I’d like to start off this conversation by explaining the difference between vegetarianism and veganism, as they are often used interchangeably despite the fact that they’re stark in comparison. Vegetarians abstain from eating meat, fish, or poultry. Veganism mandates that you neither use nor ingest anything that was made from the byproducts of animals. This includes, but is not solely limited to eggs, dairy-products, honey, leather, silk, wool, certain cosmetics and soaps made from animals. Neither one is inherently better than the other, as both lifestyle choices are great for the body and the environment.

Vegans in Society

The vegan community, more often than not, gets a bad rap from mainstream culture due to their extremely irregular diet and lifestyle choices. This is due to the fact that vegans feel strongly about their cause -- the cruelty that farmers, manufacturers and consumers inflict upon animals is heartbreaking and upsetting to us. This tends to make us feel the need to spread our truths in rather outspoken ways; rallies, protests, brand-bashing and promoting our agenda are some of the many ways that vegans work to spread their ideas throughout the world.

YouTubers like Freelee the Banana Girl and Emma Blackery use their social media presence to help advocate for the rights of animals who cannot advocate for themselves, and people in the mainstream culture tend to find this as abrasive and off-putting. To some extent, this is true! There's something that needs to be said about those in the vegan community who are extremist in nature, as they tend to bring a negative connotation to joining the vegan community at all.

But, I'm not here to tell you that you're a horrible person because you like to eat meat and dairy. In fact, I'm here to do the exact opposite -- you are a normally socialized human being for eating meat and dairy. While I may not agree with the way that you choose to live, I'm not going to patronize you for doing so.

Yes, I'm a vegan. No, I don't hate you.

Yes, in my opinion, veganism is the way that I think we can help alleviate the issues of our expanding carbon footprint, the cruelty towards and exploitation of animals and the growing numbers of diet-related epidemics. However, people will live how they want to until they make the conscious decision to do their own research.

My own journey into veganism has been full of eye-opening experiences through research into the meat and dairy industries and the assessment of how possible it would be to adopt the lifestyle. And, to tell you the truth, it's quite easy to learn how to be a vegan. You can do it at your own pace, and I have taken the past few months to truly settle into the vegan lifestyle.

I think that the vegan community as a whole should step back from the aggressive, spiteful and angry outcry against those who do not follow in their footsteps in favor of a gentler, appealing approach. While being overtly angry at the world for living in the way that they were socialized to live, there's something that needs to be said about the branding of the lifestyle as a whole.

By branding the vegan community as an accepting, open-arms place for people to come together for a greater cause, we can all work together to learn more about how we can change our lives for the better. By educating people about how the vegan lifestyle can help the planet, the animals and their bodies, they'd be more likely to stop and listen. And, once they listen, that's the first step to teaching them about how life can be different but still sustainable.

For more information, read this article from Health magazine and check out the linked materials and delve into the research yourself. You'll be amazed as to how simple it is to start taking steps toward living a more eco-friendly life.