Undergraduate / 'I live a vegan lifestyle' - issue of importance [3]

The prompt is: Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you. (From Boston University) It's supposed to be between 250 and 500 words and it's 496 right now. I'd appreciate comments and criticism and a better title. Thanks :)

My Choice
By Caitlin White

I live a vegan lifestyle. This means that I don't consume or use any animal products. I decided to make the switch from being vegetarian, no meat or fish, to being vegan last fall. It wasn't all that difficult initially and throughout the time I've been vegan it has taught me perseverance and dedication.

I chose to become vegan for three reasons: cruelty towards animals in the modern meat and dairy industries, to be healthier, and to help the environment. Over the years, I have heard of negative remarks about slaughterhouses but I turned a blind eye to the severity until recently. I started to do research and learned that conditions on large factory farms and in major slaughterhouses are dirty and inhumane. I know for many people, this would not be as significant as it was and still is to me. So, I think it's important to know that I have always had a profound sense of empathy and compassion for animals of all species. The information I gleaned from my research of slaughterhouses immediately made me want to learn more about the vegan lifestyle. Seven nutrition and lifestyle books later, I made the decision to stop using and consuming animal products. I found that by eating lower on the food chain, I would not only be much healthier and get much more energy from my food, but I would also be reducing my negative impact on the planet. By not eating meat, dairy, or eggs, I help with the conservation of fossil fuel. It takes seventy-eight calories of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of beef protein but only one calorie of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of soybeans. Even as one person I can make a difference in the future of our planet with my one choice.

There are many challenges in maintaining a vegan lifestyle. The hardest part for me is to try not to force my views on other people. I very firmly believe that people should be able to think whatever they want and that people with opposing views should never try to force their ideas on others. However, this always leaves the question of whether or not omnivores have made an educated choice or choose to make their decision with a lack of facts about the issue. As with this essay, most of the time when friends and family ask about my lifestyle I do my best not to seem like I'm trying to force my ideas on anyone. Because I believe in veganism very strongly this can be hard to avoid. The most obvious struggle for me is not giving to the temptations of non-vegan foods. Very rarely I do cheat and indulge in a scoop of ice cream or a slice of pizza but never any kind of meat. However, I always feel terrible afterwards because being vegan is a part of who I am and how I live my life.