I wanted to share with you my reasons for being vegan, and there are three main ones:
Health
Firstly, I adopted a vegan lifestyle for the sake of my health. Now, I know some folks might find this controversial, but I genuinely believe that you can structure a vegan diet in such a way that you're not just surviving, but absolutely thriving. That doesn't mean you can eat any food that's technically vegan, like Oreos, and expect to achieve optimal health. Instead, I stick to lots of whole, fresh vegetables, plenty of nuts, and an abundance of fruit. I limit processed snacks and "alternative meats", eat out sparingly, and steer clear of artificial sugars as much as possible. Instead, I get my protein from foods like tofu, chickpeas, kidney beans, and lentils, supplementing where needed to make sure I'm getting all the nutrients my body needs. After two and a half years on this diet, my health metrics have never been better and my energy levels are consistently high.
Animal Welfare
The second reason I chose a vegan lifestyle is out of a deep sense of responsibility. I believe we're all obliged to be good stewards of sentient life, and one of the most basic ways to fulfill this duty is to refuse to enslave or cause harm to other creatures, even if they're less intelligent than us. The conditions under which we raise livestock for food are horrifying, and I feel it's important to face that reality rather than turn a blind eye. The mass food system prioritizes efficiency and quantity over the wellbeing of animals, leading to low-quality meat filled with growth hormones and antibiotics, and this has a profound impact on the animals and on our health.
A good documentary about our horrifying treatment of animals is “Dominion”, which you can watch here.
(As a side note, I believe that we must protect lesser intelligent beings because we must set an example for the Super Intelligences that we will inevitably create in the coming years. See: Open Letter to Super Intelligence)
Environmental Stewardship
Finally, the third reason I've gone vegan is the enormous environmental footprint of animal agriculture. It's the leading source of CO2 pollution and methane production, which contribute to climate change. If we're serious about tackling issues like carbon accumulation in the atmosphere, deforestation, biodiversity loss in our forests and oceans, we simply have to consume less meat. The health of our planet and our species is deeply intertwined with animal agriculture, and I find it difficult to endorse a practice that's causing such harm.
Since going vegan, I feel lighter both physically and spiritually, and I have the peace of mind that comes from knowing I'm not contributing to the suffering of other creatures or the degradation of our environment. I don't go around trying to make non-vegans feel guilty, but I truly believe the world would be a better place if we all moved towards a more plant-based diet.
(There's much to discuss about what a sustainable and healthy plant-based diet looks like, but I think that's a conversation worth having.)