Fifty Percent Vegan
On separate occasions, I was talking to some friends about diet and weight loss when I told them, "I'm fifty percent vegan." Their reactions were both the same, first a laugh-out-loud moment, followed by the question...
What the heck is fifty percent vegan?
The fifty percent vegan, for lack of a better term, makes a conscious choice to eat less meat and animal products such as milk, cheese and eggs without giving it up completely, similar to a flexitarian (flexible vegetarians). It's taking Meatless Mondays to the next level.
My personal reasons for this effort is to help support the vegan community to bring a better selection of vegan food in our restaurants and supermarkets. Thus, this would help people to go full vegan. Of course, another benefit would be to vote for changes in the meat industry, to spare a life, and to reduce my carbon footprint. Finally, it wouldn't hurt to lose a few pounds and to keep it off.
Facts for motivation
When cows pass gas, they release between 70 to 120 kg of methane per year on average. 100 kg of methane is about the equivalent of driving a car 7,800 miles or 12,500 km per year.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 14.5 percent of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GGE) are due to global livestock.
At the current rate of consumption, global demand for livestock products will increase by 70% to feed the growing population by 2050
Cattle raised for beef and milk are responsible for the most emissions, at 65% of the livestock sector emissions.
In 2016, the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences published a study revealing that reducing meat consumption can improve health and the environment.
In 2010, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) conducted a 5 year study that shows meat consumption was positively associated with weight gain.
