But, seriously, why vegan?
Short answer: save lives, eat plants… read on!
Animals
First and foremost, Liefs was launched to create a kinder world, for everybody we share this precious planet with. We believe animals are here with us, not for us.
Though we may not sound, swim, slide, soar or seem the same, we are similar in all the ways that matter. We all share universal and timeless instincts such as love and fear. There is a growing abundance of science supporting their sentience and even congruent complicated characteristics such as culture, altruism, and mourning.
Yet, all it takes is empathic observation and your good old gut feeling to understand our fellow fluffy, furry, feathered and finned Earthlings are more than mere objects for entertainment, experiments, fashion or food. As food contributes to over 95% of animal suffering (by slaughtering some 5,000 souls per second 24/7), the major key to a kinder world is one meal at a time.
Our Planet
Adopting a plant-based lifestyle is the biggest contribution humanity can make to an environment that’s healthiest for all of us.
There’s no planet B (for now) so let’s treat her like that. And even if there is one, why not still try to treat her right by eating plants to save lives? 42% of US cropland (now fed to cattle) could be retained, 95% of rainforest deforestation halted (fed to cattle and used for grazing), 92% of freshwater sources spared. And that is why Liefs promotes plant-based products to normalise conscious consumption.
Ending animal agriculture is the simplest solution to the world’s biggest challenges: climate change, ocean acidification, ocean dead zones, deforestation, biodiversity loss, water waste, world hunger, obesity, diabetes, antibiotic resistance, heart & coronary diseases, zoonotic diseases and animal cruelty at a global industrial scale.
Health
Even though our bodies have evolved to tolerate moderate amounts of animal products, we do not need them to survive. Better yet, a growing amount of long-term scientific studies conclude we are healthier without it, whether it’s our immune system, various enzyme systems, carcinogens, hormonal activity, insulin, brain function, heart and arteries.
People whose diets are high on animal protein have significantly higher rates of chronic disorder: hypertension, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many others including cataracts, diverticulosis, inflammatory bowel disease, gall bladder disorders, gout, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, kidney stones, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Thousands of original studies and hundreds of meta-analyses and reviews conclude animal products and protein are linked to chronic disorders and pre-mature death. Cancer is clearly and positively linked with eating animal foods.
Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes is associated with staying healthy. Even conservative institutions like the Food and Drug Administration, the American Dietetic Association, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and Oxford University recognize and recommend plant-based diets as healthy in all stages of life. Isn’t it beautifully wholesome that doing well to the animals and our planet, also seems to do well to our bodies?
