1. Beth Geldard
Vegan life style
Vegans decided that they don’t want to be associated with any type of cruelty towards animals. They
don’t eat meat or any kind of dairy products like eggs and milk. They don’t agree with wearing leather,
fur, silk or wool. They also avoid animal tested cosmetics and soaps. The reasons for this are that they
don’t want to promote the meat industry and decrease the amount of animals that are being brutally
killed or tested on. Other reason for a healthier lifestyle and live in a cleaner environment.
The environment has changed dramatically due to global warming, widespread pollution,
deforestation, land degradation, water scarcity and species extinction. Also the increase in animals
breeding everyday means that’s farmers are having to make more crops which is using more
environmental resources.
Veganism has risen by more then 360% over 542,000 people aged 15 and over which equals to one
per-cent of the population. It has been known to be British’s “fastest growing lifestyle movements”.
Veganism has become more known through Facebook, twitter, You-Tube and vegan webpages. There
has been a verity of different vegan websites like ‘not for profit teen vegan network’ and ‘Teenvgn’
basing it just on teenagers. These pages are for support and help. Suggesting that for new beginners’
they have got something to help them with just start of becoming a vegan by giving them new recipes
and learning about vegan bloggers.
So why are many teenagers deciding to become vegans?
Euan Reece 17 south Northamptonshire said ‘It took me a while to go fully vegan, as I didn’t realize it
would be so easy to get into. I don’t believe that celebrities have played a major role in the expansion of
veganism among teenagers. They are likely to have influenced some people, but the main driving force
behind the movement is social media. This has allowed the vegan message to spread a lot quicker than it
would otherwise have done.’ Euan did not have much knowledge on veganism and that he doesn’t
agree with the production methods. By discovering veganism through social media it helped him learn
that there was a community of vegans to support him.
Even though vegans have restricted themselves from eating meat, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have
a variety of food to eat. There are different strategies to having a vegan diet as when people shift to
veganism they take it slowly and develop a plan and routine. Vegans tend to eat natural substances
such as vegetable, grains, nuts and fruits. To be a vegan you need to carry out the balanced diet eating
the right nutrients.
They eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables keeping up ‘the five a day’ rule. But there is a
bigger verity then you think eating porridge or weetbix for breakfast, toasted sandwiches with
avocado and tomato. For dinner pasta, tacos, noodles and pizza. And when creating their meals they
like to base their food around rice, potatoes, grains, beans, pulses, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Fur farms are run in China being the largest producers of fur in the world. Condoning no penalties for
abusing animals, leaving them mistreated and tortured. The fur when getting shipped from China can
be unlabelled, so there is no ways of knowing what skin you are wearing. Animals are captured from
the wild or taken of the streets, to the farm where they live before their fur gets taken from them.
They are living in small and confined cages where there can be multiple of animals in, cramped
together not being able to move. Fur farms are the cheapest and cruellest method they use which can
include suffocation, electrocution, gas and poison. Many types of animals are being slaughtered for
their fur are cats, dogs, beavers, chinchillas, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, seals and bears.
So what have you learnt, has your opinion changed about vegans? Find out more Veganuary.com
