A Look into the Health Benefits of Veganism
Throughout my eighteen years of existence, I thought I was living a “healthy”, consistent lifestyle, working out every day and limiting my carbohydrate consumption. After learning about the health issues involved with eating animal by-products, my definition of being “healthy” changed. I became more concerned with the way food was produced and harvested and stopped supporting mass corporations and businesses who lie to their consumers for the sole intention to make money. I no longer felt healthy but felt cheated from not knowing the truth behind the sickening meat production. My meaning behind being healthy now entails eating less processed foods and more organic products. Little did I know, that day would be the last time I would ever consume meat again. Being a vegetarian has been an eye-opening experience that assisted me in realizing that my health should be valued more than my taste preferences, which spiked my interest in being a member of the vegan community.
Veganism wasn’t a socially known concept until a group known as “The Vegan Society,” was founded in 1944 by Donald Watson. Watson and six other individuals are accredited for being the first members of the vegan movement who recognized the necessity of awareness needed amongst society about the issues regarding the environment, animal’s rights, and health-oriented issues. The vegan community is composed of a following of dedicated, morally consistent people, driven to accomplish the goals they set for themselves and society. They interact in extensive ways, branching their connections worldwide to other countries through the sphere of the internet. They successfully get their word out by encouraging others to join their movement against animal by-products and consumerism, “seeking an end to the use of animals by man for food, commodities, work, hunting, vivisection, and by all other uses involving exploitation of animal life by man,” (The Vegan Society Definition).
This is a growing, widespread movement as people are becoming more consciously aware of the health dangers of consuming animal by-products and the effect is has on the environment (The Vegetarian Times Editors). This interaction and awareness is spread through the engagement of social media and the internet through blog posts, Instagram accounts, and YouTube videos. Famous vegan accounts that have large followings on social media sites bring attention to the community veganism and allow people to become more interested in learning the potential of becoming vegan. Connections amongst people within this community are upheld through the bondage over similar moral ideals and creative ways to exist as a vegan. People share food recipes with each other to find new ways to prepare snacks, meals, and desserts without the use of animal-by products.
A large following of vegans join the community to meet their fitness goals at a greater ease, granting them more energy to accomplish workouts by fueling their bodies with nutrients that work in their favor and don’t weigh them down. Many people are drawn to the idea of a vegan lifestyle when they’re facing health issues or need a healthier diet to follow. The food industry has finally caught up to the demands of society, and many food businesses now promote and encourage the vegan community by providing plant-based options on their menus. Many businesses have flourished during this rise in popularity of veganism and have opened restaurants specifically geared towards the targeted audience in favor of organic and natural, vegan foods.
I narrowed my focus towards a specific member of the community, Alex McDermott. I met Alex in my sophomore year of high school and she was an idol of mine that inspired me to become a vegetarian. She stood out to me as someone who is consistent with their views in every aspect of her life and is a dedicated member of the vegan community, unafraid of voicing her thoughts and opinions. Alex informed me that her “main motives in becoming a vegan are centered around animal rights issues, as well as environmental factors,” after being acknowledged on the effects eating animal by-products has on the environment after watching the documentary, “Cowspiracy,” produced by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn. During her two and half year long journey as a vegan, she’s lost seventy pounds eating a plant-based diet and exercising daily. Alex told me she was “quick to learn” the health benefits associated with eliminating animal by-products from her diet, such as a decrease in saturated fats that are found in large quantities within dairy products and red meats (Andersen and Kuhn). Her decreased consumption of processed foods allowed her complexion to clear up dramatically and gave her an increase in energy, enabling her to work out more frequently. Alex expanded her knowledge about her health after going through a dramatic physical change in her body and watching the documentary, “What the Health”, which was also produced by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn.
These producers are popular to the vegan community for informing viewers of the health risks associated with eating animal by-products, by creating some of the most influential sources that inspire people to become vegan. They do so in a persuasive manner, utilizing interviews with persons of special interest, such as Dr. Robert Ratner, who works for the American Diabetes Association. The beginning footage in “What the Health”, demonstrates Dr. Ratner posing the problem of the “315 million people worldwide” who have diabetes. Andersen asks Dr. Ratner what “the correlation for diet and diabetes is,” and in return, he refuses to discuss the subject matter. Right off the bat, this intrigues viewers to continue watching the documentary, being curious as to why a doctor would deny discussion concerning the relation a diet would have to diabetes, when so many people are affected by this disease and fail to find a cure.
Andersen introduces himself within the film by telling a personal story about the reoccurring cases of diabetes and cancer within his family, which spiked his interest in researching the cause of these diseases and how to prevent them (Andersen and Kuhn). By doing so, he explains his intentions behind the making of this film and his motive in cracking the code of these diseases. The footage of this film is directed in a real-life perspective of his journey, by having his entire experience traveling and meeting with new people being recorded. He does this to convince his audience that this is the legit world we live in and not some made up story line telling fake information concerning the health industry. They used clips from breaking news stories and screen recordings of websites belonging to The American Health Organization within their film, that reveled that processed meats were featured on their “Eat Healthy Page,” even after being categorized as a “Group 1 carcinogen, in the same group as cigarettes, asbestos and plutonium, and classifies red meat as a Group 2 carcinogen” by The World Health Association (Andersen and Kuhn). Andersen and Kuhn make their film credible by using real-life doctors to expose the secret to preventing and reversing chronic diseases and uncover hidden information that the nation’s leading health organizations are hiding from the public (Andersen and Kuhn).
People who are interested in the effects food can have on their health, turn to documentaries like “What the Health,” which goes into great depth about the unknown dangers of the meat and dairy industry (Andersen and Kuhn). They’ve discovered that “the number one source of saturated fat is dairy”, although as young children, we’re served a glass of milk with every meal and are told by our parents and pediatrician that “it’s important to drink milk” and that “dairy makes our bones strong”. Realistically, dairy is a potential source of autoimmune diseases and is linked to multiple types of cancer (Andersen and Kuhn). The film also addresses the ironic nature of consumerism, as Susan G. Komen Pink Ribbons are displayed on dairy yogurt containers to advocate for breast cancer awareness, when dairy can increase the chances of women who have had breast cancer, to die from the disease (Andersen and Kuhn, Facts). Dr. Michael Greger states in an interview with Andersen, that “most kids by the age of ten in the US already have fatty streaks in their arteries, the first stage of atherosclerosis leading to heart attacks.” This is an alarming study that should bring attention to the foods children are eating at such a young age that cause the existence of fatty streaks in their arteries. By using doctors in their film to present this information to the public, people are more likely to act for changes in their diet; especially if it targets the population of adolescents who hold the so-called “greatest potential” to our country. These documentaries are an important aspect of the vegan community, being an easily accessible source of information on the internet, on websites such as Netflix. This allows people to be introduced to the vegan community by learning about the health risks entailed with eating animal by-products.
Along with the doctors represented in “What the Health,” other scientists and doctors have been running group experiments to analyze the effects these products have on our bodies compared to that of people who have eliminated animal by-products from their diets. Research studies show that the numbers of Americans following a vegan diet have increased substantially in the past fifteen years from approximately 300,000 to 6 million people, with the main interest in its reported health benefits. Vegans are found to have “lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes” as a direct result of eating a healthy, plant-based diet (Radnitz, Beezhold, and DiMatteo 31-36). An important component in maintaining a vegan diet, is to ensure you’re optimizing your diet to its fullest potential by eating nutrient rich foods. Vegans are sometimes found to have low levels of iron or B12, and “deficiencies of calcium, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B6 and total energy” if they’re not conscious of the foods they’re eating as a substitute to these nutrients (Mann and Mann S64). A typical vegan diet includes “fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, healthy fats, and whole grains”, although they’re not always healthful, as some “grain-based foods are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats”. Analyzing the exact benefits is challenging, as many factors are taken into consideration like sex, race, ethnicity and lifestyle practices such as smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep, and physical activity (Radnitz, Beezhold, and DiMatteo 31-36). Regardless of these concerns and possibilities of being a “unhealthy” vegan, studies still prove the positive impact plant-based diets have on our bodies.
Referring to my interview with Alex, she brought attention to the “interactive and friendly nature” that exists within the members of the vegan community, with the active participation on social media. She informed me that “the sphere of the internet, such as social media posts on Instagram, YouTube, and personal blogs” are ways that members within her community interact with each other. These connections are upheld through the bondage over similar moral ideals and creative ways to exist as a vegan. Alex follows an account called “FullyRawKristina” on Instagram to keep “learning new ways to cook vegan recipes and explore the alternative ways to eat without animal products in her diet,” (Alex McDermott).
Kristina Bucaram, (commonly referred to as “FullyRawKristina”), can be accredited for the recent societal spike in the interest of veganism and the movement that’s been created, due to her following of over one million people on Instagram and YouTube. She’s changed the face of veganism by normalizing the characteristics of a stereotypical vegan individual. Kristina doesn’t dress like a so-called “Hippie” with unshaved armpits and linen clothing, but dresses in a lively colorful style, staying in-tune with the latest trends. The idea of becoming vegan is now viewed as a possible goal to achieve, no longer solely based on religious values or ethics towards animal rights, with the outbreak of studies releasing the health benefits of eating a plant-based diet.
Kristina proves that living a vegan lifestyle is beneficial to your health by being a direct result of what life is like when you dedicate yourself to something you really want, or in some cases like Kristina, may need, in terms of illnesses and disease. She is amongst other vegans who began their journey due to a serve illness, Type 2 Diabetes, hyperglycemia (Kristina Bucaram). People who have hyperglycemia, suffer from high blood sugar levels due the “diminished effect of insulin on your body,” (Mayo Clinic Staff). In Kristina’s case, she was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, so her body was “resistant to the effects of insulin or couldn’t produce enough insulin to maintain a normal glucose level,” causing her to feel weak due to low levels of energy (Mayo Clinic Staff). She struggled with having to constantly monitor her blood sugar level, having to get shots of insulin every time it spiked. Before becoming vegan, Kristina decided to become a vegetarian at fifteen years old when she was living in the Dominican Republic and was exposed to the way that animals were raised and farmed, watching the people of the village cut the throats of chickens and skin them in front of her (Kristina Bucaram, YouTube). Becoming a vegan was a life changing experience for Kristina. She cured her disease at eighteen years-old by eating a fully raw, vegan diet, ridding herself of the impurities entailed when eating meat and dairy products (Kristina Bucaram). Over the last thirteen years of being a raw vegan, Kristina has proved to many individuals that it is possible to overcome Diabetes by eating a fully raw diet.
“FullyRawKristina” is one of many famous Instagram idols who is well known for her raw vegan recipes. Every single one of her posts on Instagram are vibrantly colored, whether it’s a post regarding a food recipe, or a picture of her performing yoga on the beach. She utilizes color on her Instagram feed in visually appealing way, that attracts viewers to look at her profile. Kristina inspires many people to take that initial leap in switching to the vegan lifestyle and committing to eating a raw, clean diet. She posts instructional videos regarding her vegan recipes on her YouTube channel that targets an audience who is looking for different ways they can better themselves, whether they’re vegan or not. A popular recipe of Kristina’s is her “Nice Cream”, which is her healthy, non-dairy version of ice-cream with the base consisting of solely frozen bananas (Kristina Bucaram, YouTube). She has a variety of “Nice Cream” recipes, showing all the different possibilities of flavors you can create, such as “Raspberry Cherry Strawberry Vanilla Nice Cream,” while still maintaining a plant-based diet. There’s an entire video collection of Fully Raw juice recipes posted on Kristina’s YouTube channel, that promotes different health benefits in each juice, such as her “Anti-Cancer Green Juice” and juices that are beneficial for your complexion. Within her videos, she simplifies the process of each recipe, making it easier for an array of people to understand and follow along to. Kristina records herself creating every vegan meal or juice she makes, so viewers can have a visual example of the exact process, in case they’re new to juicing or cooking. By doing so, she attracts a broader audience by catering to people who prefer a visual, step-by-step instruction. Kristina also shares videos that provide her viewers with “tips and tricks” to living a Fully Raw lifestyle and how to stay fit, such as “How to Get a Flat Stomach (5 Easy Steps),” (Kristina Bucaram YouTube). These videos not only provide advice on how to achieve and maintain your goals, but they also encourage her audience to step outside of their comfort zone and engage in new ways to conquer your goals.
These members of the vegan community have influenced Alex in such a positive way by “motivating (her) to stay healthy” and reminding her of her “true intentions in becoming a vegan,” (Alex McDermott). Alex reciprocates the help that “FullyRawKristina” and Kip Andersen gave her, (in losing weight and recognizing the harms of consuming animal by-products), by setting an example of an ideal healthy lifestyle for those who follow her on Instagram or are in her intermediate community of South Tampa. Her physical transformation in losing seventy pounds inspired others to change their mindsets about what they put in their bodies and how it directly effects their health in a bigger picture (Alex McDermott). The biggest stereotype, Alex claims, is that people assume vegans are always trying to force their ideals amongst others; although she gets her message out by initialing respecting people’s choices and encourages them to live their life in a way that makes them happy. Knowing that she can live a “sustainable and healthier life without harming other living species,” is what motivates Alex to continue her life a part of the vegan community (Alex McDermott). Although becoming a vegan is challenging at first, Alex has proven it to be worth every ounce of the time and energy she’s put into it, consistently presenting her morals throughout every aspect of her life. She “loves being able to live a guilt-free lifestyle”, always feeling satisfied with herself and her body, knowing she’s “consuming foods that are neither bad for body nor the environment,” (Alex McDermott).
My exposure to the vegan community, and specific members that belong to it, allowed me to fully recognize my drive behind wanting to become a vegan. I’m excited to be a part of a community of people who express the same motivation for health and wellness, as a desire to better myself. Becoming a vegan seemed impossible until I became aware of the extensive ways to become involved and join the vegan community over the use of the internet and social media.
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