There’s a difference between a ‘Vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ individual that I thought would be worth highlighting in this week’s column, as it helped me on my vegan journey — and could help you. The definition of veganism, as defined by The Vegan Society, is: “A way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” The definition of a plant-based is : “A plant-based diet is a diet based on foods derived from plants, including vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and fruits, but with few or no animal products.” Focusing on being ‘plant-based’ means more attention to what it includes rather than what it avoids. The diet is centred largely around the whole plant-based foods, including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. While a Vegan will typically avoid leather, wool or silk, cosmetics that are tested on animals, etc — a plant based diet follower is focused on the diet only. At the end of the day, everyone’s journey to Vegansim is different, and it’s important to note that there is no right or wrong path to Veganism. As a vegan — there is a strong sense of ethics that I felt naturally became very important to me when I began my vegan journey. The level of respect for animals increases, and your skin and body is rewarded for not consuming those animal-based products. Since becoming vegan, I also very quickly took a stance against riding horses or camels, or paying for entertainment that involves animals, such as zoos, circuses, or aquariums. I also started to care more for the environment, given I knew that my decision to go vegan was one of the most effective ways I can help save the planet as an individual. This year The Independent reported that the dairy industry is on track to become the world’s biggest polluters, surpassing the oil industry. However, the impact of both vegan and plant-based diets on the environment is a positive one, as it’s generally recognised that these diets are less environmentally destructive and cause less harm to animals than omnivorous diets. Those with omnivorous diets have the highest carbon footprints at 3.3 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Vegetarian diets contribute only half of this, and vegan diets are substantially lower. It’s now estimated there are around 990 million vegans worldwide…2019 is the year to make the switch. Whether you’re slowly introducing more plant-based foods into your diet in replacement of animal products, or you’re living a full vegan lifestyle — let me know how your vegan journey is going on Instagram.

The author is an expert in vegan wellbeing and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92