Would A Vegan Lifestyle Suit You?

So what is a vegan and why go vegan? What are the benefits of a vegan lifestyle?

A vegan is someone who does not consume any animal products, meaning they do not buy or use any products which have inflicted any harm onto animals (e.g. testing for cosmetics and producing food and clothes).

We hear a lot about the greenhouse gases produced by transportation, but did you know that a staggering 51 percent or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture.

18% of greenhouse gases are caused by dairy and meat-producing animals themselves in the methane they produce as a bi-product of metabolism; methane being three-times more dangerous to the atmosphere than carbon. (Report published by the Worldwatch Institute). 

A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the effects of climate change.

Have you considered how you get your daily pint of milk? The truth behind your milk carton is shocking.

A cow produces milk when it is expecting a calf, in the same way as a human produces milk for a baby.

After birth, the calf stays with its mother for a few days to stimulate milk production and is then taken away from its mother. The mother cow is then milked artificially by the farmer and the milk sold for human consumption.

Can you even imagine the emotions you would feel when having your child taken away from you?

Humans are the only species which drink milk from another species, mainly because we are able to digest it well into adulthood. But just because we can doesn’t mean that we should when the way in which we acquire the milk is so damaging to the animal and the environment.

The benefits of a vegan diet are endless; however, the main benefit is on your health and sense of wellbeing. Stopping eating animal protein can boost energy levels, clear the skin and improve digestion dramatically, although the benefits vary from person to person.

Becoming vegan takes commitment but there are places in Beverley and beyond where you can eat as a vegan and shops which sell vegan-friendly goods. Give it a try, it will change your life. And help make the world a better place.

Sarah Clayton runs SaRaw's Food which can be booked for catering at events, sells food as an independent stall-holder and t-shirts to promote a vegan lifestyle.

Sarah can be contacted through her Facebook page - Sarah Clayton (SaRaw’s Food).

Read this article in our magazine.