Vegan on a Mission

Most vegans I know try to keep as their diets as organic as possible, for a number of reasons.  For me, being a vegan and keeping organic go hand in hand with respect to my reasoning.

First, I decided to become a vegan because of the impact current food production has on the environment.  Currently, the commercial production of livestock accounts for 18% of the world’s CO2 emissions, one of the main contributors to global warming, more than any other industry (including transportation).   In addition to the production of livestock, conventional methods for producing commercial produce doesn’t respect the land and surrounding ecosystem the way farming practices used to.  With the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), natural balances in the local ecosystem are being disrupted.  GMOs encourage some pests to thrive and contributes to others' demise at the same time.  Intervening in the natural process of adaptation, GMOs pose a distinct threat to the world’s ecology as a whole.  Organic farming practices do not use GMOs or harmful chemical pesticides.  Rather, farmers work with the environment to grow their crops, using crop rotation to promote healthy soil and natural pesticides and fertilizers to encourage growth.

Second, I opted for a vegan diet with a concern for my own physical health.  Consuming clean foods that my body can easily and naturally digest has proven to be very beneficial for my overall well-being.  I have more sustained energy throughout the day, without the spikes and drops I used to have.  By default, I find myself eating more of a balance of nutritious foods.  Previous digestive issues have been eradicated, as I am more able to listen to what my body is trying to tell me.

Yes, listen to my body. 

I realize that may sound obnoxious and new age-y, but I have truly been able to recognize a difference.  With my body not having to constantly figure out what it is going to do with processed, unnatural foods, when something is going awry I am able to recognize it and effectively attend to the problem at hand.  This harmony led to a realization that I have an intolerance to gluten - the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and other plants of the triticae family (hence, caeliac‘s disease).  I noticed that when I consumed wheat products, my face would swell, my eyes would get puffy, and my joints would ache.  So, I tried to be more cognizant of how my body reacted to certain foods.  What a difference!  You may notice, too, that once you start eliminating typical problematic foods (eggs, dairy, red meat) your body will become more in sync with itself.