Reasons you may want to consider a plant-based diet

“With benefits as significant and far-ranging as reducing animal suffering and our environmental footprint to reversing chronic disease, it’s not surprising that many South Africans are embracing veganism – or at least trying to cut back on meat, eggs and dairy.” – Donovan Will, SA Vegan Society Director.

Plant-based eating is on the increase globally, with the lifestyle showing a particularly significant explosion over the past few years. Rising awareness of the health impact of meat consumption coupled with a growing consumer conscience around ethically produced and environmentally sustainable food is to thank for the landslide movement.

The majority of people choose to go plant-based for one or more of three fundamental reasons:

Health:

• Meat and dairy products contain a large number of saturated fats that can contribute to cardiovascular health challenges.
• Farmed animals and fish are fed a wide variety of drugs to fatten them faster and keep them alive in conditions that would otherwise kill them. These drugs enter the human food chain either through direct consumption or pollution of our waterways.
• Plant-based foods provide phytochemicals – biologically active compounds that help prevent and heal the body from cancer, boost protective enzymes and work with antioxidants in the body.
• Vegans tend to eat more nuts, seeds and dark leafy greens, all of which are excellent sources of magnesium – which can help increase energy, calm nerves, improve digestion, relieve muscle aches and spasms, and more.
• A vegan diet is generally higher in fibre than those in which plants are not the primary source of nutrition.
• Vegans tend to eat diets rich in whole grains, which are particularly beneficial in lowering high blood pressure.
• Several population studies have shown that a diet without meat leads to a lower average Body Mass Index (BMI), which is usually an indicator of a healthy weight.
• Vegans tend to eat more nuts and vegetables rich in vitamins A and E. These contribute towards healthy skin, and those switching to a vegan diet often report a noticeable reduction in blemishes (this could also be due to the elimination of dairy).
• A diet high in grains, nuts and dark leafy greens are full of vitamin E, which has benefits for heart, skin, eyes and brain health.
• Countries, where women eat very little meat and animal products, have a much lower incidence of breast cancer than those in which they consume more animal products.
• Several studies indicate that those following a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle live an average of three to six years longer than those who do not.

Ethics:

• Most agree that animals are sentient – that they are living, feeling beings that experience pleasure and pain. Almost all ‘use’ of animals for food, clothing, vivisection and entertainment includes the suffering or dying of animals.
• Over 150 billion land animals are slaughtered each year for human consumption. If we add the 2.8 trillion fish, marine animals, and even bees and silkworms, this figure goes into the multiple trillions. It’s estimated that each vegan saves over 100 animals a year.
• On today’s factory farms, animals can be kept in cramped, cruel and oppressive conditions. Many will never be permitted to raise families or do anything else that’s natural and important to them. Some won’t even get to feel the warmth of the sun on their backs or breathe fresh air until the day they’re sent off for slaughter.

Environment:

• Raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, and other forms of transportation combined.
• Raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and growing feed crops) now uses no less than 30%of the Earth’s total landmass.
• Nearly 80% of land deforested in the Amazon is now used as cattle pasture.
• The amount of water required to produce a kilo of beef is estimated at between 13,000 and 100,000 litres. The water required to produce a kilo of wheat is somewhere between 1,000 to 2,000 litres.
• Pollution of our waterways is caused by animal waste, antibiotics and hormones entering the water cycle alongside chemicals from tanneries, fertilisers, and the pesticides used to spray feed crops.

If you’re moved and motivated by these sound reasons to ditch animal products in your diet and lifestyle, you may be wondering where to start.

After its huge success in 2020, The Plant-Powered Show is a not-to-be-missed three-day event that will take place both at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) and online from 27 to 29 May.

Relish being in the company of other plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, and conscious living enthusiasts, and make time to enjoy each element of the event. Including…

• Live cooking demonstrations by professional chefs, celebrity cooks, and local rising stars
• Diverse and compelling talks by health and wellness experts
• Various premium interactive experiences
• Exclusive industry networking opportunities
• A marketplace offering a new and innovative vegan and plant-based solution around every corner

For more information and to book your tickets, visit plantpoweredshow.com.

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