Interest in Veganism is Booming in 2015

Interest in veganism has grown HUGELY over the last few years, and I don't even have to look at the official stats to tell you that. I know from experience. Three years ago, when I was vegetarian, I knew very little about veganism, knew zero vegans, and, admittedly, thought vegans were probably a little crazy. I was just so uneducated about veganism and there wasn't much information out there.

And then suddenly, around 2012, vegans started popping up all over the place. I couldn't hide from it. I tried to, for a little while, but eventually I had to face the facts, do some research, and become vegan myself. And in the almost three years that I've been vegan, I've watched the movement grow at an amazing speed. There are loads of vegan restaurants in my small city now, and even mainstream restaurants and supermarket chains are now offering several vegan options. Now, all of this tells me that veganism is definitely on the rise - but I also have some 'real' statistics to back it up!

"The past five years have shown interest in veganism grow in leaps and bounds."

The Wikipedia article about veganism, linked here, is a great source of information about veganism in general, with all sources well-cited. I tend to check up on it every now and then to see if any new information has been added. The other day, I noticed this (if you can't read it, drag the image to your address bar to see the full sized version):

Isn't it absolutely wonderful to see the word "mainstream" used in an article about veganism? Prior to 2010, veganism had little to no representation in mainstream media. Now, as this article tells us, the past five years have shown interest in veganism grow in leaps and bounds. The following graph details how interest in veganism has changed since 2009, based on visits to Wikipedia's articles about vegetarianism and veganism.

This graph tells us some amazing things. It details, by the thousands, August's monthly click rates for the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 on Wikipedia's pages about vegetarianism and veganism. Vegetarianism is represented by a green bar, and veganism is represented by a purple bar. As you can see, interest in veganism and vegetarianism grew substantially in 2013 for English-speaking Wikipedia users. For Spanish-speaking users, interest grew hugely between 2011 and 2013, with veganism being a much more sought-after topic than vegetarianism. And 2014 and 2015, if represented on the graph, would likely show growth even higher.

"The recent growth of interest in veganism is largely because of new media."

The recent growth of interest in veganism, as I see it, is largely because of new media. The internet is a wonderful thing: while it's undoubtedly full of unreliable information, it's also a great source of uncensored truth. Before the rise of the internet, you'd be hard pressed to find any uncensored information about the dairy, egg and meat industries without visiting these places yourself. Back then, these horrors were well-hidden from the mainstream population. But now, the internet has opened up a wealth of information that almost all people can easily find and share. Social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr and Reddit have played huge roles, each with their own vegan communities. These communities can share information about animal agriculture, which, thanks to the vastness of social media, will quickly and easily spread across the globe.

Google Trends has also recorded the same rise in interest in veganism over the past few years. Compassion Over Killing has written an article all about it, teamed with a very interesting animation showcasing the increase of searches related to veganism between 2008 and 2013. Below is a graph of Google Trends data representing the increase of interest in veganism between 2004 and 2015. As you can see, between 2004 and 2010, interest in the topic was fairly steady, but rapidly began to increase around 2011. As you can also see, interest is continuing to increase, and Google Trends predicts a further increase in 2016 and beyond. This data is in line with my own observations about the growth of veganism in recent years.

What does all this information tell us? Well, the way I see it, it tells us vegans that we're making a real difference. As interest in veganism spreads around the globe, and as more and more people make the switch, interest will only continue to rise. This information tells us that it's all worth it. We don't have any hard data telling us exactly how many vegans there are in the world - but at least we know that interest is growing and will continue to grow. The more people know about veganism, the more people will make the change. Here's to more vegans and less suffering in 2016 and beyond!

 

How Veganism Improved My Life

Let's start off with a short back-story. Prior to becoming vegan, I was vegetarian for twelve years, and 'omnivorous' for six years prior to that (from birth). I grew up as an adamant animal lover, which naturally led me to my decision to become vegetarian once I discovered where meat comes from. I was six years old when I made the choice, and was lucky enough to have a supportive family. You can read more about my transition to vegetarianism here.

My switch from vegetarian to veganism was ignited by a short YouTube video I watched about meat, dairy and egg production. Previously, I'd never put much thought into what egg and dairy production could involve - like many others, I naively thought eggs and dairy came from happy chickens and cows on happy farms. I never considered the idea that animals are not ours to use or exploit. I was a pretty awful vegetarian anyway, occasionally consuming gelatine and other 'sneaky' animal by-products. I was under the impression that the animals were going to die anyway, so not eating them wasn't going to change anything (silly, I know). I was very naive then, but I know better now. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the video that inspired my transition to veganism, so I can't link it here - but there are various other similar videos available around the web. Earthlings is a popular (and very effective) example.

As a vegetarian, I cared deeply about animals, but was completely disconnected from reality. I knew the very basics - meat comes from dead animals; but I didn't think about the consequences of supporting egg, dairy and other animal by-product industries. All I knew was that I didn't want to eat dead animals, because to me, eating living beings was wrong - and it still is. Now, however, I know that exploiting animals in any way, shape or form is wrong as well. I'm very thankful for that initial YouTube video I watched, because it pointed me in the right direction. It led me towards a world of wonderful vegan resources and information I'd never seen before... the sort of information you'd rarely find in mainstream media.

"Veganism has opened me up to a whole world of new information, possibilities, opportunities and knowledge."

Now that I'm vegan, my life has changed in many ways - 95% of which are very positive. The only negative aspect stems from my heightened awareness. I now know of horrors I could previously never have imagined, and that's sad as hell. Sometimes I can't help but cry and mourn the lives of the millions of animals who lose their lives each day. At least now I know I'm no longer directly contributing to this horror.

But let's focus on the positives - of which there are plenty. Veganism has opened me up to a whole world of new information, possibilities, opportunities and knowledge. Stuff I'd never thought or known about before.

Here are just a few of the many ways my life has improved since becoming vegan.

I found a new love for cooking

As a vegetarian, I never cooked. Ever! Since I was a high school student living with my family at the time, I suppose that isn't all too surprising... but I simply had no interest in cooking at all. In fact, I despised it. Any food I did prepare was either microwaved or toasted, and it was always really basic, bland stuff.

As a vegan, my outlook towards cooking has completely changed. I love it now! I've only just emerged into the wonderful world of food preparation, but I've already made everything from pasta bake to mac 'n' cheese to enchiladas. They're not the fanciest meals, I know, but I think it's pretty good for someone who was previously limited to making toast and peanut butter sandwiches.

"Since becoming vegan, I've also discovered a wide variety of new foods that I never even considered eating before."

Since becoming vegan, I've also discovered a wide variety of new foods that I never even considered eating before. I appreciate food and enjoy eating it much more than I used to. Eating out at vegan restaurants is always an amazing experience - there are so many different and interesting foods to try. As a vegetarian, I would always pick the same basic meal (usually only hot chips or wedges) whenever I ate out, but now I'm always keen to try new things and customise meals to suit my taste.

My health improved

As a vegetarian, I never had any serious health problems. I ate relatively well, but never made any particular effort to be especially healthy. I was incredibly unfit, constantly lethargic and suffered from regular migraines (which is a genetic issue that can't be cured completely through diet, but becoming vegan has definitely helped). I ate way too much crappy snack food and drank way too much crappy soft drink. I lived a very sedentary lifestyle, rarely went out in the sun, and slept for most of the afternoon.

Now, as a vegan, I'm still not the healthiest person in the world, but I've experienced vast improvements. I wake up earlier, I make a greater effort to ensure I'm getting all the vitamins and minerals I need, and I've started exercising regularly. Now that I'm making a real effort to eat healthily, I feel much more motivated and inspired in general. I'm eager to prove to my non-vegan family and friends that a compassionate lifestyle is a healthy lifestyle.

When you think about beautiful beings like this little one being harmed, it's much harder not to be vegan
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I realised how easy veganism is

Like many others, I used to think I could never be vegan. As a lover of flavoured milk, chocolate, cake, ice-cream and other dairy-laden desserts, I couldn't imagine living a plant-based lifestyle. I thought vegan eating was really difficult and that you'd need terribly strong willpower in order to eat such a 'restricted' diet. How wrong I was!

"As a vegetarian, I thought vegan eating was really difficult and that you'd need terribly strong willpower in order to eat such a 'restricted' diet. How wrong I was!"

Since becoming vegan, I've realised just how easy it is. There are vegan substitutes for absolutely everything - even foods you totally wouldn't expect, like shrimp, oysters and calamari. There are several 100% vegan restaurants in my area selling burgers, pasta, noodles, rice dishes - anything I could ever want! There's even a fully vegan grocery store, as well as several online stores providing cheap and easy delivery.

In fact, I find veganism even easier than vegetarianism ever was. With vegetarianism, blurred lines lie between which food products are acceptable and which aren't. Some vegetarians eat animal by-products such as gelatine, carmine and insect-derived shellac; some don't. With veganism, there are no blurred lines. It's simple - if a product contains animal-derived ingredients of any kind, don't eat it. Easy!

I developed a positive outlook on life

Despite now knowing about the horror that goes on behind the scenes every day in the world of food production, I now have a more positive outlook on life than ever before. That's because I know I'm doing good. I know that change is coming. More and more people are becoming vegan. Vegan restaurants, cafes and stores are popping up all over my city and around the world. More vegan substitutes are available than ever before. Animal rights awareness is growing rapidly. Mainstream media is starting to promote veganism. Times are a-changin'!

Now that I'm vegan, I feel like I have a purpose in life - and that purpose is to do the very best I can to make the world a better place for whoever's left behind when I'm gone. People, animals, the environment - veganism does good for everyone and everything. Through my blog, I'm spreading the word about our movement so more and more people can get on board.

"Vegan restaurants, cafes and stores are popping up all over my city and around the world. More vegan substitutes are available than ever before. Animal rights awareness is growing rapidly. Mainstream media is starting to promote veganism."

If you're not vegan and you're looking for a way to improve your life and the lives of others, you should definitely consider making the switch. This post barely begins to describe the hundreds of ways that veganism has changed my life for the better. If you want to find out, try it for yourself. If you're vegan already, spread this message - spread positivity. Everyone deserves to reap the benefits of the vegan lifestyle; for the sake of humankind, the animals and our world.

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7 Inspiring Vegans Over Sixty

Remaining completely healthy, energetic and youthful past the age of sixty seems like an unachievable dream for many people. I don't blame them - many people who reach this older age generally do suffer from health problems, reduced energy and declining cognitive ability. Not all, though. It doesn't have to be that way. If you want to feel energetic, happy, healthy and youthful well past the age of sixty, veganism is the way to go.

Despite what meat-enthusiasts tend to say, most vegans know for sure that there's nothing unhealthy or damaging about the vegan lifestyle. In fact, many see it as the healthiest possible way to live. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? Living compassionately, caring for others and helping the environment as much as possible is bound to have a positive outcome for all involved.
In this post, I've compiled some fantastic examples of wonderful, compassionate people who have lived the vegan lifestyle for a great number of years and reaped the benefits. Please enjoy their stories. If these seven people don't inspire you, I don't know who will.

Dr. Ellsworth Wareham 

If anyone can convince you that living a vegan lifestyle is incredibly beneficial for your health, it's Dr. Ellsworth Wareham. He's been vegan for nearly forty years. At 99 years old, he barely looks a day over 70, and is wonderfully articulate and witty for his age. He spent the majority of his life working as cardiothoracic surgeon, stopping just four years ago, at age 95 - now, that's what I call inspiring! If anyone ever tells you that vegans don't get all the nutrients they need to live a full and healthy life, tell them about Dr. Ellsworth Wareham. There's no way they could rebut you. He's a heart doctor after all, and knows what's good and right for our bodies.

Dr. Warehouse credits his good health and longevity partially to his vegan lifestyle, as well as his dedication to maintaining a stress and worry-free state of mind. Many of us, including myself, could learn a great deal from this inspiring man.

Watch an interview with him here.

Jim Morris 

Jim Morris is 70 years old and his well-built physique is more impressive than that of your average 20-something. He has been vegetarian since 1985, at age 50, and vegan since 2000, at age 65. He has a 30-year competitive body-building career under his belt and owns his own gym. He has maintained his muscular, sculpted physique since very early in life, and his health has only improved since becoming vegan.

Before adopting his new lifestyle, Morris suffered from debilitating arthritic pain every night. Since become vegan, his pain has completely diminished. He also attributes an improvement in eyesight to his plant-based diet and compassionate lifestyle.

You can visit his website here.

Mimi Kirk

Mimi Kirk, once voted America's Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50 (and you can see why), is 71 years old. She has been a raw vegan since age 69 and a vegetarian since her early 30s. Interestingly, she was influenced to stop eating meat when she accidentally bit the back of her hand while eating a roast beef sandwich! This encouraged the sudden realisation that roast beef is animal flesh, and she vowed never to eat meat again. And what a great vow to take. It's clearly paid off wonderfully for her, and for the animals as well.

Kirk demonstrates an excellent attitude towards life and older age. Despite being 71, she claims to feel as fresh, free and energetic as she did at 20. Kirk's story is a wonderful example of how living compassionately can improve every aspect of your existence.

Check out Mimi's website here.

Annette Larkins

Annette Larkins looks fresh, healthy and stunningly beautiful at 72 years old. She lives a highly dedicated, raw vegan lifestyle and eats directly from her own home-grown garden. She became vegetarian in the 60s, and has been eating a completely raw diet for over 27 years. She refers to her garden as her 'fountain of youth', and it's easy to see why.

Her husband, who is an omni (and looks 30 years older than Annette), now wishes that he had decided to make the same lifestyle change as his wife. He is bombarded with questions about his partner when out in public - people often ask if Annette is his granddaughter!

Her mind is as functional as ever - Annette spends her free time building computers, sewing her own clothes and gardening. She can also speak three languages!

Larkins's website is available here.

Janette Murray-Wakelin and Alan Murray

I saw Janette Murray-Wakelin and Alan Murray at the Vegan Festival in Adelaide this year. They both looked fantastic and their wonderful speech was very inspiring - they have set the bar incredibly high for people their age. At age 64 and 68 respectively, Janette and her husband ran 365 marathons in 2013. That's a marathon every day for a year without a single break - an achievement most people half their age could only dream of.

Janette and Alan are both raw vegans. They love their fruit and often consume over 30 bananas per day, along with fruit-and-veg-laden green smoothies. They promote kindness to all life - including animals, of course - and attribute their astonishing fitness levels to their compassionate lifestyle.

Check out their website here.

Storm Talifero 

Storm Talifero is a 64-year-old raw vegan (I'm starting to see a pattern here...) He has followed his healthy, cholesterol-free lifestyle since 1972 - and looks just like he was born then! Like the other raw vegans in this post, Talifero credits his youthful appearance, energy and happiness to his fresh, delicious and completely unprocessed diet. He has written his own book, "The Garden Diet" (doesn't that sound much more appealing than "The Dead Bodies Diet"?) and produced "Breakthrough", a documentary about raw veganism.

Storm believes that following a raw vegan lifestyle is the best way to slow down the ageing process, living by the motto "fresh is best". He's a living manifestation of this belief.

His website can be found here.