Seeking good health or higher consciousness?

We've come a long way as a species, yet we undermine both our existence and evolution when we succumb to fear. That inevitably leads to negativity, violence, pain, and suffering, all of which impact health, happiness, and personal growth. One way we can help counter that is through veganism. If you have the strength and courage, read on to learn more.

Everyone is part vegan, but if the thought of moving further in that direction makes you angry, uncomfortable, or defensive, then it may be time to take a look at what scares you about that, considering negativity stems from insecurity. In parallel, you could determine why you choose to consume the flesh and fluids of animals when there's now a wide variety of tasty, healthier alternatives available.

We're not carnivores, nor are we omnivores. Granted, the human body can consume animals when necessary, but the human body is designed to thrive on the diet of an herbivore. Everything we need comes from the earth; filtering it through animals just degrades the quality of that sustenance and leads to health issues. At times humans had to feed on animals to survive, but that's rarely the case nowadays. If you seek to do good, reach a higher level of consciousness, slow aging, or live a longer life, then you can practice veganism to facilitate that. Here are a few specific reasons to start today:

1. Health: The consumption of meat and dairy products is a leading cause of illness and disease. There are some who suggest otherwise due to ignorance or fear, or their desire to capitalize at your expense, but if you do your own objective research you'll find that meat and dairy are clearly unhealthy; both industries have been telling you otherwise to get your money regardless of the adverse impact to you, not unlike the makers of cigarettes. If you want a better quality of life or the chance to live longer, then confront your addiction to animal meat, milk, and eggs. Considering there are many substitutes for animal products today, it's not difficult to find healthier alternatives.

2. Awareness: Long ago we came to realize that it's not good to eat one another, even though we're made of meat. Now it's time expand our awareness and realize it's also not good to eat animals either. If we're to consider ourselves advanced or evolved beings, then at some point we must stop the senseless killing and consumption of animals. We can muster the courage to watch the videos of what transpires on farms and in slaughter houses to learn the truth, and that can provide both the drive and strength to do what's right.

3. Compassion: Animals are living, breathing creatures similar to us, and they experience both pain and emotions. They have every right to be here, and they suffer tremendously when they're confined, mistreated, taken for slaughter, and killed. If you value compassion, then consider the harm to which you contribute by consuming animal products. In addition, the majority of the world's grain, along with massive amounts of water and land go towards raising animals for consumption. If we all strive to practice veganism when the opportunities arise, we could redirect the majority of those resources and drastically reduce or eliminate world hunger, among other things.

4. Environment: Animal farming pollutes our environment, wastes land, degrades the quality of our land and water, contributes to the loss of biodiversity, leads to acid rain, encourages deforestation, and adversely impacts coral reefs. The methane alone produced by farm animals is a leading contributor to climate change, which is making our world a more difficult and expensive place to live. If you want to help sustain the environment in which we live and improve the quality of life for us all, then turn away from meat and dairy.

5. Spirituality: If you have the desire to evolve spiritually, then you can strive for greater awareness and compassion. Any valid religion or aware human being will suggest that we do no harm. We can no longer limit such thinking to people, rather we have to extend that to our animal companions. We can accomplish that if we stop raising animals for our own selfish reasons, which leads to unimaginable pain and suffering. Instead, we can gain awareness, rise above our fears, embrace the many healthy alternatives that exist, and simply do what is right. Our personal growth and evolution are at stake here, not to mention the future of our species.

It's not often easy to confront these issues or change one's diet, but you can do it. Human nature includes fear, and it's natural to get defensive or even attack something that is new or different. For your own sake, don't in this case. Going vegan will help you feel better, live longer, and evolve spiritually. It will also reduce violence, minimize suffering, and lessen the damage that is being done to the world in which we live. It's well worth the effort, so consider giving it a try.

* Allison Renee is a vegan who strives to spread awareness in order to help people improve their health, save the environment, protect animals, and reduce suffering.