Last week, I visited Krakow. Despite all the history and politics I could delve into regarding this brilliant city, it was my last trip of the year and my third to mainland Europe. The thing that I was reminded of, yet again, was the quality of the produce and the brilliant local food.
I was initially nervous about my visit to Poland, expecting to encounter old-fashioned hearty European dinners like pierogi, pork stews, and animal broth soups.
Just as visitors to Scotland might expect only Irn-Bru, chip shops, seafood, and haggis, these are available. Still, there’s so much more to the food scene.
So why be nervous? My good lady and I are vegetarians. We have been veggie for 2 to 3 years after slowly reducing our animal consumption over the last five years. On occasion, when abroad, if it is a local speciality, we will allow ourselves to abandon our standards for the local cuisine. My general motto is not to be puritanical but to try to relax.
Taking inspiration from that visit, I argue that adopting a plant-based diet is one of the most impactful steps you can take to enhance your health and alleviate environmental pressures.
Part 1 The Health Benefits of Plant-Based Diets
Redefining Health Beyond Weight Loss
So I’m going to start with the first part, health.
What do you think of when you think of a healthy diet? For the people in my life, it often focuses on weight loss. I usually focused on energy and protein – growing up, playing football and running. Similar to many men.
The Catalyst
So what changed on that front.
The catalyst was my wife’s health. After a year of chemo, radiotherapy and surgery related to an oligodendroglioma.
One of those chemo months was delayed by our oncologist. He informed us that my wife’s blood platelets were too low to support chemo. She should eat more orange vegetables as they have the right mix of nourishing nutrients and amino acids. So her mum (June) jumped and bought us a Nutri Bullet and a box of pumpkins, squash, carrots, red lentils, and tomatoes. Between smoothies, soups, salads, roasts and even deserts, we arrived the following week.
Result platelets at a level where treatment could resume.
This started the chat – how does our diet impact our health. Other than the obvious of overeating and gaining weight (something I was already doing well), we started to think a bit more deeply about food, not just as fuel or fun, but also about nourishment.
Re-Framing Perspective
After watching popular documentaries such as Gamechangers and What the Health and our personal experience, we decided that going plant-based was the way to give ourselves the best chance of leading a healthy lifestyle.
We approached going veggie and reducing animal consumption on the simple principle of “the carrot and the stick.”
The Carrot
We had experienced the carrot; nourishment from food allowed my wife’s body to absorb her treatment and continue the good fight. Reading the book Nourish also gave us a greater appreciation of the micro and macro nutrients available in fruits and vegetables to get that protein fix for working out and carbs for everyday functioning.
It became clear and evident that being plant-based and eating mainly veg and some fruit would meet all our needs.
There are mountains of evidence out there; Plant Chompers has put me onto so many great sources.
One to get you started – you can’t help want to watch and read more on the subject.
The Stick
This is the part where I think about what we save ourselves from when we don’t eat animal-based products. The feat factor.
I will keep this simple and link to the research. Going veggie saves us from the increased likelihood of
With this in mind and having the personal challenges my wife has, as well as seeing first-hand the implications of my Grandparent’s poor health, they suffered from Strokes, Cancer and one suffered from the challenges of obesity.
This experience ensured that what we consumed daily became the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.
Part 2 Are you really an Animal Lover?
The divorce between love and consumption
This is where people usually get even more annoyed or claim that I’m preachy and judgemental when discussing plant-based eating.
The health part is usually more of a personal choice; people can choose what they want to consume without feeling guilty.
But where the lashing out is when people feel bad for their choices, and rather than acknowledge, they lash out.
As I said, we are not perfect, we are not and nor should we aim to be puritanical, but the least we can do is acknowledge where we are wrong, put our hand up and then try and be better.
People’s consumption of animals is obsessive and ridiculous; the meat industry has put animal parts in everything and in every possible way.
Try ordering a simple takeaway sandwich; flesh floating in flavoured mayo is the usual choice for many.
Milk and dairy aisles are tens of metres long in every shop.
We have made the process of impregnating animals, throwing their babies in the bin (if they are useless) and then consuming their milk as a matter of course, that the mere suggestion of drinking Oat Milk, Almond milk, Soy sends people in an apoplectic fit of rage.
But just imagine doing that to your pet dog or Cat. Getting it pregnant routinely, chucking the litter in the bin and then just milking it for your morning tea…..you weirdo.
Ps. I’m sure I’m stealing this from a comedian, but I can’t remember who and when, so if you have the link, please share.
Then people talk to me about not being an animal lover, as if I’m missing my soul because I look at animals indifferently; they are cute and funny and bring many emotional and physical benefits. I get it, but my look of aloofness is to those who say they love animals while happily participating in the mass destruction of them. Our global biodiversity and ecosystems are under severe threat because of our love for munching chickens, cows and pigs at any point in the day, every day.
So please watch this for humour and the absurdity of eating animals.
Part 3 Avoiding Animals products will help mitigate climate change.
From Personal Choices to Global Impact
So now that I have made you feel awkward about eating animals based on your love of your pet. Let us get to the business end.
You have improved your health and stopped making your dog or cat worry that they are next on the chopping block.
So the final part of the argument. Climate change and biodiversity.
The data is irrefutable, and the scientific consensus is clear. From voices like David Attenborough and Chris Packham to discussions that began in the 19th century and reached Congress in the 80s, evolving into the COP series and highlighted by figures like Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio, the impacts of climate change have been laid bare.
Now Greta Thunberg, Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have taken more direct and peaceful action, yet idiots persist.
You might think that is harsh, but if you can ignore all the information and science, you are either corrupt or an idiot. I find most people are simply corrupt, and some people are just idiots.
Corrupt in the sense that they are wedded to ideology, politics, or business that will have to change, so they do all they can, in the words of Michael Mann, to distract, delay, deny and worst of all, denounce those that tell the truth from making changes.
So off the soap box, how does not eating flesh affect climate change.
Well, imagine we all embraced a plant-based diet. Imagine our supermarkets. Those billion-pound profit-generating temples of capitalism.
They would still exist but wouldn’t have isles dedicated to murder.
In making that change, we would slash our agricultural land burden by 75%. This dramatic decrease comes from the reduced need for grazing lands and fewer crop fields.
Interestingly, the studies highlight a pivotal point: opting out of animal products and choosing plant-based substitutes has a far more profound impact on land conservation than cutting out just simply beef. Many people think switching to chicken or fish is still fair game, and the environmental impact of murdering these species is negligible, but this isn’t true just watch Seaspiracy or see how much the chicken industry has contributed to disease and pollution – George Monbiot is a good start for his investigative journalism.
A staggering 50% of all habitable spaces are dedicated to animal agriculture. Dive deeper, and you’ll find the lion’s share of this land is reserved for livestock, meat or dairy. Now, these animals don’t just graze freely; a significant portion of their diet comes from crops like Soy and cereals cultivated explicitly for consumption. So, it begs the question:
What if we all switched to a plant-based diet? How much land could we save? How much less manure, urine, and gas would not enter our soils, waterways and atmosphere?
In Conclusion
In conclusion, switching to a plant-based diet has been a real positive change in my life.
After seeing the dramatic health improvements in my wife, I realized the power of plants to nourish and help the body.
Then I learned how animal agriculture damages human health, the environment, and the animals themselves.
While it hasn’t always been easy, rejecting the standard Western meat and dairy diet at every meal has opened my eyes to a new world of flavourful, wholesome foods.
My energy levels are better than ever, and I no longer have those post-meal slumps.
Beyond the personal benefits, going plant-based has allowed me to stand against the destructive animal agriculture system.
By opting out of meat and dairy, I’m playing a small part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, freeing up land for wilderness, and sparing countless animals from miserable factory farm existences.
This isn’t about perfection or judging others – it’s about making compassionate choices that align with my ethics and desire for a sustainable future.
To anyone on the fence, give it a try! Take it one day at a time and give it a bash; you will be surprised just how much is out there.
Doing even Meatless Mondays makes a difference, or Veganuary we all chip in to reduce our consumption of animal products, we can help create a healthier and more sustainable planet.
Horizon Glasgow 
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