One dangerous thing that most people do is assume that all the meat alternatives they find in the grocery store are actually healthier than eating real meat. Unfortunately, that is not always entirely true.
Sometimes, eating the mass-produced meat alternatives that are often popular in supermarkets can actually cause more problems. They can be loaded with unnatural chemicals and packed with a high sodium content that is actually very detrimental in high doses.
Some of these chemicals can actually make it more difficult to think. You don’t want to be stuck trying to concentrate because you think you are doing something healthy for your body but in reality, it isn’t.
There is a large market out there for health foods, but some of them are greenwashed to look like they are better for your body and the environment than they really are. It’s a sick trick, but it’s the unfortunate reality. Companies will lie to you or market their products to appear better than they really are to make a profit.
Once you go vegan, you have become a niche market, so beware.
You do not want to eat products that have a lot of MSG in them, whether you are vegan or not
These have also been shown in several studied to slow cognitive functioning and cause other health issues. Another thing you are going to want to look for and avoid is hexane. This chemical is very bad for your cognitive functioning and can wreak havoc on your system.
The best thing to do in any case is find recipes that utilize the freshest ingredients available to you and ensure your own health by knowing exactly what is in the food you are eating. If you have made it yourself then chances are much higher that you aren’t going to be tricked by packaging or promises that companies aren’t necessarily ready to follow through with.
Always be sure to check the sodium content and the ingredients in the alternative meat products that you are interested in. don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because they aren’t real meat that they are better for you than real meat is. The truth is that real meat might be better for you physiologically than some meat alternatives are. However, eating vegan foods for ethical reasons means that you are going to have to pay close attention.
It isn’t difficult to cook healthy vegan meals
This is particularly true if you are able to use soy as an ingredient. Soy, which is what tofu is made of, can offer the benefit of a meaty texture and plant proteins that can rival real meat. Just do your research.
Every vegan is different. Some want a healthy but fast fix, while others don’t mind cooking every single thing they eat. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there is nothing wrong with it, just be wary of your providers and the ingredients in the meat alternatives you buy to guarantee optimum health!
How to Beware of Greenwashing
Most of us have never heard the term “greenwashing.” In fact, it seems a little bit strange.
What is greenwashing and why is it something to be wary of?
Unfortunately, the world is full of businesses who want to take advantage of vulnerable people. The vegan community has a weakness that a business that is profit driven can easily exploit; they want to do things ethically and are willing to pay extra money for products they believe have their ethics in mind.
This screams “opportunity!” to businesses that want extra money for products that they might otherwise find difficult to sell, or that they simply have a surplus of or want to remarket to people for higher prices. Profit is the name of the game unfortunately, and whether we do it consciously or not, a lot of vegans play right into the game.
We already know that organic products and businesses that sell ethical products have to do so at a mark up because demand is lower and because it can often take more money to thrive as an ethical business.
This is something that greenwashing companies understand and can easily take advantage of. They believe the world is all nickels and dimes, and don’t think twice about deceiving consumers for the extra cash.
If you want to avoid being duped by a greenwashing company, you have to make sure that you look into the claims that they make. If the claims are meaningful and you can trace them to a source that is credible, then the company is likely genuine. But if the company is making broad statements or claims that are not meaningful, you should be wary.
They may just be using clever marketing to sound better than they actually are. Tweaking a word or the meaning of a word means nothing to these companies. It is all about what you buy into, and if they want to trick consumers to make a buck, they find no fault in that. So watch your back.
An example of a claim a greenwashing company might make is to claim that their product is free of something that all products these days are free of. If they are marketing based on the exclusion of an ingredient that has already been banned in your part of the world, then they are trying to sell you something that isn’t quite up to par with your standards. Keep a keen eye out.
Some brands that you should be wary of, as they have been known for greenwashing techniques, include GE, ExxonMobile, DuPont, ExxonMobil, and several others.
If you do your research there should be nothing to worry about. Just use discretion when you are shopping. If you are finding a brand that you are suspicious of, you can easily do an online search to determine whether or not the company is credible. If they aren’t, then you know what to avoid, and if they are, then you may have found a great new product that you can buy ethically!
Creating Meal Plans That Work
Creating meal plans can be a very challenging task, but many of us are more than capable of it. If you find the idea of planning your meals out for the week to be a daunting task, then you are going to have to do everything in your power to talk yourself out of that mentality.
Planning your meals can be a very rewarding thing to do
Not only is it nice to know what to expect, but it Is also great for your budget!
Starting a routine for your meals can take a lot of the stress out of your weekday. Structure and planning is often lacking in our lives. Everything seems to slip by so quickly; the time that we hope will be there is easily sucked away by something unforeseen.
But if you just follow a few simple guidelines, then creating meal plans that actually work for you should be a breeze.
First of all, you want to make sure that you are setting aside a time every single week to sit down and actually think about your meal plan. You don’t want to be caught unawares when it comes time to prepare a healthy meal and you suddenly realize you have no idea what to make, what ingredients to get or how long to expect you will have to be cooking for. It can be a huge mess and can often lead to unhealthy temporary fixes such as fast food or simply indulging on snacks or things that aren’t well-rounded.
Getting into a routine can help you reduce these issues. Pick one specific time every week to sit down and work on your meal plan. You could even do it a couple of weeks in advance, just make sure that you are keeping up on it. Take into consideration the kind of foods you actually enjoy.
Don’t go out of your way to incorporate foods you have never tried before or you may quickly lose interest. Think about things you want to eat and if you are new to veganism, simply seek alternatives to your favorite foods to start out with. that way it isn’t too much change at once.
If you want to build new habits you cannot overwhelm yourself. You have to do what you are comfortable with and make slow, steady changes. That way you are changing your whole lifestyle to fit a new routine, not always feeling like planning meals is something strange and foreign to you. Make sure you are thinking about the ingredients you have on hand and left over from the week when you are planning your meals if you want to be extra budget friendly.
There is no reason to waste food just because you are making plans for the future. In fact, planning should help you to eliminate waste and save a lot of money!
So if you want to make meal plans that work, don’t veer too far from the normal. Make the time, then make the meal!
What Veganism and Environmentalism Have In Common
A lot of people want to go vegan because it is something they believe lines up with their morals.
They are against cruelty toward animals and want to do something meaningful that will contribute to their liberation or to a better and more humane treatment during their lives in the factory farms where most of them are raised. This can be a very noble and worthy goal, but there is more to it than that.
Going vegan is important not just to show that animals are important, but also because the environment is affected as well. The same factory farms that are abusing the animals and keeping them in inhumane living conditions are also huge contributors to global warming and other environmental destruction.
The toxic runoff from these farms infects the water supplies, and the methane gas that is emitted in the farms, specifically cow farms, is horrifying. That gas can deplete the ozone, which ultimately contributes to global warming.
It is a horrible connection. Not only do factory farms cause needless suffering for the end goal of upping production of meat products, but it also ultimately causes issues in our water. There have been studies done of coral reefs that are affected by hormones and have been found to be sensitive enough that they have even caught sexually transmitted diseases from polluted water runoff.
If this isn’t a sign that we, as a species, have some responsibility to take with our practices regarding the environment and the foods we eat, or don’t eat, then it is hard to say what is. We all have the power to make a difference. Every single choice we make can contribute to a better lifestyle, whether for ourselves, our animal companions, or our families, friends, and future generations.
Some people may think that veganism and environmentalism are mutually exclusive.
They may not realize the very direct impact that factory farms have on the environment. Not only are they massively toxic and unethical, but they can even cause issues with food distribution.
That seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?
But the unfortunate fact of the matter is that each factory farm that feeds cows uses a lot of farm land to produce their feed. The cows eat the grains, then they are slaughtered and eaten. However, if there is a food shortage as many people claim, those farms could be utilized to grow food to feed starving humans, not to feed cows that are ultimately slain and eaten.
The food yield would be much higher if they were dedicated to foods that are beneficial for the human diet rather than the cow’s diet.
It can be very beneficial to live a vegan lifestyle. If you find it to be a difficult transition, remembering that you are supporting the concept of a better way of life with the choices you make should provide a boon. Remember that we hold the future in our hands, and if we aren’t fighting every step of the way to make it better, then nobody else will.
