Welcome to The Mint Bunny!

Hello readers!

There are a whole bunch of reasons why this blog was created, but one of the main ones was to supply non-vegan readers with enough information about the benefits of plant-based diets, with the hopes that they'll be motivated to give the vegan lifestyle a fair shot.  When you look at the information that is plastered in our current society, it's really no wonder that the plant-based diet is so misunderstood.  The current facts that people should be hearing are not widely published, while misleading 'facts' are all over the place.

By going vegan, you can decrease or even rid your body of illnesses including cancer, make a substantial positive impact on the environment, and put an end to animal cruelty.

Did you know...

• Only 5% of the population has a genetic predisposition to heart disease, yet it is the #1 killer globally.  [What the Health Film]
• Individuals who consumed the most animal protein were 22% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, compared with those who ate the least.    [What the Health Film]
• People who consume 1.5 eggs per week have nearly five times the risk for colon cancer, according to a study published in the International Journal of Cancer.  [What the Health Film]
• Red-meat eaters who switched to eating plant-based protein cut their risk for kidney disease by 60%.  [What the Health Film]
• Research has shown an association between increased risk of cancer, and the consumption of cooked meats, cows' milk, eggs and cheese, farm-raised catfish, smoked fish, and poultry.  [nutritionfacts.org]
• Heart disease is 57% lower in lifelong vegans than in meat eaters.  [What the Health Film]
• Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation.  [Cowspiracy]
• Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.  [Cowspiracy]
• Methane has a global warming potential 86 times that of CO2 on a 20 year time frame.    [Cowspiracy]
• Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of US water consumption.  [Cowspiracy]
• We've had five mass extinctions so far, and we're currently headed towards our sixth.  The difference though is that we're talking globally now, not locally.  We have no back-up earth.  [ScienceAdvances]
• Growing feed crops for livestock consumes 56% of water in the US.  [Cowspiracy]
• 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 pound of beef.    [Cowspiracy]
• 1,000 gallons of water are required to produce 1 gallon of milk.    [Cowspiracy]
• Each glass of milk we drink increases the risk of prostate and breast cancer by 13%.  [Larsson SC]
• 900 gallons of water are needed for 1 pound of cheese.    [Cowspiracy]
• 5% of water consumed in the US is by private homes.  55% of water consumed in the US is for animal agriculture.    [Cowspiracy]
• Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction.    [Cowspiracy]
• We could see fishless oceans by 2048.    [Cowspiracy]

We know that humans produce milk after having a baby, but most of us don't make this connection with cows.  To force cows to produce milk, they're artificially inseminated each year.  Cows are often killed after five years because their bodies wear out from constantly being pregnant or lactating, despite having a natural lifespan of 20 years.  So we're putting an insane amount of resources into raising and maintaining dairy cows, forcing them to have this inhumane type of lifestyle, all so that they can produce milk for us to drink?  And it's not even good for us...  How does this make sense?

We all agree that our planet is in dire help, but what action would have the largest positive effect in changing our current status?  Cut down on the number of large factories?  Change our transportation system?  Put more of an effort towards recycling?  False, false, and false.  Sure, they all need attention, but nothing comes remotely close to the negative impacts that come along with our addiction to consuming animals.  Environmental corporations know this, yet ignore it largely for political issues.

In short, vegans are not just a bunch of animal-loving hippies who live off of tofu and kale.  Yes, we love animals.  Yes, we eat our fair share of tofu and kale.  But this go-to definition needs to end.  Vegans choose to become vegan because they know the immense benefits that eating plant-based has on their bodies, and they know how much of a positive impact eating plant-based has on the environment.  There's so much research that has been done on the subject, and still in 2017, it's not general knowledge.  As harsh as this post might sound, we're not here to play the guilt-trip game on non-vegans.  Rather, we're here to provide facts on various subjects tied to veganism, that simply aren't common knowledge.

We're here to challenge you to challenge your beliefs.  We believe in positive transformations, mindful choices, respecting our bodies, our neighbors, living creatures, and our planet as a whole.  We are responsible for our decisions and the impact they have on ourselves and future generations.  We are here to encourage and empower you to take charge of your life.