Health is important but the greatest transformation we need is to end the current animal agriculture based food system. This is first and foremost a question of justice, justice long overdue for animals. Young people care about justice. From an ethical perspective, being vegan is the only option. Focus more on the "why?" and the "how?" can follow. We tend to always make it about "us" the humans but it isn't about us. It is justice for the most oppressed group of beings in history, the longest running trail of murder and suffering. We can change this. Veganism and the perspective change it brings is the first step.
Thank you for your comment Pamela; I share your sentiment. I think we need to figure out effective approaches for sharing the love you are expressing. I think communicating without judgment, always speaking with humility, and connecting to people in a way that resonates with their core values, is part of the answer. We've also found that people who go plant-based for health and/or environmental reasons often end up becoming more aware and concerned about animal suffering later in their change process, after they've made the jump to a plant-based lifestyle.
My why has always been the animals and eating healthy would follow. I’ve seen so many people say they were WFPB for their health only to to go back to eating meat. That’s why I say I’m vegan and I choose to eat healthy as best as I can.
As a busy Mom of three I've often felt on the periphery of the plant based movement in that our efforts have been sporadic. Picky kids (and grown-ups), standard school lunches, relying on frozen convenience foods, not loving to cook...it all adds up to frustration and discouragement.
I agree that the confusion surrounding the basics is an issue for the messaging, and that appealing to other values is an important piece for the future. Overall, I think the hardest thing about the WFPB lifestyle has been living counter-culturally and trying to unlearn years of habits with very little in the way of community.
Thanks to you both for keeping the faith despite the challenges!
Thank you for your comments Rachel. I commend you for your commitment to your children. Kim and I raised three kids as well, and we know how challenging that can be. I promise you, though, all that hard work pays off later. I also encourage you to follow Chris's advice. There may be a social support group near you that is part of the Building Healthy Communities network (formerly our Pod network). Thanks again for your comments.
Rachel, I've been leading a WFPB group for 10 years, and the support of a like-minded community is most important to the members. Look for a group near you at: https://www.pcrm.org/buildinghealthycommunities/map
Thank you for your work. That's in part my frustration. There is an urgency to this needed change that the lifestyle/health approach does not provide. If we place ourselves in the victim's position even briefly, we would not want our abuser to take baby steps in ceasing to use and murder us. We would ask them to stop immediately and that we be given our freedom.Change is depicted as hard for humans but it really is simple (compared to the daily reality of animals in agriculture) once we recognize our life-long conditioning to think breeding, using and consuming billions of animals for our wants is normal, natural and necessary. It's entirely unnecessary and just morally, ethically, spiritually and in every way, just wrong. Improved health is just a possible bonus we get when we truly take the blinders off and see what we are responsible for. We can change. It's the very least we can do.
Health is important but the greatest transformation we need is to end the current animal agriculture based food system. This is first and foremost a question of justice, justice long overdue for animals. Young people care about justice. From an ethical perspective, being vegan is the only option. Focus more on the "why?" and the "how?" can follow. We tend to always make it about "us" the humans but it isn't about us. It is justice for the most oppressed group of beings in history, the longest running trail of murder and suffering. We can change this. Veganism and the perspective change it brings is the first step.
Thank you for your comment Pamela; I share your sentiment. I think we need to figure out effective approaches for sharing the love you are expressing. I think communicating without judgment, always speaking with humility, and connecting to people in a way that resonates with their core values, is part of the answer. We've also found that people who go plant-based for health and/or environmental reasons often end up becoming more aware and concerned about animal suffering later in their change process, after they've made the jump to a plant-based lifestyle.
My why has always been the animals and eating healthy would follow. I’ve seen so many people say they were WFPB for their health only to to go back to eating meat. That’s why I say I’m vegan and I choose to eat healthy as best as I can.
Thanks for your comment Lydia
Wow, I'm in the 5% under 55! Makes me feel young!
As a busy Mom of three I've often felt on the periphery of the plant based movement in that our efforts have been sporadic. Picky kids (and grown-ups), standard school lunches, relying on frozen convenience foods, not loving to cook...it all adds up to frustration and discouragement.
I agree that the confusion surrounding the basics is an issue for the messaging, and that appealing to other values is an important piece for the future. Overall, I think the hardest thing about the WFPB lifestyle has been living counter-culturally and trying to unlearn years of habits with very little in the way of community.
Thanks to you both for keeping the faith despite the challenges!
Thank you for your comments Rachel. I commend you for your commitment to your children. Kim and I raised three kids as well, and we know how challenging that can be. I promise you, though, all that hard work pays off later. I also encourage you to follow Chris's advice. There may be a social support group near you that is part of the Building Healthy Communities network (formerly our Pod network). Thanks again for your comments.
Rachel, I've been leading a free
WFPB support group for 10 years, having a community of others eating wfpb is very important. Look for a group near you at: https://www.pcrm.org/buildinghealthycommunities/map
Rachel, I've been leading a WFPB group for 10 years, and the support of a like-minded community is most important to the members. Look for a group near you at: https://www.pcrm.org/buildinghealthycommunities/map
Thank you for your work. That's in part my frustration. There is an urgency to this needed change that the lifestyle/health approach does not provide. If we place ourselves in the victim's position even briefly, we would not want our abuser to take baby steps in ceasing to use and murder us. We would ask them to stop immediately and that we be given our freedom.Change is depicted as hard for humans but it really is simple (compared to the daily reality of animals in agriculture) once we recognize our life-long conditioning to think breeding, using and consuming billions of animals for our wants is normal, natural and necessary. It's entirely unnecessary and just morally, ethically, spiritually and in every way, just wrong. Improved health is just a possible bonus we get when we truly take the blinders off and see what we are responsible for. We can change. It's the very least we can do.