Wins for Veganism this month!
As we are awakened to the life-altering benefits of veganism, the drawback can be wanting everyone else around you to want to change at once too…and then when they don’t, it can be so disheartening, dealing with arguing and jokes! That’s why it’s so important to stay positive and calm, and live by example – this is what works. I know when I first went vegan, my passion helped a lot of people open their minds, even if it was just to plant a seed. To reinforce the change we are creating, demanding, and expecting, here is some positive news!
Sports Illustrated reports that the NBA’s Kyrie Irving made the switch! “This season I’ve been on more of a plant-based diet, getting away from all the animals and all that. I had to get away from that,” he told them. “My energy is up and my body feels amazing.” He may not be fully vegan but is seeing the benefits and being an example to other athletes. This is important because a lot of meal plans given to athletes are heavy in meat, and the consensus has been that meat is needed to make muscle gains. The more people prove this wrong, they become walking billboards for a plant-based diet as they realize the copious additional benefits.
In the movie Blade Runner 2049, costume designer Renee April chose a vegan leather coat for Ryan Gosling to wear. PETA thanked her with sheep-shaped vegan chocolates and a thank you note. As Hollywood embraces cruelty-free clothes it will be easier for the rest of society to follow suit. Awareness and availability of vegan options will spread as the popular culture embraces this movement!
Gucci has also banned the use of fur starting in Spring 2018 reports UK site businessoffashion.com. It has signed up to the Fur Free Alliance, coming into agreement that fur is not modern, and is out-dated. Chief executive and president Marco Bizzarri says, “creativity can jump in many different directions instead of using furs.” There has also been social pressure to embrace this ban. Bizzarri noted some of the best talent would not work for them unless they adopted this policy. He also noted as millennials take up more and more of their client base, the transition will be of benefit. Millenials are cited as being more ethically minded than previous generations – according to market research.
Following in the footsteps of the Netherlands’ incredibly successful endeavor and multi-faceted plan to have zero stray dogs (read more on that here), California has banned pet stores from using puppy mills! Whew! This was one that weighed heavy on my heart, and leave it to California to be the trailblazer in this department. This move gives all animals in shelters a better chance of getting adopted and reflects that the awareness and compassion surrounding this issue is expanding. Hopefully we see more states follow suit, and as the shift is embraced more people will naturally decide to adopt rather than purchase an animal.
Writer: Sara Hoffman is a certified holistic health coach, fitness guru, vegan yogi. >> WellnesswithSara.com
