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I’m passionate about animal rights and always happy to answer any questions you might have about any aspect of veganism. Feel free to contact me through the form on this blog. You’re also welcome to get in touch via Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr.
What is veganism?
According to the Vegan Society, ‘Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.’
As a result, vegans don’t eat any animal products – no meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey or other animal-derived ingredients. They also don’t buy any products which are tested on animals, or go anywhere that uses animals for entertainment. This includes zoos, aquariums, horse racing, greyhound racing, bull-fighting and rodeos.
Why go vegan?
Visit this page to learn about the reasons for becoming vegan.
What else can I do to help?
By becoming vegan, you’re already doing an amazing thing! If you want to increase your impact, consider getting involved with (or starting) a local animal rights group. You can also be an online activist by signing petitions, sharing articles about veganism on social media, or starting a vegan blog or YouTube channel.
Resources
- Bite Size Vegan – incredibly well-researched bite-sized videos on a variety of topics.
- Recent footage from UK farms and slaughterhouses – GRAPHIC
- NutritionFacts.org – thousands of videos and articles on nutrition based on the latest scientific research.
- Cowspiracy Facts – the true impact of animal agriculture on the environment.
- The problems with zoos
- Leaping Bunny product search – find products which have not been tested on animals and have no animal ingredients. Side note for British peeps: Superdrug and Co-op own brands are cruelty-free, as are Lush products. Watch out for products containing honey.
- Eating out as a vegan
- Happy Cow – find restaurants in your area with vegan options.
- Plant-based diets in pregnancy and for children
- Beyond Carnism – a talk on the psychology of why we eat meat.
- Vegan Sidekick – cartoons addressing the common excuses people give as to why they can’t give up animal products.
Recommended Documentaries
- Cowspiracy – the true impact of animal agriculture on the environment and why the leading environmental organisations ignore it.
- Earthlings – EXTREMELY GRAPHIC documentary about the ways humans exploit animals. Very powerful. FREE to watch.
- Forks Over Knives – documentary about the health benefits of plant-based eating.
- Vegucated – three people are challenged to live a vegan lifestyle for six weeks. A fun watch.
- Blackfish – the plight of captive whales in Sea World.
- Food, Inc. – examines the cruelty and environmental destruction inherent in industrial food production.
- Lucent – harrowing documentary exposing the Australian pig industry. GRAPHIC. FREE to watch.
Recommended Books
- ‘How Not to Die’ by Dr Michael Greger – a look at the overwhelming evidence supporting a plant-based diet for optimum health, including the treatment and prevention of all our most common diseases. Very readable.
- ‘The China Study’ by T. Colin Campbell – describes a huge study done in China which found far lower rates of disease and illness in populations which eat the most whole plant foods.
- ‘Proteinaholic’ by Garth Davis, M.D. – explains why protein is a misunderstood macronutrient and outlines how much we really need and where we should get it from. Very entertaining and extremely well-researched.
- ‘The Low-Carb Fraud’ by T. Colin Campbell – discusses the way food industries have misled us into believing carbs are bad when in fact they are what fuel our bodies.
- ‘Farmageddon’ by Philip Lymbery – the devastating impact of factory farming on the environment and the world’s ecosystems.
- ‘The World Peace Diet’ by Dr. Will Tuttle – veganism from a spiritual perspective.
- ‘Eating Animals’ by Jonathan Safran Foer – ahead of his son’s birth, the author confronts the ethical dilemma of eating meat.
- ‘They All Had Eyes’ by Michael Slusher – a former vivisectionist describes the experiments he performed on animals, and how they ultimately proved to be futile.