Going vegan offers benefits for you, the environment, and the animals. Society has always said "milk does a body good" and "consume animals for protein." But the fact is, it's untrue and unnecessary. There is no reason to filter plants through an animal, only to eat the animal. The human race would benefit far greater by consuming the plant directly, leaving the animal out of the equation altogether. It's better for our health and happiness, not to mention theirs.
You generally don't hear doctors tell people to eat more animal flesh. Typically doctors, fitness, and nutrition experts agree that people should increase their consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains to attain better overall health and long-term sustainable weight loss. Idealistically, that's what a plant-based diet does! It really can be that easy to reach your goal weight and optimal health.
Aside from the health benefits that a vegan lifestyle offers you, the environmental benefits are enormous. Think about this: Crops raised for human consumption use fewer resources, generate less waste, and end up feeding far more people than the same amount of land used for growing crops to feed animals for human consumption. In addition, scientists agree the methane production associated with raising livestock for human consumption is a crucial factor in global warming. These gasses exceed the impact of all greenhouse gases generated by all cars, planes, trains, and ships combined.
Think about that for a minute. It's pretty remarkable.
Aside from animal slaughter, the amount of harm inflicted on animals by and for man's 'benefit' is inconceivable. Dairy cows are kept pregnant nine months out of the year to keep their milk flowing for human consumption, while chickens are often stuffed into small, dark cages for their entire lives, only to be killed and then eaten. Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg compared to many more animals suffering every day.
If you want to learn more about the issues surrounding the raising of our animals for food, check out Project Animal Farm or Bleating Hearts.
Choosing a vegan lifestyle is easy once you understand how to go about it. And fortunately, learning how to nourish your body without bringing harm to animals is easy! Check out How To Go Vegan to learn more.