April 17, 2024

We’ll tackle a variety of issues in our blogs this week including: vegan nutrition, affordability, resources, and more. These practical blog posts will share input from members of our compassionate community about what’s useful to them. They were originally written as emails to support people taking the Veg Pledge. Since many of us are on a compassionate journey, we thought they would be more broadly helpful as resources available for all. Here’s our first:

The benefits of exploring compassionate living

If you’re exploring more compassionate living, it’s a big deal! By committing to one week of vegetarian or vegan eating, you are opening yourself up to a changed lifestyle — one that is better for the planet while sparing animals from lives of suffering, and can improve your health. And if you got here by referring friends, you took the next step in making a compassionate, sustainable, healthy future possible.

Wow! That’s a lot of benefit coming from one act. We wish we could say it was a simple one. It is for some, but for most people, it comes with challenges. That’s why we’re providing this series of resources. If you’re trying to move further in a veg direction, we think you’ll probably want some tips and tricks to ease the transition. And no matter where you are on your veg journey, we think you’ll enjoy seeing the responses from community members at the bottom of each post.

Key tips: Finding your core motivation and a support system

Here are some tips for maintaining a vegan lifestyle from one of our community members, Hannah Milos:  “Keeping in mind your core motivation for being vegan. Making sure you are meeting your nutritional needs so you have the health and energy to thrive on a vegan diet. Finding support systems in friends, family, or community.”

As Hannah suggests, it will be helpful for you to figure out what your “core motivation” is and hold it in your heart and mind with each meal. Is it your health? The health of the planet? The suffering of animals used for food? Or a mixture? Check out the community quotes below to find out what motivates and inspires some of your fellow community members.

As to the nutritious eating angle, we’ve got you covered with another post later in this series. Be sure to check it out!

Lastly, as Hannah says, finding support systems are key. Join Compassionate Action for Animals (CAA) for an event soon. We have both in-person and virtual opportunities. You’ll get information and good food — and you’ll meet others who are part of our vibrant, supportive community — maybe even Hannah herself!

Congratulations for taking this courageous step into a more compassionate and healthy lifestyle. You’ll be glad you did. And so will the planet and the animals!

Quotes from the community on where they find their inspiration and motivation: 

• The kindness and magic of animals makes me work harder to eat better and advocate. -Beatrix Olson
• I know that animals are sentient and have lives in their own right. I know that animal ag is a large contributor to climate change and that the SAD (standard American diet) has grave consequences for a growing percentage of the population. -Stephanie Paquin
• My health, planet’s health, animal health. -Don Price
• Compassion for animals, environment, health. -Roland Halpern
• Sentience and kindness. -Juliet L. Hutchings
• To reduce animal suffering. -Kathleen Jefferies 
• I believe that I should try and reduce suffering in any way I can, and a vegan diet is something within my control that allows me to do this. -Allison Gamble
• The threat of climate change on my kids’ lives. The horrific treatment of animals on factory farms. Removal of newborn calves from their mothers in the dairy industry. Human rights abuses in the meat industry. -Nicola Philpott
• I choose to be vegan out of compassion for animals. I was initially vegetarian for the environment, then I was moved to veganism because of ethics. I could not justify the sad lives and needless death of animals for my momentary enjoyment in food when I did not have to eat animals. I love animals and seeing happy animals in sanctuaries (and my rescue senior kitty) reminds me how smart and unique they are and that they deserve better lives and for their autonomy to be respected. -Grace Prins
• Love and compassion for all beings, end suffering. – Kim Milligan
• I went vegetarian in 2009 because I never really enjoyed red meat or fish and hated the idea of animals being killed for me to eat. I transitioned to veganism last year for those same reasons and also because I’ve read extensive research about how a plant-based diet is better for my health and the health of the planet. -Catherine Krummey
• It’s a black and white ethical issue for me. Being vegan is a completely viable and healthy choice in our society. We simply can opt out of participating in the suffering of so many living things. -Micah Norman-Pace
• A strong sense of empathy and respect for animals, the belief that it is the right thing to do, the desire to create a more peaceful world, a desire to fight climate change. -Hannah Milos
• Knowing the atrocities and horrible conditions of factory farms and slaughterhouses made me want to make a difference. I simply could not be personally responsible for the mistreatment and death of innocent animals just for a meal. -Sara Beth Olson
• There is no greater abuse happening to innocent beings on our planet than what happens to animals raised for their body parts and their excretions. -Phil Martens
• The environment and environmental justice inspire me. I work in an environmental career and I’m passionate about working to mitigate climate change and lessen our impact on the earth. It just takes so many more resources to support animal agriculture and we lose much of the energy we put in by eating animals instead of just eating plants (10% rule of energy transfer), not to mention all of the impacts to land use change, water quality, and global public health. -Grace Prins