I am a pragmatist. I’ve been following a vegan diet since 2012 and I’ve never felt better and been healthier. Prior to becoming vegan I did my fair share of research (and continue reading and doing research) to ensure I’m remaining healthy and to help me better understand this diet choice. I have made this change in my lifestyle based on scientific (i.e. not anecdotal or other “feel good”) evidence. That’s what I’m going to share here: my pragmatic reasons for becoming vegan. I am thoroughly convinced that this is the proper way to eat and hope to convince you too.
In writing about following a vegan diet I’m torn between two extremes:
- Proselytizing my audience on why they should be vegan … because it IS the proper way to eat and live life
- Not being a pushy, annoying, know-it-all … as I proselytize being a vegan…
I’m hoping to take this blog to a safe middle-ground. I’ll do my proselytizing here and be a pushy, annoying, know-it-all here, online; but will NOT proselytize my vegan lifestyle to my friends and family in person (unless they ask for it).
As I outline in this blog: there is no reason to eat any animal-based food.
Who knows … You may be convinced to eschew animal products too!
Everyone wants to be healthy – but there is vast confusion about what it really means to eat healthfully. Do you fear carbs? Do you eat meat at every meal? Do you follow the S.A.D. diet (the Standard American Diet as outlined by the agribusiness-influenced USDA “My Plate”) and assume the USDA wouldn’t steer us all wrong?
As I endeavoured to eat healthfully I read articles about proper eating and watched videos about new & improved diet plans and saw advertisements for various supplements purporting to cure and prevent health problems. Some were too good to be true but other claims seemed reasonable.
But at the end of the day I was still confused and I found myself falling back on what I thought I knew, which was to eat almost everything in moderation and avoid too much dessert. I did what most people do: following what was easiest and what I had always done.
But there is one lifestyle change that will save your health and the planet: be vegan.
I hope you find this website useful and informative. Ultimately I hope you will become vegan for one or more of the following reasons:
- your personal health
- improvement of our planet’s environment
- reduce unnecessary suffering of animals
Astute Vegan 