My Transition to a Plant Based Diet

So my last post sparked a lot of comments of "Wow I didn't know you're vegan" or "Wow, you're vegan, is it contagious?" I kid about the last one but you get my point that a lot of people were surprised to find that out.

I think what took people by surprise is that I don't think I fall into the "stereotype vegan" image. I shower daily, don't wear hemp, don't have dreadlocks and don't hand out pamphlets with pictures of chained up cows and yelling at you to not eat meat (not that anything is wrong with that because that is a legitimate reason to give up animal products). I prefer to take a low key approach and to quietly lead by example. (I got this idea from a really great blog called No Meat Athlete. If you haven't been there already check it out. Lots of good info for vegan/vegetarians and all athletes in general.)

Anyways, one of the first things people ask me is Why? Why did I give up animal products?

There are lots of valid reasons for someone to go vegan. Concerns such as how humane/inhumane factory style ranching is, health reasons, to improve athletic performance, the prevalence of antibiotics and concerns of what is given to the animal before it makes it to your plate. The list goes on and on. For me these reasons weren't convincing to me. I had been raised an omnivore and was taught that "Everything in moderation" is the way to go.

I followed that for the longest time. It wasn't until I met my girlfriend (who is vegan) that I started to accept the idea of a vegan diet. She cooked a lot of really good vegan meals for us. She began sharing some books and literature with me about the benefits of a plant based lifestyle. Many of these books were informative about the meat industry and exactly what happens on ranches and slaughterhouses and to be honest a lot of what I learned happened was appalling. I figured I could adopt a "flexitarian" diet, that is mostly vegetarian with meat some of the time. I thought this would be in keeping with the "everything in moderation" approach. That way I could help reduce animal cruelty and eat a little healthier. For some reason I just couldn't completely buy into an entirely plant-based diet.

It wasn't until I read this:

A recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change. And the U.N. is not alone in its analysis. A staggering 51 percent or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture, according to a report published by the Worldwatch Institute. Researchers at the University of Chicago concluded that switching from a standard American diet to a vegan diet is more effective in the fight against climate change than switching from a standard American car to a hybrid. And a German study conducted in 2008 concluded that a meat-eater’s diet is responsible for more than seven times as much greenhouse-gas emissions as a vegan’s diet is. The verdict is in: If you care about the environment, one of the single most effective things that you can do to save it is to adopt a vegan diet.

that something finally clicked. Not only that but other leading conservation groups such as the Audobon and Sierra club have advocated this idea.

Even if we ignore the greenhouse gases associated with the meat industry, the environmental impacts are staggering. Deforestation in the Amazon is largely attributed to spreading cattle ranches. The prevalence of factory farms (typically used in the United States) can produce as much raw sewage as a large city. This waste then gets washed away into the water supply and leads to massive fish kills. There are so many other adverse effects of the American meat industry that it would be too long to list them all. It was this knowledge that won me over.

I will admit, giving up animal products is a sacrifice. However, it is a sacrifice I was happy to make because I spend so much time in the woods, that I can appreciate the impacts we have on our environment. I've seen cigarette butts, bottles, cans, garbage bags, and other garbage on trails on lands that are meant to stay "wild." When I found such a simple way to reduce the affect I was having on wildlife, it was a no brainer for me. In addition to that, I have found so many benefits of being vegan (which I think will be saved for another post). Even if giving up animal products is out of the question for you, a reduction in the amount you eat and from ethical sources can go a long way to improve the sustainability of the industry.

Further reading:
How Does Meat in the Diet Take an Environmental Toll
The Environmental Impact of Meat