World Vegan Day - Why plants are the way to a healthier and happier life
SO WHAT EXACTLY IS MEANT BY THE TERM VEGAN?
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet. An individual who follows the diet and/or philosophy is known as a vegan. Distinctions may be made between several categories of veganism. Dietary vegans, also known as "strict vegetarians", refrain from consuming meat, eggs, dairy products, and any other animal-derived substances. An ethical vegan is someone who not only follows a plant-based diet but extends the philosophy into other areas of their lives, opposes the use of animals for any purpose, and tries to avoid any cruelty and exploitation of all animals including humans. Another term is "environmental veganism", which refers to the avoidance of animal products on the premise that the industrial farming of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable.
THE ANIMALS
So, let’s start off with section most people relate veganism to…. We’re going to be real in here and exploit what goes on behind the scenes. If you haven’t already seen documentaries such as ‘Seaspiracy’, ‘Earthlings’, ‘Game Changers’ and many others, here’s an insight to darker side of the agriculture industry...
MILK
· Cows are impregnated every year so that they continuously supply milk. Then the calf is taken away from the mother within 48 hours of birth.
· Many male calves are shot at birth, and others may be reared for veal or low-grade beef.
· Once the mother has milked until ‘spent’, she will then be sent to slaughter. In a natural setting, cows would suckle from their mothers, and milking by humans would be completely unnecessary.
· By producing a glass of milk, it results in almost three times the greenhouse gas emissions of any non-dairy milks.
MEAT
· It’s estimated 70 billion cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and other sentient land-based animals are killed by the global farming industry. Not to mention the countless aquatic animals.
· Meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gases from food production – at least twice as much pollution compared to the plant-based food production.
· The pain and suffering of these animals no doubt creates higher hormonal imbalances, as well as intentional ejection of hormones into the animal, resulting in passing through food into the human body when ingested. *Research limited on this area, but possible findings are exhibited.
TREES/LAND
· The tropics lost 11.9 million hectares of tree cover in 2019 according to data from the University of Maryland. Nearly a third of that loss happened within humid tropical primarily forests and areas of rainforest that are especially important for biodiversity and carbon storage. That’s the equivalent of losing a football pitch of primary forest every 6 seconds for the entire year!!
· Plants have no central nervous system, nerve endings, or brains. In other words, plants possess none of the receptors with which sentient beings experience pain. But we do know that animals feel pain, and that is a key reason to be vegan.
FISH/MARINE LIFE
· More than 640,000 tonnes of nets, lines, pots and traps used in commercial fishing are dumped and discarded in the sea every year, the same weight as 55,000 double-decker buses. This equates to more than 650,000 marine animals, including dolphins, whales, seals and turtles getting killed or injured each year.
EGGS
· Free range isn’t all the hype…. Although not kept in cages, most free-range hens are housed in crowded sheds with thousands of birds. It’s said that the equivalent of a size of a tabloid newspaper is enough for one hen to be classed as “free-ranged”.
· The high egg production leaches calcium from the hen’s bones, leaving her susceptible to broken legs and wings – their environments manipulated to ensure they lay as many eggs as possible....
· The tips of the hens’ beaks are still painfully removed when they are just one day old.
· Male chicks are still killed at birth because they are useless to the egg industry.
· Hens still end up in the slaughterhouse when they’re worn out; usually at just 18 months.
PLANT-BASED NUTRITION
At rise, we take a very holistic approach to the health & wellness industry. This means utilising our three main pillars: movement, nutrition, and well-being, into a healthy sustainable life to create balance for each individual and towards benefiting the planet as well.
Now, let’s move onto the bodily systems and how the food we eat, effects our daily lives.
THE GUT
Starting with our digestive system – the gut! Having a diverse diet rich in fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, pulses, and grains, allows our microbiome to thrive and be as happy as possible. Lots of research is now coming out showing how a healthy microbiome has a profound impact on our mental and physical health and that aiming to eat at least 30 different plants per week could be the new way of assessing gut health.
Fibre comes exclusively from plants – there is no fibre in any animal product including dairy. You may have all heard of fibre and how it’s essential for optimum health, but there is growing evidence to suggest why. Eating plenty of fibre is associated with lower risk of heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and bowel cancer, as well as supporting every day digestive health and lowering constipation. Not only this, but we’ve always been told serotonin is produced in the brain, which is still partly true, however it’s been shown 90% of serotonin is made in the gut. This is our happy hormone and could be why studies have also shown a lower incidence of mental health problems in vegan individuals, including lower signs of depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Keep the happy hormones coming!!
The NHS (the U.K’s main health system) has even suggested that we should be eating around 10 portions of fruit and vegetables per day, rather than the five we’ve always been told. On average, most adults should be aiming for 30g of fibre each day, but the average intake is 19g, so it’s not surprising the demand for more plants to be eaten in our diet and including a simple goal of eating 30 different plants per week can have a big impact on our health.
WHAT ABOUT PROTEIN?
We have all heard the saying: “you can’t get enough protein on a vegan diet.” This is not at all true, if followed in the right way. Any type of diet could cause restriction of protein or other important nutrients, so sometimes it’s important to focus on having enough and/or variety of foods to meet bodily needs. A lot of protein talk can be found in the fitness industry, which can lead to some misinterpreted information. Both Amy and I are personal trainers yet have no issue with keeping active and building muscle. There are also many elite performers following a vegan diet, such as tennis player’s Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, formula 1 racer Lewis Hamliton and footballer Chris Smalling.
The average adult needs between 45g and 56g of protein per day, which really isn’t too difficult, and you shouldn’t have to worry about meeting your protein levels unless you’re an elite sport’s competitor and are training extensively. Unfortunately, protein is used a lot for aesthetics - seen as a way for holding less body fat the more you eat in comparison with fats and carbohydrates, but we really should be putting our health first before any kind of aesthetic goal.
There are 20 different amino acids, 11 of which can be made by your body and 9 of which can’t be. Therefore, these ones must come through your diet. Plant proteins are a little less digestible and don’t always produce ‘complete’ proteins, meaning the best way to cover all your amino acid needs, is to combine various types of whole foods. For example: tempeh, nutritional yeast, seeds like hemp seeds, whole grains like amaranth and quinoa, and legumes like black beans and lentils are among the best.
VITAMIN B12
If you’re eating a varied, balanced diet then you should be able to get everything you need from your diet except B12, which is found solely in animal products. B12 is required for DNA synthesis, detoxification, fertility, hormone balance, brain function, and the nervous system. If you’re unsure about your levels, it’s important to them checked and supplement if needed.
CALCIUM
Calcium is required structurally by the body for bones and teeth, but also keeps our blood at the right pH and is needed for muscles to contract. We tend to associate calcium-rich foods with milk and other dairy products, but plant-based foods contain equally good levels. Great sources of calcium are tofu, cabbage, kale, bok choi, broccoli, cauliflower, sesame seeds, almonds, flaxseeds and lentils. It’s important to have adequate levels of Vitamin D in order for calcium to be absorbed, therefore make sure during the darker seasons (usually September to March in the U.K), you’re taking a supplement if you’ve been tested for low levels, as sunlight is our bodies main source of Vitamin D.
IODINE
A recent analysis of women in the U.K found that 77% are deficient in iodine, which is needed for thyroid function, hormone balance and energy. Iodine is found in seafood and dairy, so plant-based eaters can be at higher risk of deficiency. However, topping up with levels can be easy – seaweed contains high levels, kale, courgettes, samphire, watercress, strawberries and potatoes (with their skin on).
We try and create a way of cooking, eating, and living that is genuinely enjoyable for ourselves and our clients and therefore sustainable for the long-term. Something that you enjoy and makes you feel good physically and mentally every day should be the outcome to any goal.
ENVIRONMENT
Climate change is on the rise, and the crisis has finally been brought to more attention. If we don’t do something as a collective, the world we live in could be very different before we know it i.e., species becoming extinct (including us)! It can be quite difficult knowing how to reduce your carbon footprint. In most parts of the west - we live in a very privileged society and can pretty much buy and have whatever we want. However, we need to be more aware and conscious about what we’re buying and try to be as sustainable as possible. It can often feel overwhelming knowing how to do your bit, so here’s a few examples of things you can do to try help out:
· Reuse jars for storing food – particularly good if you’re shopping somewhere with no packaging and can store loose items in
· Reuse bags for shopping – no need to keep buying new bags, just keep using the same few
· Choose loose fruit and veg, rather than plastic wrapping
· Rethink how much you’re spending on materialised items such as the latest fashion trends. No need to completely restrict new clothes but be mindful you’re not just buying for the sake of it. Do you really need it? This is one we don’t always think about, but a lot of clothing isn’t sustainable, and even the travel of exporting and importing items has such a huge impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
· Opt for sustainable clothing: i.e. shopping second hand
· Make time and walk a little more. Not only good for physical health, but you’re reducing carbon emissions from using your car less
· Shop local. We all love some products that aren’t very local to us, but again, this reduction in travel and exportation has a huge impact. Be mindful in your product choices – it can also help some local small businesses!
Most of the time, the answer to some of these questions aren’t always the right one. No one is perfect and ultimately, we want to find that balance – it’s about what we do over a lifetime, not a day, that matters. It’s all about making these smaller and more effective changes and coming together as one; as a community.
Being vegan isn’t about perfection, it’s about doing the best we can in an imperfect world. We may not be able to control how the dyes in our carpets were made or the fibres in our car, but we can choose what we eat and how we act moving forwards.
If you want to know a little more about becoming vegan but unsure on where to begin - send us an email or message us on our social media platform and we will be happy to help.
References
Matthew Cole, "Veganism", in Margaret Puskar-Pasewicz (ed.), Cultural Encyclopedia of Vegetarianism, ABC-Clio, 2010 (239–241),
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/
https://www.lumi.com/blog/how-to-estimate-the-carbon-footprint-of-your-packaging