According to a prediction published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, global veganism would lead to 8.1 million fewer deaths per year.

Plant based diets promote environmental sustainability and Medellin is ready to join this chain. Humanity has developed erroneous ideas of healthy nutrition and people are obsessed with calories instead of properly analyzing nutritional facts. A vegan diet improves health and in addition contributes positively to the ecosystem. A vegetarian excludes meat from their diets but can eat milk products and eggs while a vegan eliminates all animal products. Many members of The Columbus School community are adopting this new lifestyle, instead of a McDonalds burger they are ordering a lentil burger from Lenteja Express.

It is humans responsibility to seek possible alternatives that improve health and the ecosystem to guarantee a longer stable life. Ten years ago Medellin had vegan citizens but a scarcity of vegan options. Some might argue that in a small city it is hard to manage a vegan lifestyle, however, today Medellin has more than 60 vegetarian restaurants to visit. Undoubtedly, this culture is thriving.

Veganism has also become one of the hottest trends in social media. Millennials are resisting animal products and spreading this trend to raise awareness. TCS bloggers such as Granola Bums and Fit From Zero encourage the community to follow a plant based diet to improve health and prevent future ecological instability. Animal products produce tremendous amounts of methane, cows emit dozens of polluting gases and agriculture is responsible for 14% of greenhouse gases. This gas is even more corrosive than carbon dioxide. Society is jeopardized by the ignorance and lack of knowledge people have towards this issue.

A vegan lifestyle is not slavery, it’s an alternative choice with the power to revolutionize both individual lifestyles and the world as a whole. At school, teachers and students want to incorporate this trend explaining how this reduces the risk of mortal conditions such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This trend is here to stay, and even many paisas, who are loyal to their bandeja paisa, have noticed the benefits of veganism and have successfully adapted.

According to TCS 11th Grader and vegan Laura Loaiza, “Most people don’t know where to buy things, they don’t know about vegan restaurants, or healthy food stores.  But life is manageable here if you are a vegan.” In Medellin and all around the globe this behavior is thriving as even restaurants that serve meat are offering delicious vegan options.

Society has many misconceptions about proper nutrition. Established stereotypes define that a ideal body should have abundant curves and formed muscles. Veganism is a convenient approach, maintaining  this lifestyle allows people to maintain their shape and in addition reconstruct and reinforce their health.

The  practice of veganism should be encouraged worldwide. Colombia’s abundance in natural resources facilitates access to vegan products. Veganism is a viable solution to many problems including malnutrition and environmental unsustainability. Society’s current eating habits need to be reconsidered, remember, “you are what you eat.”