Vegan For L̶i̶f̶e̶ Likes
There has been a growing number of insta-influencer "vegans" resuming a non-vegan lifestyle. A few in recent times. The reason I know this? Because every time someone somewhat famous reverts back to being non-vegan and who might use the excuse they "needed to" for their "health", I get a message from someone saying "see, veganism isn't healthy for everyone." Then I hear the famous ex-vegan speak... and that's when I realize, they don't carry this burden of blame alone.
Millions of people are idolizing people they shouldn't. They are idolizing somebody who didnt even read the literature about how and why animal protein is unhealthy for us. I'm not saying every vegan needs to know the health reasons for not consuming animal products. I am saying anyone who is influencing a large number of people with their diet plans, should be well versed in what they are recommending.
This is typically not the case for someone reverting back to being a meat eater. This isn't about people who strongly made the connection and helped influence that connection to their followers. This is about people who banked on a term that they never truly connected with.
Once you make the connection, you don't just disconnect. Veganism isn't a diet. It isn't simply a lifestyle either. It's an awakening. It's a deep realization that we are all spiritual beings connected on every level. Spiritual and physical. There is no line that divides us. You don't realize this and suddenly go back. You simply never got here.
Veganism can not create disease in humans. It simply means the absence of cruelty. People can choose to revert back to whatever lifestyle they choose, as I can't stop anyone. But I will certainly speak out when they falsely accuse veganism as something to blame. The animals and planet have suffered enough. You don't get to bank on such an important movement for your own personal gain, then damage that same movement by falsely blaming it for your health problems so you can have an excuse to re-exploit animals again, once you're caught on camera doing so.
This is detrimental to the entire movement, because it gives meat-pushing non-vegans more clout and potential new vegans some doubt.
Veganism can NOT make you sick. You are a frugivore by nature. There is no special diet that is different for Jane or John's general health needs with the exception of some potential genetic predispositions to some conditions that absolutely wouldn't require animal products to treat, but instead would require eliminating contributing factors. Just as every lion is a carnivore, every bunny is an herbivore - every human is a frugivore.
In the age of enlightenment, eating animals is a choice and not a necessity.
To give a better understanding of what's happening with these insta-famous people who become vegan without actually becoming vegan;
I will lay it out simply -
1) you have a person that has tried a personal fad diet (not lifestyle) that happened to exclude animal products and it made them feel good at first and look good.
4) they begin to gain notoriety on social media based on their new diet choice and visual results.
5) somewhere along the way, the word vegan was thrown in there and got lost in plant-based translation.
6) they are now an insta-sensation with a following of thousands or millions of vegans and potential future vegans and are making money off their new online fame.
Did you catch the two missing steps above? It's step 2) they make the connection; and step 3) they unlearn all the lies they've been taught about protein and educate themselves on the truth about animal agriculture and what the natural human diet actually is - if they are going to influence healthy plant-based living to their followers.
Education is key. Knowledge is power. It increases will-power and helps us make informed decisions. It allows us to influence ourselves with our own education and insight.
The problem is that fame and money along with ego, test us. They are our challenge. Not just the online ex-vegan celebrity, but their followers as well. You also have a responsibility to stop making stupid people famous. Seriously. They wouldn't rise without you lifting them.
Normally I wouldn't care about social media drama with Instagram people that I've never heard of before they got caught showing their true selves. But vegan influencers have the ability to help this important movement evolve and the stronger ability to set it back a hundred or more steps. If people keep idolizing other humans for the wrong reasons, they are bound to be disappointed at some point.
It would be great if we all just simply became the type of person we idolize, instead of idolizing others for who we can be. It would be so much more fun than living vicariously through them, don't you think?
