SPIRITUALITY AND VEGANISM: WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP?
Spirituality is about many things: meaning-making, connecting with the earthly and otherworldly, personal deepening, heightened awareness and compassion. Just to name a few things. It is common for people who have a spiritual awakening to see their beliefs change. And so it is that quite a lot of spiritual people go vegan, or at least consider it. Read all about the relationship between veganism and spirituality in this article.
What exactly does veganism entail?
Veganism is a lifestyle in which one chooses not to consume and use animal products. No meat on your plate, in other words. But also no dairy, eggs or honey. Even buying or wearing leather does not feel okay to most vegans. Eating and living vegan is a choice often made out of ethical considerations. You don't necessarily have to eat more meat or dairy these days to get your nutrients. This can be done with a little reading up, including meat substitutes such as soya, pulses and other healthy and not so healthy products.
From croquettes to ice cream and biscuits: there are many vegan varieties of every snack. So you don't have to miss out on anything in terms of taste either. What you do miss when you cut animal products out of your diet completely are some vitamins. Vitamin B12 is a particular concern. Its deficiency can lead to serious symptoms. So take a good look at which supplements you should take to keep a vegan diet as healthy as possible, such as a vegan multivitamin.
How spiritual is veganism?
Veganism can be seen as a step towards more spiritual living. There are several reasons why spiritual people often switch to a vegan lifestyle. Here are the main ones.
Compassion for animals
Switching to a vegan diet often comes from feeling more compassionate and respectful towards all living beings. Humans as well as animals, that is. Spirituality increases that compassion for other beings and brings you closer to nature, which of course includes animals.
Veganism good for the environment
Another aspect of spirituality is awareness of our actions and their possible harmful consequences. The food chain is responsible for a large proportion of greenhouse gases, water consumption, land use and biodiversity loss. Spiritual people who live vegan believe that not consuming animal products contributes to animal welfare and the environment.
Eating plant-based(er)? Our tips
Are you considering a more (or completely) plant-based diet? Then we have some tips for you:
- Make it clear why you want it: You will obviously never keep up a lifestyle change if you don't feel motivated to change. If you want to eat less animal products, think carefully about your 'why'. Why does it feel right for you to go vegan or vegetarian? What stops you from doing it? Of course, you don't have to go 100% vegan right away; swapping your meat for a veggie meal a few times a week is already good.
- Watch documentaries and read up: A good way to motivate yourself to start living in a more animal- and environment-friendly way is by briefly feeding yourself with knowledge on this topic.
- Replace animal products in healthy ways: Don't just skip all animal products, but know how to replace them. After all, you want to stay healthy yourself! The Nutrition Centre can help you on your way in this regard.
