VEGANUARY: A MEAT LOVERS BLESSING OR CURSE THIS JANUARY?

It’s no secret that vegans aren’t necessarily the most liked people on the planet. For meat lovers, they are probably a nuisance. So when I (an avid meat lover) saw that Veganuary – Vegan+ January – was trending, I rolled my eyes. But upon second thought I started to wonder, is there something we meat lovers could learn from being vegan? And what is Veganuary? I took it upon myself, to devote time and effort, to research what was the Veganuary movement and whether it was something we common people could benefit from.

It’s a no brainer that Veganuary is going vegan for the month of January. In fact, the movement originated here in the UK; London specifically. There is already a group on Facebook that caters to Veganuary members. The program is a call for people to stop consuming animal products for the month of January in the hopes that by trying it for a couple of weeks, you’ll see that it is actually quite easy to stick with it in the long term. The webpage leaves it open to people to ask questions and learn more about veganism.

Here in the UK, The number of vegans has risen by more than 360 per cent over the past decade, according to a new survey that shows record numbers of people are avoiding food derived from animals.

The poll of around 10,000 people, was carried out by Ipsos MORI for the Vegan Society and Vegan Life Magazine. It is the largest poll aimed at calculating the number of vegans in Britain. It estimated that approximately 1 per cent of UK citizens (542,000) aged 15 or over, have adopted a plant-based diet, up from 150,000 in 2006. This suggests that veganism is now one of Britain’s ‘fastest growing lifestyle movements’.

But, what are the benefits of going vegan?

It would seem that more and more people are going vegan for health reasons.

James Hakumu, who went vegan five years ago, said, “I went vegan because I was having a lot of digestive issues. I’ve never looked back.”

We’ve all been told from the time we were young that eating your fruits and vegetables was great for your health. Veganism encourages this the most. It’s pretty obvious why your digestive system would love you for going vegan especially if you suffer digestive issues: Plant based foods are made up of fibre, healthy fats, water and plant based protein all important in the aid of better digestion.

Furthermore, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, consuming a plant based diet is an effective way to lower your risk of heart disease and strokes.

Healthier Skin?

“Going vegan has changed my skin! I used to have serious skin problems liked clogged pores that resulted in acne” – Laura Brown

You are what you eat. If you eat greasy food like pizzas and deep fried ice cream, chances are you’re going to breakout. However, incorporating fresh whole foods especially fresh fruits is guaranteed to help clear up your skin.

More Energy?

‘ I used to feel so lethargic now I wake up with more energy than I could imagine!- Jaaziyah Shiraz

Linking in with better digestion, studies have found that digesting animal foods is overwhelming for the system, resulting in you using all your stored up energy in breaking down the food. However, with a plant based diet, digestion is so much easier.

Healthier consciousness?

I know, I know, really?? But it makes sense no? I don’t know about you but thinking about what had to happen to the animal on my plate kind of throws me off… no? Just me?

It would seem that maybe there is a lot we could learn from going vegan. My suggestion? How about incorporating a few vegan recipes in your daily diet?

CLICK HERE for my favourite recipe!