The Vegan Lifestyle:

When we clinked our glasses, hoping to become better versions of ourselves the next year we really didn’t know what we were up against. Our fast paced lives came to a halt when 2020 rolled in with the unexpected that made everything else look so frivolous.  This year gives us an opportunity to understand the world we have built for ourselves by putting us through testing situations like the pandemic.

We are given an opportunity to reflect on our actions and give ourselves a little reality check. Our roller coaster of a life has come to a halt and the importance of being healthy physically, mentally and emotionally has sky rocketed. According to a recent study the trend of Veganism has taken over today’s generation with 0.1% vegan population worldwide!

What is the vegan lifestyle?

While scrolling through social media, all of us must have seen hashtags like

• #Govegan
• #livingtheveganlife
• #vegancommunity

popping off on our feed and the thought of “what is the vegan lifestyle?” and “why is it a trend?” might have come to our minds.  Veganism is more than a diet, it is a belief that one can have a peaceful and healthy lifestyle excluding animal cruelty, making it the only #alllivesmatter we support! They are the voice of animals who cannot fend for themselves, a bold community who strongly support each other through thick and thin. To become a part of this community is riveting, enlightening and provides a sense of satisfaction which honestly all of us are looking for.

Why choose the vegan lifestyle?

It is Sunday morning, feeling lazy you order a juicy cheeseburger from your favourite diner and those crispy fries fired in lard. You feel a little guilty about your choices but hey, you deserve this treat. The rush of serotonin boosts when you take the first bite but have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of making this seemingly harmless hamburger?

According to PETA, it takes 2400 gallons of water to make one pound of beef in the world. There are 17 million livestock currently present at the end of our knife, thrice more than the whole human population of the world! More than 40% of freshwater is used for irrigation of grains used to feed the livestock. While our wells, rivers, lakes run dry, we keep running on the field track trying to shed the one guilty hamburger we ate.

Forests are sawed down to create more land for agriculture and livestock harming the natural habitat of millions of other animals, insects and birds. Even if one person chooses to shift to a plant based diet, they can reduce the exploitation of natural resources and animals worldwide!

Adopting the vegan lifestyle sounds impossible but it is a whole new world of undiscovered flavors and possibilities ready to be explored. The cuisine is minimal yet powerful where every ingredient has their own identity. It is a motivating story that is spicy and sweet and leaves with longing for another one. A black horse of the culinary world that rises to the top of the ranks gaining everyone’s respect and admiration along the way.

Giving a chance to understand the simple process of preparing a dish to the complex flavours erupting makes you completely forget the things you were missing.

 Can Health and Taste go together?

How many of us wish that we can scarf down a plate of cheesy nachos while watching a reality TV show or eat a whole tub of ice cream as a “snack” without feeling guilty? Well there is! The vegan cuisine provides you with an extensive range of dishes that are surprisingly more delicious, healthy and environment friendly as compared to any other normally prepared dishes.

But you must be wondering, how can one recreate the same flavor with so many ingredients eliminated?

• A ripe avocado filled with smooth cashew cream
• Colourful acai bowls topped with cacao nibs
• Spicy Jackfruit tacos with a dash of tacos
• Sweet mango and chia puddings to satisfy that sweet tooth
• Crispy nachos topped with cashew cheese sauce and pico de gallo

are few of the many dishes that were created on the path of flavor town.

These dishes are not only satisfy your cravings but also introduce you to new flavours that you will love and cherish.

There exists a widely known myth surrounding veganism that it is flavourless, limited, constricting but that is instantly busted when you actually start exploring the endless options that veganism provides. Today plant based alternatives are found at your local grocery front and are used with different techniques of cooking to replicate the flavour of the authentic dish or create a whole new dish all together. It is a growing community who learn and innovate with fresh produce.   Vegan food has become a lifestyle of its own and holds the placard of change for the better in this world.

Following this lifestyle has implications beyond you and me, it is a movement that calls out the unjust and supports the needy. The vegan community believes in compassion and empathy to all living beings and provides a better way of sustaining our natural habitats while staying healthy and happy.

Every person is unique in their own way and that should be taken into consideration when a vegan lifestyle is adopted. It is a lifestyle which is easily affordable though lacks certain essential nutrients needed for the body to function but in no way is harmful to our lives.

This society has given us a lot since the beginning of time, by becoming a part of this community you also give back to the society for the gifts it has bestowed upon us. Being vegan is not the only way of leading a healthy lifestyle rather just one of the many paths customized for certain people who share the same beliefs. It has some pros and cons like any other and we can learn along the way together.

So don’t knock it until you try it!