I have said this before and I will continue saying it for the rest of my life: I am so grateful I adopted a vegan lifestyle. I have benefited so much from it, more than I ever thought I would. It’s brought me friendships and a deeper connection to the earth. It’s also taught me many lessons. Today I’m sharing the five biggest lessons I have learned since going vegan. Read on to see what they are.
1. Everything is connected.
The main lesson I have learned since adopting a vegan lifestyle is that everything in this world is connected in some way. There are invisible threads that bind us all together and every action we take creates a ripple effect. Our choices have consequences, both good and bad, and I’ve learned that my personal choices can affect countless others, human and non-human alike.
Through veganism, I learned that the food I put on my plate has various impacts in the world. Eating meat, eggs, and dairy products meant that animals had to die for my food so right there my choices were affecting fellow earthlings who did not want to die. From an environmental standpoint, the animal agriculture industry is one of the leading causes of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water pollution and generates up to 78% of total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Producing animal products is resource-intensive, requiring more water, land, fossil fuels, pesticides, and fertilizer than what is needed to produce plant foods. Clearly, what we choose to eat has many implications in the world outside of ourselves.
Since veganism falls in line with living more sustainably, it led me to discover other facets of conscious living. After going vegan, I started to get into sustainable fashion for both ethical and environmental reasons. Garment workers in developing countries who work in factories that produce clothing for fast fashion companies work long hours, receive little pay, and often work in deplorable conditions. In the same vein that I don’t think it’s right that animals should die for me to live, I believe humans shouldn’t have to risk their lives working in unsafe conditions for me to have clothes. The fast fashion industry is also one of the largest polluters in the world, second only to the oil industry, and requires massive amounts of water and toxic chemicals. I highly recommend watching the True Cost on Netflix for more information on the fast fashion industry and it’s harmful social and environmental effects.
Veganism and sustainable fashion also relate to minimalism and the zero waste movement. Veganism involves being a good steward of the Earth and buying fewer things we do not need and consuming less plastic go along with that. It’s well known that we have a serious plastic problem right now and plastic pollution is harming wildlife and various ecosystems. Since using less plastic means causing less harm to animals, particularly marine animals, you can see how the vegan and zero waste movements can relate. I personally am not a zero waster, at least not yet, but I have made an effort to reduce my plastic consumption and will continue to move towards creating less waste. I could go on and on about how all these different areas are related and how everything in this world is somehow connected but I think you get my drift.
2. All animals deserve compassion and respect.
I have been an animal and nature lover since I was a little kid but veganism opened up my heart in ways I never expected. While I always loved animals, I honestly did not think about farm animals much nor questioned what I was eating. I’m happy to say that it’s a whole other story now. I adore cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, and all other farm animals and am happy to leave them off my plate.
Another animal category I did not give much thought to before is insects. I mean, sure, I loved some of the prettier ones like butterflies and ladybugs but I didn’t care much about bees, ants, spiders, and all the rest. I started to look at the world a little differently after going vegan and found myself admiring bees as they buzz from flower to flower collecting pollen and spiders as they weave their webs in intricate detail. Insects are pretty stickin’ cool if you ask me.
Like I said above, I have always loved animals but that love and compassion has grown over the last few years. I now believe that all animals have an inherent right to live. Animals are not here on this Earth with us for our gain or for us to exploit; they have their own purposes and have just as much of a right to live their lives in relative peace as we do. Veganism opened my eyes and helped me develop a deeper respect for mother nature and for all life on Earth. I also feel more connected to nature than ever before and I love how that feels.
3. You can’t force people to change.
When I first went vegan, I went through an “angry vegan” phase, as most new vegans do. Pretty much every vegan I know has claimed to go through an “angry vegan” phase shortly after going vegan. I believe the reason for this is because, once you learn about the negative effects the animal agriculture industry has on the environment and the horrific ways farm animals are treated, you cannot understand why other people aren’t making the same connection you recently made. And, once you’ve been vegan for a month or two and realize that it is relatively easy to adopt this lifestyle and you feel amazing on a plant-based diet, you just want to encourage everyone you know to try this lifestyle and feel just as amazing as you feel. However, as much as you might want a family member or friend to change their habits, you cannot force someone to change if they do not want or are not ready to do so.
I learned this lesson with my dad. He couldn’t care less when I went vegetarian and later went vegan. I tried so hard to tell him about the documentaries I had watched and the undercover footage I had seen and the articles I had read. I also approached all the angles, telling him about the ways animals are treated, the environmental effects of animal agriculture, and all the health benefits a plant-based diet can offer. Nothing worked and I eventually gave up trying to convince him to go vegan. It wasn’t until months later when my parents accompanied me to a vegan festival and my dad listened to some of the speakers that it clicked for him. He had to hear the information for himself for it to resonate. When we left the festival and were walking to our car, he said to me, “I’ve decided I’m going to go vegan.” I was thrilled he finally understood what I had been trying to tell him for a year and a half and that he did it on his own terms.
Since that experience, I have never tried to push veganism or any other behavior change on anyone. I may offer advice or share information but I try not to promote veganism in a pushy way. The only way for a behavior change to become a long-term habit is if a person chooses to make a change. Behavior changes that are imposed on someone are likely to fail because that person isn’t doing it because they want to; in other words, they aren’t doing it for the right reasons. If you ever want a loved one to make a change for the better, all you can do is encourage and support them but you can’t force them to change.
4. A whole-foods, plant-based diet has numerous health benefits.
My decision to adopt a vegan lifestyle was for ethical reasons so I wasn’t initially focused on the health aspect of veganism. I only focused on getting all of my nutrients. Over time, I started learning about all of the health benefits of a whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) diet, and there are several. A WFPB diet is one that emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and seeds with minimal processed foods. Following a WFPB diet reduces one’s risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and certain forms of cancer. This diet is also proven to reverse type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
A WFPB diet can improve one’s digestion because plant foods are naturally high in fiber and fiber aids digestion. Did you know that 95% of Americans are not eating enough fiber each day? This is due to the fact that the average American consumes a lot of processed foods which tend to be low in fiber. If you want to improve your fiber intake, consider eating more plants.
Due to the fact that only animal products contain cholesterol, a WFPB can help one lower their cholesterol and/or maintain a healthy cholesterol level. Our livers make all the cholesterol we need to survive so we have no need to consume cholesterol through our food.
Another benefit of a WFPB diet is weight management and/or weight loss. Now, I don’t like to advertise veganism as a weight loss diet because, in my opinion, veganism should not be viewed as some kind of fad diet. However, I know many people who have successfully and healthily lost weight and were able to maintain that weight loss over time by adhering to a WFPB diet. Personally, I have been able to maintain a healthy weight in the time that I’ve been vegan without thinking about it and, it pains me to admit, without much exercise. A WFPB diet is based on nutrient-dense foods whereas the standard American diet includes a lot of high-sugar and high-fat processed foods so it’s clear why a WFPB diet is healthier and aids weight loss.
I do want to put it out there that just because someone is vegan does not mean they are eating a healthy diet. With all of the vegan processed food options nowadays, it’s very possible to be a “junk food vegan.” This is why I specifically used the term whole-food, plant-based diet. I like to think of myself as a mix between the two. I wouldn’t say I’m a full-on junk food vegan but I do eat chips and crackers regularly as well as the occasional sweet treat. It’s all about balance.
5. Voting with your dollar works.
When we buy a product from a company, we are telling that company that we like what they’re selling. We also are showing support for the company itself, its practices, and its viewpoints. Every time we buy something, we are voting with our money. What we do and don’t buy can be telling. For example, if you look at my own spending history, you will see that I value vegan, cruelty-free products that are ethically and sustainably made and I try to be conscious of the companies I support. I don’t want my hard-earned money going to just anyone. Granted, I’m not perfect but I try my best to seek out and support companies that align with my values.
Some people will argue that voting with your dollar doesn’t work but I beg to differ. I have been vegan for almost 5 years and, in that time, I have seen the vegan food industry flourish. There were already a lot of vegan options available at my local grocery stores when I first went vegan but now the options seem to be tenfold. Mainstay vegan brands like So Delicious, Field Roast, Daiya, and Beyond Meat have been able to expand their product lines over the years and new brands keep emerging. The options for plant-based milks, cheeses, ice creams, and meats are plentiful now and many non-vegan brands have added vegan lines because they’ve seen how profitable this niche of the food industry is. According to an article by Forbes, “U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods grew 11.3% in the past year. … Plant-based sales were up 31.3% in the two-year period from April 2017 through April 2019, to a total of nearly $4.5 billion.” The vegan food industry is projected to grow even more in the coming years as vegetarianism and veganism become more mainstream.
Why are so many vegan options available in grocery stores now? Why are more and more restaurants adding vegan options to their menus? Why are non-vegan companies launching vegan products? Because the demand is there. And if the demand is there, that means consumers have shown their support for these products over the years. More and more consumers are opting for plant-based options and thus voting for these products. To me, this is a perfect example of how voting with your dollar works.
Well, there you have it, the five main lessons I have learned since adopting a vegan lifestyle. I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the above topics in the comments below.