When I was 14-years-old, I walked into my living room when my mom was watching the documentary “What the Health.” During a scene where the doctor on screen was delineating exactly how much of the risk of contracting cancer is attributed to diet, particularly the overconsumption of meat and dairy, I took one look at the numbers and started spiraling.

I didn’t want to increase my health risks, but I didn’t want to give up meat. I began watching documentaries on veganism and the benefits of whole foods and plant-based diets. The evidence was stacking up, and I was more and more convinced about going vegan. I started gradually removing meat from my diet and my already vegan mom was asked to make the family turkey for Thanksgiving. I was so disgusted that I went fully vegetarian on the spot. It did not take long for dairy and eggs to follow.

A common misconception is that carbohydrates are bad, but according to the documentary “The Game Changers,” demonizing carbohydrates and glorifying animal protein can land you with clogged arteries that can lead to strokes and heart attacks. People who get all their protein from plants reduce their risk of heart disease by 55%. In addition to health benefits, veganism provides benefits for the planet.

The documentary entitled “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret” shows a lot of shocking statistics. The water it takes to create one hamburger is equivalent to a two-month long shower. Per every gallon of milk, 1,000 gallons of water were used up to produce it. From the same amount of land, we can grow 37,000 pounds of vegetables or 375 pounds of meat. It takes 18 times as much land to feed the typical American diet as it does to feed a vegans plant-based diet.

Contrary to popular belief, vegans are not the ones consuming most of the soy, livestock is. Up to 80% of soy is consumed by livestock. The land it takes to grow enough food to keep livestock alive is one of the reasons the Amazon Rainforest is being desecrated.

The runoff from cattle and pig farms is filled with toxic byproducts. These byproducts cause excess sickness. The myriads of heart attacks, cancer diagnoses, strokes and diabetes diagnoses that people in America endure are not only curable but preventable. We have swallowed so much propaganda highlighting meat’s benefits that many of us have never stopped to think: what if meat isn’t as healthy as people say?

Furthermore, learning about the unethical practices used by the meat industry has made me staunchly committed to my veganism. Female cows are forcibly impregnated to produce milk. After they give birth, they are separated from their babies. Then, their milk is used to feed humans rather than their own calf. When these animals are born, if the calf is male, he will either be raised for breeding, kept for veal or killed. The females will live to repeat the cycle their mothers were forced to be a part of.

In the aforementioned documentary “Cowspiracy,” Dr. Michael Klaper explains that “the purpose of cow’s milk is to turn a 65-pound calf into a 700-pound cow as rapidly as possible. Cow’s milk is baby calf growth fluid.” It is not meant for human consumption.

Veganism is the practice of abstaining from consuming any food or items made from animal products. I am advocating for a life where you don’t have the blood of animals on your hands. What you put on your plate matters, not just for you, but for the animals you’re eating as well.