What Is Veganuary & How Can You Get Involved?
What is Veganism and What are the Benefits?
Veganism is where you abstain from the use of any animal products, most commonly within the diet but is also a philosophy which seeks to exclude any exploitation of animals. There are many different ways to live a vegan lifestyle but it is mainly practiced through diet. Vegan’s eat a plant based diet and avoid foods derived from animals which include meat, fish, dairy, eggs and Honey. But it doesn’t just stop at what you eat, Veganism is about avoiding any products which may have been made with the exploitation or cruelty to animals, this can include clothing, skincare and makeup as a few examples. All of our products at The Plastic Free Life are cruelty free and all of our skincare and makeup is also vegan.
Veganism has become more and more popular as it has become easier and more accessible to create vegan recipes and buy vegan products. Does being vegan have any benefits though? Reports suggest that living a vegetarian or vegan diet can have a positive impact on our planet and climate. This is because livestock can account for around 1/3 of the world greenhouse gases produced, this is because livestock, especially cows and lambs excrete methane which is a greenhouse gas. This along with deforestation across the globe in order to raise cattle is having an impact on our climate and heating up the planet. Although this is not the only cause of climate change, the overproduction of meat is exasperating climate change which is why Veganism has become a popular way to live a healthy lifestyle and to also help the planet.
Eating more vegan dishes can also have a positive impact on your health, vegan foods tend to be more concentrated in nutrients, fruit, vegetables which carry great health benefits. I personally switched a vegan diet to help lower my cholesterol after I found out i had Hyperlipidemia and found that reducing my meat and dairy consumption helped this. Some scientists suggest that by introducing more vegan dishes into your diet can help lower blood pressure, help improve kidney function, lowers the risk of heart disease and could also protect against certain cancers.
Upcircle Vegan, Cruelty Free and natural Coffee body Scrub
What Is Veganuary?
January is also known as Veganuary, Veganuary is an annual challenge run by a UK nonprofit organisation that promotes and educates about Veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January. Since the event began in 2014, participation has more than doubled each year. Not only does it help inspire people to try new vegan products but it also helps businesses increase their vegan provisions for their workers and customers. So far over 1 million people have signed up to Veganuary since it started across 192 countries.
Picture: www.veganuary.com
"Our Vision is simple, We want a vegan world. A world without animal farms and slaughterhouses. A world where food production does not decimate forests, pollute rivers and oceans, exacerbate climate change and drive wild animal populations into extinction"
The main purpose of Veganuary is to inspire people and businesses to try a vegan lifetstyle with the aim to reduce animal cruelty across the globe whilst improving human health. There are plenty of ways you can get involved too, even if you don't want to become vegan, you can make a few changes or try something new.
How Can You Get Involved This Veganuary?
There are some many amazing vegan recipes out there as well as some of your favourite foods which you may not even realise are vegan. Here are a few ideas below on what you can do this Veganuary:
1. Try switching your favourite meat dish to meat free
2. Make your own dairy free milk (recipe here)
3. Tell your friends about Veganuary
4. Share your dishes with us on social media @the_plastic_free_life
5. Switch to Vegan and cruelty free skincare
6. Try making a new vegan dish for your family
7. Ask your employer to get involved (maybe with more vegan dishes on the menu)
Some of My Favourite Vegan Food Websites
Bosh: https://www.bosh.tv/
Deliciously Ella: https://deliciouslyella.com/
Avant Garde Vegan: https://www.avantgardevegan.com/
Nora Cooks: https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-pancakes/
For more information about Veganuary and more ways to get involved visit the veganuary website here.