all water use in the United States is due to raising livestock. Maybe if California wasn't so busy farming the world's happiest cows they wouldn't have as many drought issues. While it takes about 2,400 gallons of water to make one pound of meat, it only takes 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat. This is because 16 pounds of grain is required to yield one pound of meat. Wouldn't it make more sense to just eat the grain?

You could save more water by refusing to eat 1 lb. of meat than refusing to shower for 6 months. Let that sink in.

I went vegan for the people, but I stay vegan for even more. For my health, and for animals who are killed unnecessarily.

I am tired of being looked upon as if this was an emotional decision rather than a practical one. And even if it were, when is a compassionate decision a bad one? I have read the books, watched the documentaries, and seen the data. A whole foods plant-based diet is what I believe to be the healthiest for my own body and everything around me.

Yet I have never felt more misunderstood than I do since going vegan. I constantly read jokes and watch videos making fun of the vegan lifestyle. Never once have I looked across the table and told someone I'm sharing a meal with that their hamburger looks disgusting, but others don't hesitate to make comments about how boring my salad must be. Eating in front of people makes me somewhat anxious because I'm always afraid of comments and/or accusations that will be made.

Contrary to popular belief, I don't jump on the chance to tell everyone I'm vegan. My Instagram and facebook show it, but it's not something I work into every conversation purposefully. In a situation where food is present (which is often) I almost always have to say no, then spurs the questions of why and then the questions about veganism and so on. My biggest fear is to scare people away from plant-based eating. I am desperate to spread the joy that this lifestyle brings, but often I feel as if I'll be judged for it right away.

I honestly believe that everyone is born with a vegan mentality. What I mean by that is that everyone cringes when they see suffering, everyone has a soft spot for cute animals. So many kids go through a period where they refuse to eat meat after finding out it used to be a sweet, living animal with a personality. We wouldn't kill something unless we thought it would be of use. We have been socially conditioned to believe that our way of eating animals is normal and necessary, so we have made excuses for a broken system.

My goal is not to demonize farmers. for the ones that I have met are some of the biggest animal lovers out there. They are knowledgeable about their animals and they care for them. Many believe that the farmer's life is what God called them to, and I would never challenge that. I also think our system needs a lot of revision, as do our consumption habits.

Do I believe that the world will go vegan? Maybe in a galaxy far, far away, haha. I simply believe we can do better. I believe we could eat meat once a month, instead of three times a day. I believe that we can get our meat from functional ecosystems that have a positive impact on the environment rather than a negative one. What's happening in the world now is not the circle of life, its cruelty, and I simply believe it has to stop.