By Tiffany Trinh If you’re on social media, odds are you’ve seen numerous veganism posts, where vegan lifestyles have been greatly advocated. Many, who are health or fitness conscious, have been considering making the diet switch, especially with so many celebrities going vegan. Dr. Pamela Fergusson – Toronto based dietician and health expert shares ten reasons why you should go vegan this summer. “I think we are going to see more and more people going vegan. Across the whole population in Canada, about a third of people are trying to eat less meat.” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 10. Get Yourself Photoready When we think of the benefits of going vegan, generally the first thing that pops into our heads are the skin-deep advantages. Vegan diets ensure general health benefits, which in turn helps with maintaining fitness. Clear skin is another physical attribute that comes hand in hand with veganism. Studies have found ties between dairy products and acne, and vegans completely cut out all forms of dairy. “People are inspired by the idea that eating more plants are going to keep them more fit, more healthy, maybe have great skin” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 9. Animals Are Our Friends To most people, slaughtering or harming animals for food is unethical and is an act that cannot be justified. In 2016, Canadians slaughtered more than 750 million animals for food. Along with enhancing physical appearances, animal rights are the other leading cause of choosing a vegan diet. The more people supporting veganism, the less animals suffer. “Something that never had occurred to me before is what happens to male chicks. Unfortunately, in all cases baby male chicks are grounded up or suffocated. Eggs can not be a cruelty free option” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 8. We Need Our Nutrients Did you know that we lose nutrients through eating animals? When animals consume plants, the nutrients are lost when they are cycled through them. When we eat the animal, it lacks the nutrients we need. This is why it is a lot more beneficial to eat plants directly! “If we can eat more from plants directly, that’s a much more efficient source of nutrients” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 7. Antioxidants! Chronic diseases are the leading cause of deaths in Canada. There’s no way to ensure you won’t be diagnosed with a chronic disease, but a plant based diet can certainly reduce the chances! Oxidative stress is related to chronic diseases. An obstacle to this oxidative process would be antioxidants. Plant based diets are extremely rich in antioxidants. “In terms of your long term health, eating more plants reduces your risks of getting chronic diseases” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 6. Better Mental Health Dr. Fergusson states that there’s a lot of evidence pertaining to the link between eating a diet rich in fibre/vegetables, and lower risks of illnesses such as depression and anxiety. When it comes to eating disorders, people who are looking to restrict their intake on food can be allured to a vegan diet. With that being said, veganism itself is not the root to psychiatric illnesses such as eating disorders. “That’s not a true picture of what veganism is - it does not predispose you to having greater risks of mental illnesses” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 5. Helps Reduce Our Environmental Footprint Land is being destroyed in order to produce crops, especially soy crops to feed animals. You may be thinking, what does that have to do with consuming meat? Well, to make our meat more wholesome, we need to stuff the animals we eat. Not to mention, in many places, Brazil in specific, they’re using large ranches to grave animals. These ranches used to be forested and produced a lot of oxygen. Adding on to this, we’re emitting high ratios of methane through all of this. Methane is the primary greenhouse gas, it affects global warming even more than carbon does. “A lot of land is being destroyed in order to produce crops to feed animals” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 4. You Can Work at Your Own Pace When switching to a vegan diet, it’s always a good idea to go at your own pace! The good thing is that there aren’t any rules to follow when going vegan. Dr. Fergusson suggests following some food blogs to get some inspiration (Hot for Food and Minimalist Baker are great blogs to check out!). Start with a few recipes you feel comfortable with and then go from there. “Some people are just ready to jump on board and make the switch to a vegan diet right away, others want to go more slowly” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 3. Your Taste Buds Will Thank You Vegan food is delicious! Don’t believe vegans only eat salad stereotypes, because that’s certainly not true. Plant based diets actually offer a large range of amazing tasting food. In fact, you don’t need to give up all the non-vegan food you enjoyed before. Vegans can still have ice cream, cake, poutine and so much more, because vegan alternatives exist. Some may not be as health conscious, but you’re still saving animal lives. “Making burritos that have sweet potato, black beans and kale. That’s a bargain meal and it taste delicious” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 2. It’s Cheap If you’re in college/university, money may be a little tight, but that shouldn’t discourage anyone from starting to live a vegan lifestyle. The main issue that people have with relying on a plant based diet, relates to finances. It’s a common misconception that vegan diets are more expensive, but that’s not necessarily true. The processed vegan food is what can get pricey. However, there’s plenty of cheap vegan food out there! Making vegan recipes on a budget is extremely easy. Buying versatile ingredients that you can use in multiple dishes is key. “If you want to buy a lot of processed vegan food that can be expensive. If you’re willing to incorporate more beans, potatoes, lentils, chickpeas, those things are so rich in nutrients, filling and inexpensive” - Dr. Pamela Fergusson. 1. Instagram Worthy Food Vegan food is colourful, fun and totally Instagram worthy! If you’re on the market for great vegan restaurants in Toronto, here are some that Dr. Fergusson suggests! Fresh and Grasshopper Restaurant are go to for vegan comfort foods. Cosmic Treats is a must for vegan baking and ice cream. For dinners, try Mythology Diner and for something a little more fancy, Planta. Vegan restaurants and plant based menu options can help vegans with feeling more comfortable about being social. “Especially in Toronto we’re able to get so many fantastic vegan restaurants. There’s a lot of vegan comfort foods now.”
- Dr. Pamela Fergusson. |
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