Problems With Following A Vegan Lifestyle

After 6 plus years of following a vegan lifestyle, I decided to distance myself from being labeled as a ‘vegan’ and to replace it with ‘plant-based vegetarian’. The  recipes I use could be made entirely out of vegan ingredients and could technically pass off as vegan but I still wouldn’t call it vegan. Here are my 5 reasons for deciding to ditch the vegan label for a plant-based vegetarian one – 

 

 

 

 

Extreme Views  –

Vegans on the western side can be pretty hard core and extreme when it comes to veganism unlike the eastern ones. Having lived on both sides of the world equally (for over two decades), I see that the western way is a whole lot harder to follow than the eastern one.

 

Eastern vegans and vegetarians have followed this conscious lifestyle as part of their religion for thousands of years without giving up and I think the reason for their sustainable journey is the fact that they focus on balance and try to do the best they can. 

 

Pure Vegans avoid bee products, leather, feathers and fur so this goes way beyond eliminating meat, fish, dairy and eggs. This can be pretty intense and hard to follow for many, especially if you travel a lot or want to have a decent social life. For people who like to add some bee products or wear leather (even consciously bought), this might invite pretty harsh criticism from other vegans.  

 

 

Nothing is Vegan –

Living beings are everywhere on this planet including our own bodies. There are unseen bacteria, viruses, parasites and other bugs that reside inside and outside of our bodies and they are unavoidable. You can’t get rid of these beings and they are part of us and our world. Ingesting some tiny bugs through our veggies, air or soil are pretty common and they end up making it into our bodies ultimately. Calling myself as a vegan helped me be more aware and conscious about my choices and avoid animal products as much as I could but it didn’t paint an honest and true picture.

 

 

Not As Affordable or Healthy As You Think –

Following a vegan diet isn’t cheap nor as healthy as you think. Many vegans eat highly processed food with unwanted filler ingredients which isn’t healthy. Even if we eat whole foods that are combined and prepared well, a vegan diet can still create some nutritional deficiencies in our bodies.

 

Some vitamins and minerals are found only in animal sources or absorbed better through animal sources like iron, B12, vitamin D, zinc, and long-chained omega 3 fatty acids. You can always use high quality food-based supplements to meet these requirements but it might be super expensive, confusing, and time consuming to find the right ones. 

 

Supplements can have ingredients in toxic forms with filler ingredients, recommended quantity might not be clear (High levels of some supplements can be toxic), labels can be confusing and time consuming to read for some people, might come in plastic packaging and so on.  

 

Basically, finding the right supplements that meets all your specifications is not an easy feat. For example – finding Vitamin D3, B12 or Omega 3 in vegan and organic food-based form without filler ingredients and in sustainable packaging isn’t easy at all. Plus, popping and swallowing these pills can be uncomfortable.

 

 

Sustainability Is Questionable –

Over consumption of vegan leathers and vegan furs made from polyurethane and synthetic materials isn’t obviously good for the planet or living beings on this planet including us. Synthetics are known to be endocrine disruptors and can cause major health issues. Going for supplements means extra synthetic packaging and processing that again isn’t good for our planet or our health. When possible, I believe in buying needed ingredients in bulk in zero-waste shops and making products at home. 

 

Social Life Issues – 

Veganism isn’t easy to follow for people who travel frequently or want to have a decent social life. People in your life might not understand your reasoning for being a vegan and it might cause some major distress in your social life. This article might give you a better picture of what to expect from your social circle once you decide to go vegetarian or vegan. 

 

Conclusion

Vegan and vegan fashion trend is still a strong trend and when done in a balanced way, it can be good for us and the planet. I would keep the above mentioned points on mind and make conscious choices so I won’t be forced to quit on the lifestyle.  

 

I find it easier to focus on minimalism, conscious consumption, and a high  plant-based diet with room for mistakes and short detours. The goal is to avoid animal based products unless I have no option (like plant-based leather) or control (like bacteria in the air). If buying leather or wool product, I would try thrift shops, online apps like Tradesy, or buy high quality ones that I can keep and pass it down to someone. 

 

The landscape is always changing so we might have better options in the future. There might be leather-like and suede-like materials in the future made from mushrooms, pineapple leaves, dried apple peels (juice shop wastes don’t need to be thrown away), wine and more. And you can keep an eye on Bio silk too. For more on this, read here on page 3. This is pretty exciting for us fashion lovers who want sustainable and conscious choices. 

 

Hope this post was informative and helps you navigate around your own issues on a vegan lifestyle journey. Are you a vegan? What challenges have you faced being a vegan? What are your thoughts on veganism?  Are you an eastern or western vegan?  Leave your comments below and thanks for reading. 🙂

 

 

Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence

–  Buddha

 

xx

Heel In Mint