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If there's a season that seems to go hand-in-hand with the lifestyle of veganism,
it's probably springtime. Although the beginning of the new year is traditionally the time
when most Westerners embark on the pursuit of personal change,
spring seems to be more aptly suited for this role. Symbolically
and literally, the ice and snow that have held many of us hostage
are reduced to mere puddles, making way for the return of flowers,
lightning bugs, and all kinds of shiny, happy things. People,
especially those of us who experience the change of seasons, become
revitalized by the heady smell of warm air and freshly cut lawns,
by the promise of picnics and the idea that we could comfortably
climb trees or twirl in a tire-swing if the mood should strike
us, even if it doesn't. Yes, it's easy to fall into facile clichés
and hokey imagery while describing spring, but people do seem
more friendly and more open once winter has gone on sabbatical.
Spring is about rebirth. Veganism, as a path that offers us the
chance to heal ourselves as well as countless others through our
actions, allows us the same. At its core, veganism is about the
transformative power of compassion within each of us, which is
why spring, with its promise of positive change, infinite possibilities
and hope, goes so well with it. For those who have already made
the transition to veganism, now is a great time to celebrate and
appreciate the decision you've made. For those who aren't quite
there yet, here's a list of reasons designed to inspire, motivate,
or, if necessary, browbeat you into considering entrance into
the vegan fold. Go ahead move toward the light! There's no better
time than the present.
10 Reasons Why it's Great to be Vegan in the Springtime
1. Bike, hike, swim, be active in the gorgeous spring weather, because your system
is not weighed down with animal proteins. A plant-based diet gives
us a sustained, healthy endurance, rather than the brief burst
of energy followed by a thundering crash typical of animal product-laden
diet. Think of it like the old folktale about the race between
the turtle and the hare, except that vegans, represented by the
trusty turtle, are a bit faster on the feet.
2. Springtime heralds a new season of phenomenal organic vegetables and fruit to savor. This is
a great time to splurge a little and support your local farmers
who grow without pesticides and poisons: the amazingly fresh juices,
salads and desserts will be well worth the extra expense. Of course,
one doesn't need to be vegan to enjoy organic produce, but as
one it'll enhance any feelings of strength, vigor and energy that
already come with the territory.
3. Go ahead... Have a barbecue! Fire up that grill, marinate those vegetables, form that veggie
burger mix into plump, delicious patties and have yourself a wonderful,
cholesterol-free barbecue like dad never made (unless he happened
to write "Diet for a New America" or some similar text). Afterward,
you may have enough energy left over (see first example) to play
croquet, badminton or volleyball. Want some recipes?
4. On your long hikes and bicycle trips, you may pass some cows. As a vegan, feel free to moo at them
without guilt: you're no longer an agent of their demise. It's
less likely that you'll encounter a chicken crossing the road,
but if the occasion arises, set up a picnic blanket and share
a tofu salad sandwich in warm, friendly solidarity.
5. When you take a pleasant evening stroll, enjoy a refreshing sorbet cone or vegan ice creme novelty. The
natural foods industry has exploded in the past few years with
exceptional culinary creations that mimic or reinvent the fat-laden
foods we used to think we couldn't live without: if you haven't
done it recently, go to your favorite natural foods store and
spend some time, walking up and down the aisles, poking around
in the refrigerated section. Buy something unabashedly frivolous
and unapologetically vegan! Then, during your next springtime
amble, you can enjoy all the decadent appeal of a warm weather
treat, without the added Bovine Growth Hormone, cholesterol or
latent animal suffering.
6. Just as the natural foods industry has had tremendous growth, so has the natural skin care industry.
Spring is a great time to release that fresh, smooth epidermis
that you know is just trapped under rough winter skin. Fortunately,
there are a lot of companies that manufacture cruelty-free products,
which means they don't use animal-derived ingredients, they don't
test on animals and they don't contract with any other companies
to test on animals. Natural foods stores are good sources for
these products. To find out what's safe, it's usually best to
use a comprehensive guide, rather than scrutinize every individual
label on your own: luckily, some animal friendly organizations
have already done this work for you. You can buy a really nice
guide from the National Anti-Vivisection Society or print one free from PETA's website. So go ahead - cleanse, exfoliate, mud mask, tone and moisturize
without guilt.
7. Eating a springtime worth of veggie casseroles, salads and sandwiches will leave you a lot more comfortable wearing
less clothing when it starts to get hot in the summer than if
you gobbled down chicken, hamburgers and steaks during those same
months. And if you're not supermodel svelte, who cares? You're
still in a lot better shape, physically and otherwise, than you'd
be on a meat-centered diet.
8. You're much less likely to contract food-borne diseases like E.Coli and Listeria if you stick to a plant-based diet,
so instead of spending a few miserable weeks in a hospital bed
under a doctor's care, you can be out enjoying the spring. Unfortunately,
because unsanitary factory farming practices have ruined soil
and water conditions in much of the country, it is still possible
that otherwise safe food, like produce, can come in contact with
contaminated substances, but it is much less frequent an occurrence
than if one were consuming animal products. Plus, the less often
consumers financially support the fast food industry, the industry
most responsible for the proliferation of factory farms, the less
often food-borne diseases will be able to spread to the food supply
in the first place. It's business 101: if the demand is diminished,
so is the supply.
9. There are so many great meatless cookbooks lining the shelves of bookstores now, it's mind blowing. It seems
like from the 1970s until the early 1990s, vegetarian cooks had
to content ourselves with using the same dog-eared, yellowing
cookbooks over and over. Now, however, there's a huge array of
exciting, original books to choose from ranging from classic Thai
to Jewish cooking, from very challenging to extraordinarily simple
preparations. Just go to any medium-to-large bookstore and find
the cooking section: it's likely that vegetarian cookbooks are
so well represented that they have at least several shelves of
space allowed solely to them. Spring is a great time to buy a
new cookbook or two and save some money by eating at home rather
than eating out. Also, if your colander is getting worn out from
you cooking that same ol' pasta and sauce four days a week, it
may be time to expand your repertoire. Spring is a good time to
do this, because of the new bounty of fabulous seasonal produce,
as described in #2. Also, you can use your new recipes to cook for friends who are
interested in veganism, but think it might be too prohibitive.
Now's your chance to impress the uninitiated with how amazingly
succulent, juicy, aromatic and phenomenal vegan food can be.
10. And, finally, spring is a great time to become a vegan because it's always the right time, summer, fall or winter. Why?
To recapitulate: Abundant energy! Radiant health! Clear conscience!
Delicious food! Compassionate living! Non-participation in that
which conflicts with your values (that was a mouthful)! But veganism
is not just about avoidance and non-participation - it's about
forging your own path, and living the best life you know how,
full of enjoyment, passion and satisfaction. You've got your own
ideas about how to live your life, and through your example of
living a compassionate, richly rewarding life, you will influence
others. Now is the time... Go vegan for all these reasons, but
mostly, go vegan for yourself. |
