COVID-19 Impact on Veganism, and how it could be the solution. (solve a problem pillar article)

 

Hello and welcome back to all my Nature's New Nook subscribers. I want to jump right into today's post because there is a lot to uncover here. We will be discussing how the current pandemic has impacted the lives of vegans and solutions to the problems this impact has created. It's corona time.... 

This year in 2020 has undoubtedly been the biggest (excuse my language) shit show year of the century. Allow to elaborate further for those of you who have been living under a rock. In December of 2019, a new respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. China is home to the most populated cities in the world. Just within the first two-months of the outbreak, it had already infected tens of thousands of people worldwide. This outbreak was first categorized as a public health emergency by the World Health Organization, now it is being categorized as a global pandemic. 

What first started out in just one country that infected to few thousand people has now spread to 200 countries and inflected nearly 19 million people. Along with the rising number of deaths from this illness, the global economy has had a major impact. According to the United Nations, about 81% of the world's workforce made up of over 3 billion, has had their place of work either fully or partially closed because of COVID-19. The United Nations has also said in the past the second biggest threat to humanity after climate change is infectious diseases. I find these claims ironic because up until about 10,000 years ago there were no epidemic diseases. What changed? Humans began to domesticate animals, along with the increase in intensive farming increased the speed with which these new diseases emerge. Many countries have imposed travel bans and restrictions, all while trying to salvage what they can from the economic fallout in the forms of stimulus checks and bailout lending. The OECD warned that it will take years for the global economy to recover. 

Before I continue, I did want to have and share a light hearted moment within this post. Back when COVID-19 wasn't infecting people on a global scale, I had booked a trip in early January to Florence in Italy for my spring break vacation. My two college best friends were studying abroad in Florence. I was fortunate enough to find a dirt cheap roundtrip ticket. So when COVID started becoming more and more prevalent in different countries, many people repeatedly told me not to go as spring break approached. I kept debating back and forth if I should or not, of course my best friend reassured me everything would be fine and the country wouldn't go on lock down. This taught me one, to never listen to her again, and two--maybe don't fly abroad during a global pandemic. As I was about to board my plane, I had the dean of my university personally call my cell phone and tell me that if I decided to go (too late buddy) I wouldn't be allowed back on campus for two to three weeks. I said excitedly, "I'll make sure to keep that in mind!" as I hung up the phone. Let's just say I almost didn't make it back home but I did have an absolute blast. 

       

Back to our discussion, COVID-19 has impacted every single person in some way or another. I do not want to sound like a whiny "gen z-er" when I say how much it has impacted the vegan community. This pandemic has had was more serious and saddening effects on other individuals. Because of the pandemic there have been many impacts on the vegan community. I do not want this to be considered a stereotype by any means but usually vegans can be also compassionate about the environment. To give corona some benefit of the doubt, it has had one unintended benefit--carbon levels have seen a huge drop in global emissions cut by 17% (Global Environmental Facility). This being, as countries began to force lock downs the carbon emissions dropped. Even when I went to Venice for a day while visiting Italy, we got to see first-hand the notable Venice canals filled with clear serene water. 

Although COVID did allow for our earth to heal itself for a short period, it is now all about recleaning and not recycling. Plastic utensils, straws, cloth mask, paper towels, reusable bags, sanitizer wipes, and many other non-reusable commodities have made a comeback into our trash pile. Since it's all about being sanitary now, this has reflected in the rebounding of air pollution emission from all the lifted factory production restrictions. The amount of times I have gone out on a walk and the numerous amount of mask and rubber gloves I see being littered, we are only taking steps backwards. 

From personal experience, I know one major impact COVID has had is with the limited amount of vegan food in grocery stores and restaurants. Nearly every time I have gone to restaurants for example Portillo's, Noodles & Company, Subway, Burger King. These restaurants offer some of the best and fulfilling vegan options, because of COVID they have temporarily removed their "unpopular" menu items, aka vegan ones. This is unfair to those who rely on these menu items for a quick and convenient satisfying meal. I understand it is costing them money to keep less chosen food items on the menu. But they are also losing money because vegans opt out for other restaurants instead or eat at home. 

I decided to take this discussion over to a Facebook group I am a member of called, Chicago Vegans. I asked how the pandemic has affected your lifestyle as a vegan? I chose comments that were the most repeated. I was actually very surprised the the amount of positive impacts the pandemic has had on their vegan journeys. Here are just a few of the responses I received...

Doctors all throughout the world are in a race to try to develop a vaccine for COVID. What I am most fearful of is the when first antibiotic resistant bug born of factory farming appears. If you think about it, factory farming facilities are so squalid they are breeding ground for bacteria. These animals are given tons of antibiotics that are far more than the amount humans will ever ingest in a lifetime. Despite this many animals do not survive the farms, and one day humans will not be the ones who will not survive. Modern bacteria is becoming increasingly immune to the different antibiotics used on factory farms. The drugs we use to treat ourselves and our children are progressing in being ineffective.  

The pandemic has had some positive impacts in terms of the vegan community. Now more than ever people are paying attention to their diet and health. According to CGNT American, some research firm markets believe the global plant-based meat market size is projected to rise nearly 17% by next year. Being that COVID is the latest infectious disease being transmitted from animals to humans, it's not the first and sadly won't be the last. Overhauling our food system and converting to a plant-based diet can help us strengthen the immune system. Many people have been thanking this lifestyle for helping keep them not sick. 

Some solutions I think could help to aid some of these problems COVID has created, is by one, YES GOING VEGAN. This is not going to prevent you from getting COVID or other futurous infectious diseases that could emerge. But thing could look potentially better for humans by eating more plant based foods. It can help better in strengthening our immune systems potentially protecting us from COVID and other diseases. Nutritionally speaking, our potential for good health starts in the gut, around 75% of our immune system is housed there. Whole plant foods contain soluble fiber and resistant starch that our good gut bacteria feeds off of. Another solution for preventing COVID through nutrition is upping your antioxidant intake, source your Vitamin C and E, Copper, and Zinc, from whole plant foods like how nature intended. Another helpful solution to preventing COVID is other immunity factors like getting adequate strong sunlight. When it comes to the environmental aspects, I highly recommend cloth mask, so you are not constantly throwing out mask you wore once or twice. When it comes to vegan food shortage, this is your time to get creative! A solution is by taking all our vegan pantry items out or ones you have never used before. By following Nature's New Nook we have plenty of pantry staple based recipes. One more great solution for cutting back on all the waste that is being created is by purchasing Nature's New Nook Looks Reusable Water Bottle, https://www.cafepress.com/naturesnewnooklooks. Our durable and ethically made water bottle can be brought we you anywhere to fill up and satisfy your quench, for only $17.99.