10 Reasons Why You Should Go Vegan This Black Friday

Since 2005, Black Friday has been the busiest shopping day in the US. It's the Friday after Thanksgiving and marks the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season. This year, Black Friday is November 25th. After stuffing yourselves silly on Thanksgiving, it will be time to grab those wallets and start snapping up some bargains.

But we're not really here to tell you about Black Friday. We're here to give you a little festive reminder of the many reasons to go vegan. Any time is a great time to go vegan. But, Black Friday sits between the overindulgence of Thanksgiving, the expense and celebrations of Christmas, and the resolutions and promises of a New Year. To us, it seems like the perfect time to consider the benefits of going vegan.

You might be wondering "why do people go vegan"? Maybe you're curious about the benefits of going vegan. In asking this, you've made the first step! There are so many potential health benefits of going vegan, we can't possibly list them all here, but we'll give it a try! Read on to understand exactly why you should go vegan.

Why Go Vegan At This Time Of Year?

It's especially hard to ignore the excessive consumption many of us engage in throughout November and December. Overindulging in alcohol and unhealthy foods, buying expensive gifts… there's undoubtedly a lot of pressure and temptation around! We can't help but wonder: does it have to be this way? We think the answer is a simple "no". And we think changing this situation for the better is linked to the benefits of going vegan.

Decadent and delicious foods can be nutritious, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. What we buy can have the best interests of our planet and the creatures that inhabit it at heart. Simple, thoughtful gifts can win out over the latest expensive gadgets and throwaway fashions. For us, a plant-based lifestyle is more than just a vegan diet. It's a more conscious way of living.

10 Reasons To Go Vegan This Black Friday

1. For your health

One of the major benefits of going vegan is the positive impact it can have on your health. The health benefits won't be uniform for everyone, and will still depend upon your diet and lifestyle, but a vegan diet can do wonders for your bodily well-being. Vegan diets tend to include more fruit, vegetables, and plant-based protein. It can be so much easier to ensure you get enough of the good stuff when it's the central feature of your meal rather than an accompaniment.

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds form an integral part of a vegan diet and deliver plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Studies have shown that the benefits of going vegan could include lower cholesterol and blood pressure. To say it simply: vegan diets tend to be higher in plant-based ingredients that deliver high doses of essential nutrients!

2. For the animals

Animals are conscious beings who experience emotions and physical pain. Why is the mass farming of animals for consumption still acceptable when there are so many awesome plant-based alternatives? Take a look at all the amazing vegan products we sell and we doubt you'll argue with this one.

Think of battery cages for hens. These are so small that chickens can't stretch out their wings. They can't carry out basic natural behaviors and it's damaging to their physical and mental health. Farmed animals are transported to slaughterhouses in equally bad conditions. With little air, space, food, or water, they often die on the road. In the dairy industry, newborn calves are forcibly removed from their mothers within 24 hours.

Pigs are held in gestation crates in which they cannot even turn around. They are artificially inseminated again and again so that their babies can be used for food. Dairy cows are bred to produce an unnaturally large amount of milk, which leads to physical pain. Putting these things into words reinforces how shocking it is that we allow this to continue. We can do better!

3. For the environment

Looking after our environment is one of the most important reasons to go vegan. There are many ways in which meat, fish, and dairy farming harm our planet. The huge swathes of land that are cleared to farm animals lead to species extinction caused by habitat loss. And that's just one of the environmental reasons to go vegan. Let's look at some others…

a. Deforestation

Deforestation is a major problem. Animal agriculture leads to the land being cleared to grow soy and other crops to feed farmed animals. Deforestation contributes to climate change because when trees are cleared or destroyed they release their carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Deforestation causes climate change, climate change leads to forest fires, and so the cycle continues.

b. Livestock Production

Livestock production is also considered a major cause of climate change. Farm animals release dangerous levels of methane into the atmosphere - a toxic gas that has led to global warming. Methane is the second biggest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide. With the world population increasing and the demand for meat increasing, this could continue to worsen if more people don't switch to a plant-based diet.

Factory farms produce dangerous levels of pollution. Pigs, cattle, and chickens produce incredible amounts of manure that is too heavy to transport to distant farms to use as manure. This means that the farms tend to get rid of this manure by spraying it in huge quantities into the fields that surround them. This leads to urine and manure leaking into streams, well water, rivers, and oceans, killing fish and marine life.

c. The Fishing Industry

And whilst we're on the subject of water, let's talk about seafood. The fishing industry poses a huge environmental threat. Fish populations are declining and the demand for seafood is taking it away from the populations that depend on it the most as a source of survival. It has proven difficult to prevent over-fishing. The nets dragged through the sea by fishing boats destroy everything in their path, not just the fish they are out to catch. Dolphins, sharks, and seabirds end up dead.

So if you're asking yourself "why go vegan?", it's crystal clear that environmental factors alone are enough.

4. For other people

This is another multi-layered answer to the question of "why go vegan". Firstly, not many people talk about how poorly workers in the meat industry are treated. Low pay, dangerous and unhygienic working conditions, long hours without breaks, and the witnessing of terrible cruelty. Slaughterhouses often prey on undocumented workers who have few other options and will not speak out about their poor treatment. Workers in many of these meat facilities and farms are held in modern-day slavery.

Feeding grain to farmed animals uses an incredible amount of food energy. With the level of famine and crop failures our world sees, it's clear that we shouldn't be wasting so much of our food resources on the production of meat. MILLIONS of people could be fed with the grain that livestock consume.

Indigenous communities across Brazil and the Americas have been negatively impacted by mass meat farming for centuries. Even today, they are forced out of their land by mass meat producers and governments often do little to prevent it. Land invasions can be violent and indigenous people have even been killed in the name of land-grabbing. This is a dire situation that urgently needs to be addressed. Undoubtedly this is one of the most pressing reasons to go vegan.

5. For your mind

This is one of the benefits of going vegan that is less widely discussed. A plant-based diet could actually boost your mood. Studies have shown that those who follow a plant-based diet may be less likely to suffer from depression. This is because a vegan diet is more likely to include a higher amount of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. These foods are packed full of nutrients and contain a high number of antioxidants, which are thought to be beneficial for mental health.

6. For your bank balance

Are there financial reasons to go vegan? We think so! Animal products are not cheap, particularly if you want good quality. Vegan diets are full of cost-effective ingredients. Fresh fruit and vegetables don't need to cost a lot, and you can fill your cupboards with loads of affordable staples. For example, we sell a range of grains, rice, and beans which are a great way to keep costs low whilst keeping your belly full. Cooking healthy vegan meals at home can help your bank balance stay healthy!

7. For managing your weight

Going vegan won't help you manage your weight if you live on fries, bread, and vegan brownies. But we know you can do better than that! Recent studies have found that a vegan diet may help you lose weight. A vegan diet often means reducing the number of high-calorie foods you consume. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, and other plant-based ingredients tend to be lower in calories. This means you can eat more of them without worrying about piling on the pounds.

8. Because plant-based food is delicious

This is a more positive reason why you should go vegan! In the past, vegan food often got tarnished with a bad reputation. Maybe there was some truth in it as many of the awesome products that are now available didn't exist, and the vegan options in restaurants were pretty lacking and unimaginative. But as we show you at PlantX, that's all changed! So why go vegan? Because it tastes amazing!

Yup, a plant-based diet doesn't mean a compromise on taste. If you want something naughty and delightfully sweet, we've got a huge range of cookies and brownies. Delicious vegan cheese? Of course, we've got that too. At PlantX we select only the best vegan products that will keep your tastebuds happy. You can make a vegan version of almost anything these days.

We also have loads of delicious recipes that you can make at home. What about black bean chili or General Tso's tofu? Stock up on some of our amazing vegan products and you'll never have a dull meal. Let your tastebuds experience the benefits of going vegan!

9. Because we don't need animal products

There's an age-old belief that a vegan diet doesn't deliver you all the nutrients you need to be healthy. We're here to debunk that myth once and for all. All you need is a basic understanding of what nutrients you need on a daily basis, and how you can get these from plant-based foods.

Vegan sources of calcium include leafy green vegetables, milk alternatives, calcium-set tofu, pulses, bread, dried fruit, and sesame seeds. Vegan sources of vitamin D include breakfast cereals and soya drinks. Good sources of iron include pulses, wholemeal bread, leafy green vegetables, nuts, and dried fruits.

Many people believe a vegan diet won't deliver enough vitamin B12. That's simply wrong! Plant-based sources of vitamin B12 include yeast extract and nutritional yeast, as well as soya drinks and breakfast cereals that have been fortified with B12. And remember - if you're worried you're not getting enough of something, you can always take some vegan supplements!

10. Because it's now super convenient!

Why do people go vegan? Well, it's certainly easy! Gone are the days when vegan substitutes were hard to find. We are making a plant-based lifestyle as straightforward and accessible as possible. PlantX is a one-stop shop for all your plant-based needs. And you can shop from the comfort of your home! What's not to like?! The plant-based food industry continues to innovate in leaps and bounds.

We have an incredible range of vegan meat. Heck, we even have vegan fish and seafood! See, for example, these awesome vegan crab cakes by Sophie's Kitchen. And check out this vegan fish sauce by Oceans Broth! Vegan cheese? No problemo! We have a huge range of the stuff. If you miss something from your animal product days, we've got it covered.

Why Go Vegan - Some Final Thoughts

So, why do people go vegan? I think we've given you an idea by now! We'd be amazed if you've gotten through this list and are still wondering "why should I go vegan?". It's a no-brainer. Really. Why would you want to inflict such harm upon animals, people, and the environment? Why jeopardize your own health and mental well-being?

Making the decision to go vegan is a great move at any time of year. But we think there's no time like the present. As we enter a period of excessive consumption (of which Black Friday is a part!), ask yourself what really matters. Climate change is not a problem to be dealt with tomorrow. It's up to all of us to make small changes. If we all do this, our planet and those on it will benefit immensely. We're in this together and we can do better.

So "why go vegan"? Because it's the only way forward!

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