Living La Vegan Loca!

Being vegan does not mean denial. It opens up endless food choices and health benefits through countless alternatives to omnivorous cuisine.

by Rich Lysloff

If you are not already a vegan have you ever wondered if you could become one or what it would be like to be one? Most people think of vegans as hippies or very frail, malnourished people that subsist on carrot sticks and celery. Or that they are whiny people that care more about animals than about people. Or that they are always being negative and judgmental. This is a very broad generalization that is in no way accurate.

Vegans come in all shapes and sizes, many different personalities and temperaments and are as varied as the rest of the population. Some are very into healthy eating and are in top shape while others are overweight and like to indulge in junk food. Some are outspoken about their lifestyle and like to preach about it to everyone they encounter while others are more reserved and are just happy knowing that they don’t participate in the genocide of animals and are content that they don’t ingest foods that will lead them down the road to disease and illness. The one thing that binds them though is their love and caring about the welfare of animals. But it doesn’t just stop at animals. The raising of animals for food which nowadays predominantly takes place on factory farms is the cause of many concerns for vegans. And it should be for everyone who is alive and has an interest in preserving the planet for ourselves and future generations.

Being vegan means that you care about things like global warming, pollution of our waterways and oceans, mass starvation of human kind, animal suffering and slaughter, healthy living, and a host of other issues. These are all tied in with animal agriculture. It is a well known fact by now that the farming of animals releases more greenhouse gasses than all the cars on the road.

Actor James Cromwell, who played a farmer in the Babe, spoke about his participation in the film “From Farm to Fridge” which explores the evils of factory farming. “The film is about the factory farm system, it has a number of images that just devastated me.” He then explained why he chose to narrate the film, “When you see that kind of savagery you want to tear somebody’s eyes out. But we have to be non-violent, so that’s why I do that, that’s what this is”

It also contributes to world-wide starvation in the fact that 90% of the grain that we grow goes to feeding livestock rather than humans. Also when we confine animals on such a great scale they suffer immensely only to be slaughtered at a young age sometimes being killed very inefficiently which causes much pain and suffering to the animals. Then there is the issue of our own health. Most people that eat animal products have much higher cholesterol than vegans leading to higher incidents of heart disease cancer, diabetes and other problems. This then leads to much greater health care costs which we are all becoming more and more burdened with.

People’s dietary habits and customs are so deeply entrenched in their psyche that it is not easy to break free and change. But change we must if we are make this world a better place for ourselves and our children. And it is the refusal to consider change by most people that makes being a vegan in a carnivorous world so unsettling. Consider for a moment what vegans go through. We care so deeply about our animal friends and the other issues mentioned and everyday of our lives we have to watch as billions of animals are killed and consumed right in front of us! Wherever we go we see people buying and eating meat, cheese, dairy etc. and feeding it to their children without a care in the world! It’s no wonder we are always speaking up and trying to “enlighten” people to another way of living. A more compassionate way of living. Not only for the animals…but for humans and for the planet itself.

I have been vegan for six years now. After half a lifetime of eating animals I have changed my ways and could not be happier. Every day I feel so much energy and vigor. I have more stamina than when I was a teen and I have much more mental focus. I feel fit, happy and spiritually healthy without any crazy mood swings or tiredness. I want to extol my new found knowledge to every human that I encounter so that they may feel the same way.

You are what you eat. A plant based diet cuts tremendously cuts the risk of contracting and cardiovascular diseases

Since I became vegan it has become my main passion in life. I want to help animals any way I can and I want to spread the news to other people that this is the way to feeling great and staying young as long as possible. For anyone willing to listen and learn, this could be the most valuable lesson you will ever be taught.

Why not keep an open ear and an open mind and listen to what a vegan has to say? It will change your life, my life and the lives of countless animals. And did I mention the food? Vegan food nowadays has come a long way. Gone are the days of only eating Tofu and brown rice and beans (although these are excellent options!).

Nowadays vegans have such a wide and varied choice of what they eat. More and more restaurants are catering to them and many new companies are popping up everyday offering vegan substitutes and products that are mouthwatering and healthy alternatives to meat, cheese and dairy products. It opens you up to a whole new world of fabulous culinary options and creates new ways of thinking about food. The produce section and the farmers markets become your favorite places to shop and you relearn how to cook and prepare healthy cruelty free fare that has a much smaller carbon footprint and leaves your body in a more healthy alkaline state rather than the acidic state that eating animal products does to your body. And the best part is that in your mind you know you are not harming another living being in your quest for nourishment. That alone is worth the change. Vegans do sleep better at night… trust me.