Eating healthy can be a little confusing at times, especially with the plethora of diet philosophies floating around. Whether it is the paleo diet, the Atkins diet or the keto diet, these diets can be very discriminatory towards carbohydrates, which, in turn, make them very hard to sustain.
When your body is depleted of carbohydrates, you have very little energy and that is because of the simple fact that your body runs on glucose—carbs—and when you don't eat enough carbohydrates, you become lethargic.
We have been led to believe that the only way to be healthy or thin, which is all the craze nowadays, we must become carbo-phobic. This is not the truth. On a vegan diet—the diet most beneficial for the planet and the human species—you are permitted to eat as many carbs as you like while giving your body the nutrients necessary to sustain itself.
Here are five reasons why everyone should quit that low carb nonsense and go vegan.
1.) You will be helping to improve the environment tremendously.
The Meat and Dairy industry is terrible for the environment. In 2006, the United Nations published a report that revealed the Meat and Dairy industry contributed more greenhouse gas emissions to the environment than the entire transportation sector . Environmental pollution is usually discussed in relation to fossil fuels but methane gas produced by cows is more detrimental to the environment than carbon dioxide. Many organizations have determined that livestock is the leading cause of environmental degradation. Eighty-seven percent the United States' agricultural land is used to raise animals for food.
Family or roommates giving you crap about your long showers? Meat agriculture requires more than half of the water used in the United States. By adopting a plant based/vegan diet you are saving way more water than you ever could by taking five minute showers.
2.) Eating plant based/vegan is the most beneficial diet for your health.
The western diet philosophy that a majority of Americans are brainwashed to believe claims that we need meat and dairy in order develop strong bones and muscles. However, strong bones and muscles does not resemble what the contemporary western world looks like. The United States is one of the fattest countries in the world along with many other western countries. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 610,000 people die of heart disease every year. With seventy percent of Americans on prescription drugs, what other correlation is there to make other than the food we consume on a daily basis?
Many doctors prescribe a vegan diet for their patients who are obese, having high cholesterol, diabetes, or heart disease including Dr. Thomas M. Campbell, medical doctor and one of the authors of the very popular book The China Study. The China Study makes the correlation between nutrition and heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The China Study is definitely worth the read that will dispel all the common myths about nutrition.
3.) You will look amazing.
Speaking from personal experience, my skin has never cleared up faster than when i switched to a vegetarian diet and even faster when I went completely vegan. Once your rid you're body of all the toxins and hormones in meat and dairy your body will thank you for it. There have been many accounts of people who have suffered from chronic acne and eczema becoming completely cured after switching to a vegan diet.
And guess what?! You can be just as lean or built on a vegan diet as any meat-eater out there and there are plenty of vegan athletes to show for that. Many celebrities including Miley Cyrus and Beyonce have coined a vegan diet for their drastic weight loss. However, there are also many bodybuilders and athletes who have revered the vegan diet for providing them with more energy and plenty of muscle gains.
4.) You can still eat delicious food.
Look, I promise that you don't have to eat grass all day as some people are led to believe. I will admit that some alternative meats are straight up suspect but there are many delicious brands to discover when you do your research. Often times, when switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet, it is not the actually meat that you miss but the seasonings or flavor on the meat itself and there are plenty of ways to re-create the taste that you love.
Whatever your favorite food may be, there is always a vegan recipe for it. Love fried chicken? Great, because there are plenty of vegan fried chicken recipes out there for you to try. And you don't have much time to cook don't worry, because there are many vegan brands out there that sell pre-packaged delicious food. Gardein is my favorite vegan brand and is available is most super-markets with tasty selections including chicken tenders, meatballs, black bean burgers, and many more. Granted, you shouldn't be eating this every day but they great for a junk food night with friends, or even alone.
5.) You will save so many precious animals.
No matter how humane your meat is marked to be, there is nothing humane about murder. There are real sentient beings behind the food that you eat, whether you choose to believe it or not. Out of all the excuses to eat meat, the ones that irritate me the most are "Animals were put here for us to eat" or "Animals are going do die anyway, so we might as well eat them."The idea of animals being put on this earth solely for human consumption is the most egotistical thing that I have ever heard. Everything on this planet is going die, that doesn't mean humans get to determine what and who to kill.
Regardless of whether you believe humans are meant consume animals, the fact of the matter is that humans don't HAVE to consume animals. There is no need to take it all the way back to the caveman days because we aren't caveman and our technology has advanced far beyond the need to kill animals for survival.
You have the information and now it is time to take the next step. If you still need a little more convincing I recommend you watch this speech on youtube by Gary Yourofsky.
I also suggest the documentaries Earthings, Forks Over Knives, Cowspiracy, and Vegucated.
