So, what’s the difference between being raw vegan vs. just being vegan? This may sound self-explanatory to some but to others the confusion is real – with good reason. There are so many labels out there for vegetarian lifestyles that it makes you wonder which lifestyle is best for you…
For starters, if you love animals and care about their well-being, then going vegan is the best lifestyle to choose because it isn’t only supporting the animals and their rights but going vegan also supports the planet and beautiful earth, which we are quickly destroying for selfish reasons. This world lacks a tremendous amount of love and compassion. I think we can all agree on that, don’t you think? We can’t expect this world to be a better place if we are not, as individuals, leading by example or practicing to be better ourselves.
“Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is – whether its victim is human or animal – we cannot expect things to be much better in this world. We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing, we set back the progress of humanity.”
– Rachel Carson
So, let’s take a look at both vegan and raw vegan lifestyles starting with the…
Vegan Lifestyle
While there are some that go vegan for health, most vegans are strictly about the animals. They are highly active in the community and focus more on advocating for animal rights versus health.
A vegan diet and lifestyle usually consists of highly processed and packaged foods. Which are typically unhealthy and not geared toward a healthy lifestyle but more so just keeping it, cruelty free.
Although there are some that do incorporate whole, plant-based foods for health, these foods are typically cooked.
Next, let’s look at the…
Raw Vegan Lifestyle
On the other hand, those who are raw vegan, typically go raw for health and consume foods that are raw living and plant-based. These foods consist of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds with no food heated above 114 degrees fahrenheit.
What happens next is that as time evolves and they dive deeper into the lifestyle, they form a connection between the mind, body and spirit. They begin to learn more about the animals, the planet, spiritual awakening and connection – ultimately, leading you down the path of self-discovery, healing and transformation.
At the end of the day, both lifestyles share the same ethics in the sense that neither group, wears or uses anything that comes from an animal. This could be leather, wool, fur, silk, down or suede.
They also don’t use anything that has been tested on animals for personal or household use. This includes skin care, cosmetics or other products that could potentially be tested on animals.
Cruelty-Free Photos Credited to Peta.org
A lot of the vegan cosmetic and skincare products and brands can be found on Amazon at some really good prices that can drop below store bought pricing. One of my favorite brands is 100% Pure. They make quality, cruelty-free products and provide an easy way to buy through After Pay – plus free shipping! 😃
Head on over to check out their latest specials!
Learn more about how to go vegan with some great tips and inspiration from Peta HERE.
I’ve been an animal lover all my life. Ever since I was a kid. My dad used to hunt for deer and shoot little birds just for fun and I remember, tugging at his leg, crying to please stop because I didn’t want him to hurt the animals.
I also grew up being a meat, turkey, chicken and seafood eater but never made the connection until I embarked on the raw vegan journey.
You see, we engage in behavior that we learn over the years and practices that we know very little about but because we learned from others and were taught in that way, we live that way.
We only do what we were taught to do as kids because as kids, we don’t know better. And then, we pass those practices on to our own kids continuing to pass on the harm. But now, it’s not because we don’t know better, but because we choose not to learn or dive deeper into learning more about what we are instilling into our children’s lives or our own lives for that matter.
Just as behavior is learned, it can be unlearned. Habits can be adjusted and replaced with new ones that benefit our health, our lives and the lives of all living beings.
Paul McCartney quotes…
“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.”
We just have to be willing to learn and educate ourselves more as to what we are fueling our bodies with and where we are getting our food supply – from start to finish.
And, I promise you, if you saw the process, from beginning to end, it wouldn’t take long before you shifted your mindset and unlearned the habitual behavior and practices you were taught long ago that are now affecting your health, your life, the animals and the planet in which we live for ourselves, our families and the future of our children and their children.
“Only when we have become nonviolent towards all life will we have learned to live well with others.” – Cesar Chavez
All it takes is a simple shift. One step at a time. One day at a time. It’s not an overnight process with anything you do – but to be willing to learn and educate yourself, that is the most valuable practice, you can learn to do for yourself.
To watch the full Vegan vs. Raw Vegan video, head on over to my YouTube channel HERE and give it a watch!
documentaries to watch
(these can be found on Netflix, Amazon, iTunes or YouTube)
Cowspiracy: https://www.cowspiracy.com
What the Health: http://bit.ly/whatthehealthdoc
Earthlings: http://bit.ly/earthlingsdocumentary
Forks Over Knives: http://bit.ly/forksoverknivesdoc
The Game Changers: http://bit.ly/gamechangersmov
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead: http://bit.ly/fatsicknearlydeaddoc
Maximum Tolerated Dose: http://bit.ly/maxtolerateddosedoc
You can find many others on the Peta website at Peta.org or at LiveKindly here: https://www.livekindly.co/vegan-documentaries/
free resources
Peta Vegan Starter Kit: http://bit.ly/petaveganstarterkit
Vegan Challenge 22: http://bit.ly/veganchallenge22
