Veganism

So many reasons to be Vegan...

What is Veganism? A vegan diet is free of all meat, dairy and eggs. Vegans use no products connected to animal suffering or exploitation including fur, leather, wool, honey, silk, and any product tested on animals as a matter of ethics and consistency.

Your health

There is a long standing myth that humans must consume the flesh, milk and eggs of animals to be healthy. The reality is that a diet free of all animal products is healthier. Animal products are the only dietary source of cholesterol (the leading cause of heart disease) and most often saturated fats. The American Dietetic Association stated that people who eat a plant-based diet are at low risk for several chronic diseases to which Americans are prone including obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, milletus, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and kidney disease. A vegan diet, which comes entirely from fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes is indeed one of the most healthy diets one can choose.

While Compassion for Farm Animals-San Diego's mission is to eliminate the exploitation of farm animals, the obvious health benefits of a cruelty-free diet are too great to ignore. A vegan diet is not only healthy for our bodies, but for our conscience as well.

Our planet we share with all forms of life. The production of any kind of food and it's eventual journey to our plates requires energy. While many products reflect the fast paced technology-intensive world we live in, there is no industry where that is more painfully obvious that of animal factory farms. Animal husbandry has been replaced by intensive techniques, automatic feeders, computers, closed circuit television monitors, and vacuum pumps. The production of meat, dairy, and eggs accounts for one-third of all raw materials used for all purposes in the United States, while fruits and vegetables account for less than five percent. Agricultural engineers at Ohio State University found that even the least efficient plant based food is nearly ten times more efficient than the most efficient animal product. Over half the amount of water consumed in the U.S. is used to irrigate land used for growing feed for livestock. Production of a single pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water. With huge numbers of animals being raised in unnatural numbers and conditions, often in stalls with cement floors, feed lots, or crowded cages, the majority of waste is washed away into our rivers and groundwater. This has caused the problem of high nitrate levels in our water supply nationwide.

The negative impact of animal product consumption from meat to dairy to eggs is so vast it is almost overwhelming. A vegan diet free of these products is a gift we can give daily to our Mother Earth, and in turn, to our children who will inherit her.

World hunger

An estimated 60 million people starve to death each year worldwide. In light of this fact, how can we justify eating habits that are so wasteful? For every one pound of cow flesh (about four hamburgers), 16 pounds of grain were fed to the slaughtered cow. 2,500 gallons of water is wasted. More than one third of the world's grain is fed to cattle and other "food" animals, certainly enough to provide a meal a day for every starving person on the planet.

Why do so many have to starve when a vegan diet can provide lower-impact foods on less land?

Their lives

Worldwide 220 animals die every second to keep the supply of meat, dairy,and eggs flowing. Each of these animals is a living being who experiences emotions, pain, and suffering. That they are of another species does not mean that humans have the right to subject them to a life of exploitation, suffering, and murder for their flesh, bodily secretions, or reproductive functions. The belief that humans have this right is called speciesism. Like racism and sexism, speciesism presupposes that someone with more power can use that power to enslave, degrade, or exploit those who are different and have less power. Already humanity has started to throw off the shackles of exploitation and prejudice based on skin color, gender, ability, and intelligence. Why then do non-human animals still suffer voiceless by the billions as we enter the 21st century? A vegan diet is a choice that we can make daily to move forward towards a truly compassionate culture.

The information here comes from a booklet produced by CFA-SD. The booklet contains a series of lists and tips which can help San Diegans make a transition to a Vegan lifestyle. Feel free to contact CFA-SD with any questions you may have or visit our table at any of our local events.