Nourish magazine issue 76
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From takeaway menus to search trends, plant-based living has moved well beyond fad status – and shows no signs of slowing. We trace the rise of...
Gurus and experts alike have long proclaimed the health benefits of meditation. Now, it seems, there’s one more benefit we can add to the list....
If you want to get your gut in order, Dr Will Bulsiewicz is the expert to help you sort out fact from fiction. This is the gut-health cheat sheet...
In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, finding moments of stillness and calm can be challenging. In an attempt to find a little peace...
Roasted vegetables in smoky spices form the centre of this crispy puff pastry shell, along with a salty olive tapenade. Shaped into a...
Fake the bake with this delicious, decadent cake made with raw, whole ingredients.
This tofu scramble is tasty, super simple, and doesn’t take all morning to make.
This sensational curry is zinging with flavours, colours and textures. Serve with wholegrain rice for a hearty, wholesome and ultra-satisfying...
If you haven’t used liquid smoke before, you’re in for a real treat. You can find it at most specialty grocers, and it adds an amazing BBQ...
These tempeh stacks are light yet filling, and absolutely gorgeous to look at. Super easy to make – just stack the roasted veggies and tempeh...
Spraying sheets and pillows with calming scents can be a wonderful aid to slumber
The next time you go for a walk, discover the wonder of the everyday world around you
A skincare routine can be a way to nourish yourself inside and out
When the clouds converge, practise gratitude for the smallest of glimmers, and learn to dance in the rain.
From takeaway menus to search trends, plant-based living has moved well beyond fad status – and shows no signs of slowing. We trace the rise of veganism with the thinkers, dietitians and everyday advocates driving the movement forward.
Around the world, people of all different nations are discovering their affinity for veganism. From takeaway orders and packaged vegan foods to internet search trends and demand for plant-based products, interest in the plant-based movement has never been higher. Globally, it’s estimated that more than three million people are practising a vegan diet, with experts predicting that number could triple in the next 15 years.
“Veganism has become ‘trendy’, which is something I didn’t think I’d see in my lifetime,” says Katrina Fox, author of Vegan Ventures: Start and Grow an Ethical Business. “I’d become used to vegans being mocked and vilified. Seeing so many positive stories in the past couple of years has been exciting.
“I love knowing that I’m doing the best I can to not contribute to animal suffering and exploitation. The health and environmental benefits are a bonus. And I love connecting with others who share similar values,” adds Fox. It is these shared values that have the food industry watching their collective backs while clamouring to hop on board at the same time.
The term ‘vegan’ was first coined in 1944 by a rebellious bunch of members from Britain’s Vegetarian Society. Forced to break away after their views were blocked from publication, the group formed the new Vegan Society, after considering – and rejecting – alternative words for vegan, including neo-vegetarian, dairyban, vitan, and benevore.
The final decision came down to a combination of the first three and last two letters of ‘vegetarian’ because, as the Vegan Society said, “Veganism starts with vegetarianism and carries it through to its logical conclusion.” From its inception, the group rejected the use of animals for any purpose, and grabbed the nation’s attention with the first ‘vegan trade list’ of animal-free products.
“The science of nutrition was young, and some nutrients of specific concern to vegans hadn’t even been identified yet,” says Jack Norris, a registered dietitian and author of Vegan for Life. “Nobody had ever heard of veganism, so it stands to reason that resources like cookbooks were non-existent.” Fast-forward seven decades and the story is radically different. Unfortunately, the food industry has also undergone considerable change, not all of it for the better.
With modern animal-based food production growing to ballistic proportions, plant-based eating has never been more topical or relevant. “Today’s farm is less likely to be a friendly family enterprise and more likely to be a factory where efficiency takes precedence over respectful treatment of animals,” says Norris. “The plain, simple and uncomfortable fact is that production of animal foods contributes to animal suffering.”
In a country with such abundance as the United States, the consumption of animal products could also be seen as unnecessary. “Being a vegan is not the most we can do for the animals, it’s the very least we can do for them,” says Renata Peters, a personal trainer who has been vegan for 20 years. “Being vegan is a neutral position, a position of non-harm.”
For many people who opt to follow a plant-based diet, a growing motivation to adopt this lifestyle is looking at the way animal-based food production is also cruel to the environment. “Climate change and the melting polar caps are largely caused by livestock farming,” says Attila Hildmann, author of Vegan for Fun. “The United Nations reports that livestock farming is responsible for 18 percent of the overall carbon dioxide concentration; the Worldwatch Institute believes it’s more than 51 percent. Even if we assume that the figure is 18 percent, that’s still more than the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced by road, sea, and air transport together. If polar bears were able to, they would surely take to the streets to protest against livestock farming.”
Clare Mann, a vegan psychologist, teaches vegan clients how to engage with ‘the other side’. “I teach vegans to communicate veganism to others without judging or criticising them,” she says. “I help to lay out the facts that veganism is overwhelmingly preferable in terms of one’s health, consciousness, wellbeing, and the environment.
“People make all sorts of excuses why they can’t become vegan; this has more to do with tradition, habits, and resistance to change of taste buds – the latter of which is the easiest to overcome. I do have many vegan clients who are criticised, ridiculed, and resisted when they only want to open people’s eyes to the enormous benefits of the vegan lifestyle.”
The militant vegan crusader is not as common as the stereotype would have you believe. Sure, they’re out there – it’s a pretty convincing cause after all – but it’s only one type of vegan. “As with any sub-culture, there are sub-subcultures,” explains Zoe Eisenberg, co-author of The Lusty Vegan. “There are ethical vegans, environmental vegans, veganish vegans (this is Oprah’s doing), pop vegans (read: millennials), health-obsessed vegans, and possibly also raw, gluten-free, grain-free, and soy-free vegans.” Then there are paleo vegans, green vegans, and seagans (who are not vegans at all). You get the picture. An increasing number of people are attracted to the vegan lifestyle. Yes, it’s definitely a thing, and it’s catching.
“Since I turned vegan, four of my friends have followed suit,” says Dean Maher, a recently converted vegan. “My local supermarket has doubled its shelf space for the tofu/mock meat section. Menus in restaurants now have vegan options where they only had vegetarian options before. It seems that thanks to the Internet, all of the myths surrounding veganism are being quashed and demand is growing. It’s exciting.”
Driving the change is a heightened search for wellness and a backlash against the corporate food industry machine. “There is a huge wave coming, with more and more people getting sicker and sicker and wanting to do something about it,” says Kathy Ashton, a vegan of eight years. “More people are taking responsibility for their own health. More people are feeling let down by conventional medicine, more people are wanting to feel better.”
Between the years of 2014 and 2017, the number of Americans identifying as vegan grew at an astounding rate of 600 percent, according to research firm GlobalData. Meanwhile, mainstream health organisations like the American Institute for Cancer Research and the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are recommending a plant-based diet for the best health results.
“I believe that veganism is the largest social justice movement on the planet,” says Mann. “The growth is enormous with people waking up to the fact that a plant-based diet is unquestionably better for your health and is responsible for a lighter footprint. In the process, they become more compassionate to all living beings and the planet. In short, in becoming vegan, we create a better world for us all.”
This article was originally published under the title The Rise of Veganism in Issue 1.
If you want to get your gut in order, Dr Will Bulsiewicz is the expert to help you sort out fact from fiction. This is the gut-health cheat sheet...
In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, finding moments of stillness and calm can be challenging. In an attempt to find a little peace...
Spraying sheets and pillows with calming scents can be a wonderful aid to slumber
The next time you go for a walk, discover the wonder of the everyday world around you
A skincare routine can be a way to nourish yourself inside and out
When the clouds converge, practise gratitude for the smallest of glimmers, and learn to dance in the rain.
Gurus and experts alike have long proclaimed the health benefits of meditation. Now, it seems, there’s one more benefit we can add to the list. David Goding investigates the beauty benefits of being mindful.
Forget all those creams, concoctions, ointments and face masks. All you need to do is relax. Deeply relax. Not only will all those worries wash away, but so will your wrinkles. That’s the theory anyway, because meditation, when practised regularly, can have a profound anti-ageing and even beautifying effect.
Calming the mind can have a dramatic effect on the rest of the body; signals radiate both inwardly and outwardly through the nervous and immune systems, the bloodstream and intra-muscular structure. And importantly, the effects don’t simply last for the period of time you’re meditating. If you incorporate regular practice into your life, the physical benefits can be long lasting.
Meditation is the ultimate stress balancer. “Most people are like out-of-tune musical instruments,” says Swami Kriyananda, yoga and meditation guru and author of Meditation for Starters. “Because they can no longer hear the basic notes in themselves, their interactions with life and with other people produce only discords.”
“Meditation is the way to ‘fine-tune’ your instrument. A violinist, while tuning his strings, must listen carefully to certain keynotes. We, too, must listen to what life is trying to tell us – through outer circumstances and other people, as well as through the whispers of superconsciousness.”
Your finely tuned brain leads to a finely tuned body, counteracting the stress chemicals and hormones and resulting in both inner and outer happiness. This in turn is radiated in your appearance, to the point where it can even have a positive effect on those around you.
“During meditation, blood flow and metabolism are increased in areas of the brain that are known to be associated with feelings of happiness and wellbeing, such as the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system,” says Dr Gabriel Weiss, medical practitioner and author of The Healing Power of Meditation.
“This phenomenon is partly mediated by the neurons releasing a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which has been correlated with a feeling of happiness.
“Healthy emotional responses to meditation, such as happiness, are self-reinforcing in that the more time we spend dwelling in happiness, the more we are ‘wired’ to achieve the state of happiness.”
One aspect that is common to most schools of meditation – and there are many – which arguably provides much of the benefit, is breathing. Yes, we all know how to do it in a basic sense, but the more rushed and stressed we become, the quicker and shallower the breath becomes. Breathing slowly and deeply has been shown to enhance numerous aspects of health.
“Deep breathing produces improvement in the quality of the blood due to increased oxygenation,” says Dr Paul Galbraith, author of Reversing Ageing. “Increased oxygenation of the blood aids the elimination of toxins from the system.
“The movements of the diaphragm during deep breathing exercises massage the abdominal organs – the stomach, small intestine, liver and pancreas. The upper movement of the diaphragm also massages the heart. This stimulates the blood circulation in these organs. The lungs become healthy and powerful, a good insurance against respiratory problems. The skin becomes smoother and a reduction of facial wrinkles occurs.”
From takeaway menus to search trends, plant-based living has moved well beyond fad status – and shows no signs of slowing. We trace the rise of...
If you want to get your gut in order, Dr Will Bulsiewicz is the expert to help you sort out fact from fiction. This is the gut-health cheat sheet...
In the fast-paced and demanding world we live in, finding moments of stillness and calm can be challenging. In an attempt to find a little peace...
Spraying sheets and pillows with calming scents can be a wonderful aid to slumber
The next time you go for a walk, discover the wonder of the everyday world around you
A skincare routine can be a way to nourish yourself inside and out
When the clouds converge, practise gratitude for the smallest of glimmers, and learn to dance in the rain.
