We are what we eat.

That's a saying many of us have heard since we were younger. But it's only recently that I have personally decided to actually apply and internalize this into my own life and mentality towards food.

I was fortunate to have grown up having a deep appreciation for home-cooked meals and every vegetable or fruit that you can possibly think of. I love eating whole, plant-based foods a lot more than I enjoy eating out or processed-foods. But many of us have a dislike for our veggies and fruits, thus resorting to quick and easy solutions to satisfy our cravings. Well, this is seriously taking a toll on a large proportion of our population, especially here in the United States.

I recently watched two outstanding documentaries, Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives, that address both the environmental and health problems attributed to the consumption of meat, dairy, and egg products. When asked, "What contributes most to global warming?", the average person might answer, "Air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. Duh." However, it is proven that the meat and dairy industries produce more greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, than ALL modes of transportation on Earth (cars, trains, buses, planes) combined. According to the films, by putting an end to animal agriculture, we can significantly reduce pollution, animal cruelty, and even hunger around the world. It's an unfortunate reality that many of us are either: not knowledgeable about this subject at all or choose to ignore it (mainly because it's difficult to give up animal-foods).

Let's put it into context:
-To make one hamburger, it takes about 660 gallons of water.
-To make one pound of beef, it takes about 1800 gallons of water.
-On a plant-based diet, it takes half the carbon dioxide emission, 1/11 the fossil fuel, 1/13 the water, and 1/18 the land of what it takes to feed a person on an omnivorous diet.

The current western diet has proven to be a destructive force for the healths of people not only in America, but also around the world. The increase in fast- and processed-foods is correlated with the surge in cancer and heart disease rates. The leading causes of death every year in the United States are heart disease and cancer; one million people die annually due to complications related to those illnesses. The intake of meat, dairy, and eggs has caused cholesterol levels for many to skyrocket, causing plaque to build-up in blood vessels and coronary artery disease. About 40% of Americans are considered to be clinically obese and one in three people will develop diet-induced diabetes in their lifetime. Scientific studies have over and over proven that the ingestion of animal-products can activate cancer cells. But as much as they can be turned on, cancer cells can also be controlled, simply with a change in diet.

Food can replace medication if we use it right. At this time in the world's history, the right thing to do is to consume the least amount of animal-foods as possible while consuming as much plant-based foods as possible. The future of the planet is depending on our everyday choices. Our choice to consume a hamburger, a pizza, an ice cream cone, can be altered to eating vegan alternatives. By choosing veganism, we would do both our bodies and the Earth a huge favor.

And just to let you know, I am currently not a full-on vegan, whatsoever. Though, I fully support the vegan lifestyle all the way. For the past few months, I have slowly been cutting out more and more animal products. I have never felt more inspired by other vegans making a change in the world, and more compelled by informational pieces (such as those mentioned earlier) that educate people about what their choices can do to the world. The selfishness of humans and our choices have truly opened my eyes. I promise that my goal for by the end of 2016 is to be eating a fully vegan diet. If I can do it, you can too.

Eat to live, don't live to eat.

There will come a time very soon when people will not feel uncomfortable or strange over the concept of veganism, and when the majority of us will proudly be able to say, "Hi, I'm vegan."

Being vegetarian is also a huge step if veganism is too much at once.
If you could never be a vegan at all, that's fine too.
But consider all of the benefits and the fact that you're contributing directly to the very cause of this Earth's degradation.

The next time you're ordering a beef steak or buying a carton of ice cream, think twice.

For vegan inspiration and creative cooking ideas (and extremely aesthetically pleasing shots of healthy food), check out my favorite YouTubers:
-Mango Island Mamma (Ellen Fisher)
-Caitlin Shoemaker
-Tess Begg
-Henya Mania