Veganism: Diet and Lifestyle
- Samantha Fitzgerald
- May 2, 2021
- 4 min read
Cami Middlebrooks has spent almost half of her life following a certain diet. In that time, the diet has become so much more for her than restricting what she can and cannot consume.
Middlebrooks is 20 years old, and stopped eating meat at the age of 11. What was the source of her dramatic dietary change? A documentary called Food, Inc. Released in 2008, the documentary reveals the reality of what goes on inside the American food industry.
“It really screwed me up, it was so scary to watch,” said Middlebrooks. “I went vegetarian, and then a couple years later I just decided to go completely vegan.”
But what does being vegan mean to Middlebrooks? A vegan diet is typically one in which the person does not consume any food derived from animals. That means no meat, dairy, or in the case of extreme vegans, gelatin. Gelatin is derived from the skin, bones, and connective tissues of animals. For Middlebrooks, any of the above is off the menu.
“It does involve a diet portion for me, but it also involves what I wear and how I live my life,” said Middlebrooks. “There are lots of different types of products that exploit animals, like what you put on your face and body. I try to limit that to the best of my ability.”
Middlebrooks’ roommate, Jenna Knox, was influenced by her to start following a vegan diet. Jenna is 21, a student at the University of North Florida, and follows a vegan lifestyle.
“I’ve been on and off vegan/vegetarian for about five years, and completely vegan for a little less than a year,” said Knox. “I honestly really had not considered it before I met Cami, and I’m happy she showed me the way.”
For Knox, being vegan means being more conscious of what is in the products she purchases everywhere.
“It affects my every day eating habits, of course, but it also affects the products I intake on a general basis,” she said. “I read the ingredients and research most brands before I buy a product.”
Other vegan followers begin the diet for different reasons, such as Jacqueline Zalace. Zalace is 23 and graduated from Florida State University in 2019.
“I went vegetarian because honestly, I never really liked the taste of meat,” said Zalace. “I first went vegetarian in 2016 as a New Year’s resolution, and started eating vegan in 2017. In college I joined an ethical food associated and realized that eating dairy and eggs was just as bad as eating meat, so I decided to be vegan.”
There are many reasons to follow a vegan diet, but the main two are for the environment and for animal rights. According to an article by Vegan Outreach in 2019, one of the largest contributors of human-made greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution, and air pollution is animal agriculture. Animal agriculture is the industry that raises and breeds animals for slaughter for human consumption. Therefore, following a vegan diet limits the support to animal agriculture by an individual.
Of course, it is hard to think of veganism without thinking of animal rights. Organizations such as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) push the diet as a way to treat animals with respect. For a lot of vegans, like Zalace, they begin the diet with this in mind.
“My main reason to go vegan was the animals,” said Zalace. “I have compassion for animals, and I love them.”
Middlebrooks admits her pursuit of the diet began with a love for animals, but as she got older her reasoning narrowed.
“I was more interested in the animals at first,” said Middlebrooks. “But as I got older I began understanding that if you don’t take care of the environment, they’re all gonna die. Flora and fauna make up the environment, it’s all connected.”
For followers of a vegan diet, it expands to all things the individual consumes. However, Middlebrooks feels that her entire lifestyle has been affected by veganism.
Middlebrooks is a junior at the University of North Florida, and chose what to study based off her love of animals and the environment.
“I’ve always loved nature, so of course I wanted to do something in the biology field,” said Middlebrooks. “I am a biology major, and my concentration is ecology and evolutionary biology.”
She says her decision to study biology was majorly influenced by her vegan diet, and her future career will be as well.
“I don’t think I could ever have a job where I hurt animals,” said Middlebrooks. “I can see myself doing something with conservation biology and trying to help different populations of animals come back from the brink of extinction.”
Other than the diet, major, and future career, Middlebrooks’ vegan lifestyle also affects what she does to support her education.
“I work at UNF for Eco Adventure as an Environmental Education Ranger,” said Middlebrooks. “Usually we teach elementary school children who come to us on field trips about nature and the trails, it is really amazing to see how you inspire them when talking about the environment.”
According to the University of North Florida’s website, Eco Adventure offers environmental education, as well as having the Osprey Challenge Course and nature trails available to students and the public.
“Our mission is to provide meaningful experiences and improve the quality of life of students, youth, and the Northeast Florida community through experiential eduction in nature.”
Eco Adventure also strives to cultivate awareness of the natural world, which is similar to how, for some, veganism is connected to the environment.
The vegan lifestyle is relatively new but has quickly become popular among the younger generation. For some of them, it is about following the diet to help the environment and animals. But for others, like Cami Middlebrooks, being vegan can change their futures.
By Samantha Fitzgerald
December 8th, 2020
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