VEGANISM: is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation of and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. Living vegan provides numerous benefits to: animals and the quality of their lives, to the ecological integrity of our environment, and to ourselves, by keeping our bodies away from the problems associated with consumption of animals, and animal products.

First off, the meat and dairy industry causes the deaths of 27 billion chickens, cows, pigs, and other animals of the industry. The animals suffer unspeakable cruelties in order to maximize the profit made by the industry. They live their lives cut-short, caged, drugged, and mutilated. The farms are not like the ones most of us learned about in school, and have been told all of our lives; they are mechanized slaughter-houses where animal welfare is the last concern. They are hell on earth!

Second, Animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the earth. It is an inefficient way of producing food, which squanders the vast majority of all grain grown in the U.S. The dependence of all the grain grown to shove down the throats of the animals has left the farmlands over-used causing them to be less productive in following yields. This forcing the conversion of wilderness lands into grain fields and farm land. Veganism all but eliminates these threats and leaves the land for what it was meant to be used for.

Lastly, consumption of animal fats and proteins has been linked to heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabeties, and many other diseases. Vegan foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in vitamins and minerals. Plus, vegans get the perfect amount of protein. Cows' milk has the perfect amounts of fat and protein for young calves, but far too much for humyns! Eating meat and dairy may be the surest way to an early grave.

GO VEGAN for the animals, for the environment, and for yourself!

Note from Holly: This is a repost. Just thought it was a great lil bit of info for people who might not understand the diet choice. Kind of an introductory explanation. The reasons go even deeper. Also, there was a jpeg I could not copy of the Vegan food pyramid. It went like this:
BASE: Veggi and fruit group. 3-5 servings of veggies/2-4 servings of fruits
2nd tier: Whole grains, bread, rice and pasta, cereal group. 6-11 servings
3rd tier:Fortified Dairy Substitutes/Legumes seeds,beans--2-3 servings of each
And at the top with the least servings is Vegtable oils and fats,sweets, salt,spices and nuts--use sparingly
So that's how the weird vegans don't fall over from malnutrition.....(That is just another of the fun myths reinforced by people who make the lifestyle choice without first figuring out how to get the nutrition.)