Adam Stansbury, aka The Plant Powered PT is on a mission to transform bodies across the country by helping men and women get fit, strong and healthy, all whilst on a plant-based, vegan diet. So we asked him to tell us what drove him to go vegan in the first place.
Adam Stansbury
I'll be completely honest, the first 3 reasons were enough for me to turn vegan, but here are 10 – I’m not attempting to convert anyone, although that would be great(!), but I want ensure there is more of an understanding of the impacts of the consumption of animal products.
Health
All additional arguments aside, this is the number one reason that resonates with everyone on this planet - no matter who you are, we all want to live long, healthy lives.
Going vegan or plant based means that you automatically remove 3 animal derived food groups that have been proven to cause cancer, heart disease and diabetes, amongst others.
- Processed Meat
- Dairy Products
- Highly Saturated Animal Fat
I have also found personally that without these 3 food groups 'On the table' it has been much easier for me to maintain a consistent weight and body fat percentage.
Animal Lives Matter
I have very strong feelings towards the industrial scale in which we farm and slaughter animals, which is more aligned with product off a factory conveyor belt.
If the demand for animal products increases along with the population levels, there will not only be less space to farm animals on the planet but an increase in the demand for meat, which will ultimately mean even more confined living and farming conditions for the poor animals – I believe we cannot let this happen.
I now get to live every day, eating every meal, knowing that I am not part of this cruel system anymore.
The Environment
Research has shown that the Animal Agriculture industry is the largest contributor of carbon dioxide and methane pollution which is causing widespread damage to the environment worldwide, including global warming, chemical run off into water sources, and deforestation of the Amazon – it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that living without ‘The Lungs of Planet’ could be quite difficult.
You don't need it
In this day and age we are very lucky, particularly in the western world, in that food is abundant. We no longer have the everyday need to survive, we are thriving and all our nutritional needs can be met easily on a plant based diet, especially protein, which is the biggest vegan myth ever. We don't need as much protein as we think and from my own experience my body now breaks down plant protein sources much more efficiently than it ever did with animal protein, with less waste.
A close friend said to me the other day “I think we’ll look back on meat as the cigarettes of this generation.”
Human beings are not currently living in harmony with the environment, there is no balance and it is showing.
You are NOT a Carnivore
We as a species do not have the characteristics of a carnivore, and are more closely related to herbivores with our longer digestive system to breakdown plant matter. Humans are in fact Omnivorous and thus have opportunistic tendencies to eat whatever is available when hunger strikes (survival), again many foods are available these days, so we have a choice.
Dairy is NOT your Friend
I grew up drinking gallons of milk and it seemed like the right thing to do, but we are the only species on this planet that drinks the milk of another animal, doesn't that seem odd to you?
There is a huge rise in the number of people who are lactose intolerant, new dairy free products are turning up every day, which means that our own bodies are rejecting it, yet we continue to drink it, lactose free etc, isn't it time we listened to our bodies?
Anti-biotic Resistance
Did you know 50% of all antibiotics in the UK are used on farmed animals, to prevent the spread of diseases, most commonly caused by poor living conditions? Remember that all those chemicals end up in our food chain for our consumption. We also have to confront the fact that some diseases and bacteria are now becoming resistant to even the strongest antibiotics – what do we do then?
I would highly recommend the short documentary SWINE for more information on this.
Anti-Inflammatory
A plant based diet is naturally anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact our bodies need to use inflammation to heal and survive but as with all things when they become chronic (constantly recurring) problems arise. Many ultra marathon and extreme distance athletes are choosing a vegan plant based diet to help with endurance and recovery after gruelling events, which is also spilling over into many other professional sports where it is essential for a professional athlete to recover rapidly after an event.
Nutrient Density
Plants either vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds etc are the MOST nutrient dense food groups on our planet, so if your diet is mainly made up of them, you are fuelling your body and stacking the cards in your favour to live a healthy optimal life.
What do you think all the huge mammals that we farm and eat, actually eat themselves? PLANTS of course, all protein originates from plants if you think about it and if it's good enough for a strong, powerful, muscular and intelligent Gorilla then it's good enough for me.
Living Consciously
I want to live my life in harmony with the world around me, I want to flow with life, not fight against it, and eating a vegan plant based diet is one of the first steps we can all make to start that process.
Living a plant based lifestyle is also the one thing that we can do every day to contribute to a healthier planet for ourselves and each other, when you're feeling overwhelmed by all that is wrong with the world remember that you CAN make a difference every day.
We make on average three food choices a day, maybe more, that's over 1,000 food choices per year, which means that you get the chance to make a difference over 1,000 times per year.
We all have the power to be the change we want to see in the world.
Tagged in Vegan Plant Based