Veganism Knows no Bounds

As a society we are more conscious of our health and the impact health maintenance has on our environment. Over the past 20 years human beings have been made more aware of the processes involved in bringing food to our supermarket vendors and the impact this has on our land and the animals that we cultivate purely for our food consumption .

It is important to understand the true meaning of veganism, it is a type of vegetarianism leading to the removal of meat, eggs and dairy products from the diet. This not only includes all dietary animal products but also their by-products, also including animal skins e.g. leather. Therefore a true vegan eliminates all products that contain animal base ingredients. This would include make up, cosmetics, cleansing products, clothes, furniture etc.

In the past veganism was looked upon as a more specialised dietary option for those suffering from inflammatory diseases or following a yogi type Eastern lifestyle. This is now not the case as veganism has become more of a dietary trend based on many factors. For most vegans the idea of not eating meat is based on how animals are killed, prepared and processed for our consumption . 

With society becoming more advanced and the drive for us to have it all,  comes with it the rise in ultra-processed food production which has led to the increase in inflammatory based diseases such as cardiovascular disease, not to mention obesity and diabetes which are now global killers. So the return back to wholefood plant based diets is really a result of the fast progressive societal development due to post war industrialisation. 

The popularity and awareness of veganism has been supported by individuals within the music and entertainment industry, some of which have become ambassadors’ for healthier lifestyle practices. Long gone are the days of glorifying the unhealthy behaviours and antics of those in the music and entertainment industry. Now a days it is apparent that in order to maintain successful longevity as a talented reigning musician/ entertainer a healthy lifestyle is needed to cope with the consistent demands put on the body and mind.

Many artists in the music industry use veganism as a method of weight loss and maintenance, as the demands and pressure to achieve a healthy body image within the industry is strong. Artists are not only selling their musical talents but also an image as part of a package. Therefore it is important that they are sending out the right message to their audience and wider public especially when this message is health related.

A good example of this would be the highly acclaimed and successful Adele who used veganism as a way to lose weight but later became an activist, even to the extent that she lent her voice to a Vegan Parody as a way to promote veganism. Veganism crosses all musical genres and styles. However more pop artists such as Cheryl Cole, Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Joss Stone and Ellie Goulding are all on the vegan train. All of whom use veganism as a way to maintain good health and body weight.

Yet we have those who have been in the music industry for decades such as the musical great Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Moby, Ms Dynamite, RZA, Peter Gabriel, Boy George, Byran Adams, Chrissie Hynde, Alanis Morrissett, Mark Ronson, Kate Bush, the list goes on and on. What is this telling us, the general public? It’s a positive message as many of the artists mentioned are advocates of the trend.

Paul McCartney who followed his late wife’s meat free legacy has been vegan for over 40 years bringing out his own vegan based recipes. Stevie wonder new to veganism sang about it on James Corden carpool karaoke, so the message of the benefits of veganism is being transcended through the music industry back out to the people. The message sent out is important particularly at a time where globally we are at risk of slow killer diseases all related to the products that have now been labelled as food, which are in fact food like products that serve very little nutritional health benefits, but rather increase the risk of disease.

One of the general messages across musical genres, from rock and roll, pop, soul, and rap is that your health is important. How you fuel and nourish your body, as well as your fitness regime are all important factors for achieving a healthy body and mind. Yet there is part of this message which calls out to people to take more ownership of their health and appreciate how this impacts on their environment.  There is more recognition and appreciation, that animals as well as humans can feel, think and have souls and therefore have to be considered differently, but also awareness on the negative impact of meat eating has on the planet.

Has the dietary trend that is veganism had an impact on the music industry? Yes, for bringing it to the forefront of society as an alternative way to nourish the body. Not a moment too late especially at a time were as a species we are at a point where we are awakening to the importance of behavioural change and how this change will keep mother nature happy.