Going vegan for the environment:
How I changed my way of life
By Nikki Mansouri
"A good tip for anyone who would like to try veganism is to start by having an entire month only eating vegan food, I promise it is not that difficult and it is exciting as you get to check out many new dishes that you don’t normally have."
My motivation
I always wonder what it is that I can do for the environment. Does it even make a difference? I am just one person! Have you ever asked yourself the same questions? Did you know you can go vegan for the planet? There are so many different reasons to be vegan but the main one in my opinion is going vegan for the planet and for the animals of course! Let me tell you about how I changed my way of life to try and contribute my part for the environment.
After doing some research and coming across some highly informative YouTube videos on veganism I decided to make some changes.
I have been a vegetarian most of my life ever since I started to cook for myself and switching to being (as I call it) “a part time vegan” was the best choice for me. Being eco-conscious is something that I take pride in and try hard to be as much as I can. Being eco-conscious means you are aware of and sensitive to the environmental impact you have in the world.
Taking conscious efforts: Starting from my kitchen
I completely dropped all dairy from my life, and after about a year I became extremely intolerant to anything that contains lactose, it is like my body also decided that it was time to say goodbye to dairy all together. By switching from cows’ milk to oat milk you can help save so much water for the planet, a recent study found that dairy milk uses 9 times more land to make a litre of milk than a litre of rice, soy, oat, or almond milk. Additionally, plant-based milks usually contain much less calories than dairy based milk. However, plant-based milks do have significant influence on the planet too. Making almond milk involves irrigation that uses a huge amount of water and rice emits the most greenhouse gases. In addition, soy and oat milk require more land, it is good to find out where your alternative milk comes from. For example, I would not recommend coconut milks as an alternative, that is mostly due to the way coconuts are farmed and the companies that produce coconut milk usually do not pay their farmers fair or even enough wages.
A good tip for anyone who would like to try veganism is to start by having an entire month only eating vegan food, I promise it is not that difficult and it is exciting as you get to check out many new dishes that you don’t normally have.
Contributing to save environment
Did you know you can save more water and resources by not eating 1lb of meat than you would by not showering for 6 months? Being vegan is so easy as currently there are so many varieties of vegan food, and vegan meat alternatives that are just as delicious. And I know that right now we are all so obsessed with proteins - as someone who does heavy lifting at the gym and MMA, I can assure you that I never felt like my performance at the gym was impacted by my vegan/semi vegan diet (I do still eat eggs sometimes). There are plenty of protein rich vegan foods and vegan protein powders to consider.
Veganism: Not just about food
It is not just about what we eat, it’s also about what we use. If you are really considering a more environmentally friendly way of life then also consider switching your makeup, skin care, hair care and household cleaning products to a vegan and a more sustainable brand. This is where you have to be careful, a lot of beauty brands are switching to vegan ingredients but that doesn’t mean that the final product is vegan! The formula could be 100% plant based and synthetic, BUT some brands still do tests on animals due to many reasons, so always make sure you do some research when purchasing something that has the ‘vegan formula’ label!
My first ever job straight after I finished my master’s degree was an experience that has impacted the way I view the beauty community. I was hired as a developer and cosmetic chemist for Lush Cosmetics and my team and I changed the makeup that Lush had completely. We made the packaging entirely plastic free and sustainable, and the ingredients and colours used were all plant based or synthetics and the brand was made to be more inclusive. It was mostly because of this job that I considered a more vegan lifestyle.
Anyway, as I keep saying one of the most useful things an individual can do to lower their carbon footprint and become more eco-conscious is to avoid all animal product, or at least avoid as many as you possibly can. I would suggest paying more attention to the products you purchase and eventually all of these small steps add to big changes and ultimately save our beautiful planet.
Note: The author of this blog is the owner of a small business producing beautiful hand made candles using 100% sustainable and environmentally friendly materials. Check it out! Link to Âzar Candles