Veganism has been around for a long time. There is a lot of buzz in the news about it and you hear about the latest celebrity that went on or off the diet. So what is all of the buzz about?

Health benefits of a vegan diet:

• Eating vegan will help you slim down. Vegans are on average 20 pounds lighter than meat eaters. Know why? Their diet is filled with fibrous foods—fruits and vegetables—so they feel more satiated (there is no fiber in meat). Guess what else? If you are eating a whole food plant based diet, you don’t even need to count calories. Your body will know when you are full.
• You will feel more energized. Think about the energetics of food. Most fruits and vegetables continue to ripen after they are picked—they are living foods. You are taking that living food into your body and your cells love it. Plus fruits and veggies are full of water and your body will feel energized when you are hydrated.
• Eating a plant based diet helps protect you from cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity because fruits and veggies are loaded with antioxidants, dietary fiber and have anti-inflammatory properties. Want to live longer? Research shows that you can add 13 healthy years to your life by eating a plant based diet.
• You will have improved digestion. Plants are full of fiber, which pushes waste out of the body. Want to see your constipation and hemorrhoids disappear? Eat more plants!
• By eating plants, you will have less exposure to harmful toxins. Did you know that most animals that are raised for human consumption are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics? When you eat meat or consume dairy, you are taking those hormones and antibiotics into your body. Did you know that farmers are allowed to feed road kill to the animals that are being raised for your consumption? Know what is worse? They also feed euthanized pets from shelters to your “food”. So when you eat that meat, you are taking the euthanasia drugs (not to mention dead dogs and cats) into your body.
• By avoiding animal products, you’ll reduce your risk of food-borne illnesses. Salmonella, listeria and E. Coli are all food-borne diseases. Meat is often contaminated with feces, blood and other bodily fluids which make it the top source of food poisoning in the United States.

Not yet convinced? See some additional reasons below.

Do it for both human and animal rights:

• A third of all arable land on the planet is used for livestock (either to produce feed for livestock or for grazing). It takes 13 pounds of grain to produce one pound of animal flesh. We have people that are starving in the world that could use the food that is being produced to feed livestock.
• Factory farms are a horrible way for animals to live. Do a search on Google and you will find disturbing information about their conditions. 65 billion land animals are slaughtered each year for food. They live in deplorable and inhumane conditions with very little regulation.
• Animals are exploited in the entertainment business and mistreated. Baby animals are stolen from their mothers and families to be sold into a circus or a zoo. Imagine the devastation that they all feel.
• Many companies still use animals to test their products. These animals are tortured and live an unnatural life without sunlight and the comfort of their families. Are you comfortable wearing eye shadow that has been tested in a bunny's eye--causing burning and horrible discomfort. 
• Did you know that pigs are smarter than a dog? You wouldn’t eat your dog, so why eat the pig! Animals have feelings and they form close family bonds. Did you know that calves are taken from their mothers at birth? The mother morns and cries for her baby and the baby wants his mother’s milk. Hens will search and call for hours after their eggs are robbed.
• Being vegan saves more than 100 animals a year. You can make a difference.

Do it for the environment:

• According to the FAO (Food & Agricultural Organization of the UN), "livestock production is one of the major causes of the world's most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, air and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity." The planet is being depleted of its natural resources through the release of methane gases, depleted soil, fishless ocean zones, species extinction and deforestation. Quite simply, less energy and fewer resources are needed to produce fruits and vegetables and less pollution is generated in the cultivation of plants.
• Forests throughout the world have been mostly cleared in order to raise livestock for meat consumption. Not only does it cause devastation to the indigenous people that live there, but also has been responsible for the extinction of native animals. 

Do it for your own health. Do it for the health of people in the world that are malnourished. Do it for animals—stop contributing to their suffering. Do it for the environment.