Nov. 1944 Donald Watson created the term ‘veganism’ in the midst of generating the Vegan Society. What was first defined as a “non-dairy vegetarian” has grown tremendously changing the day-to-day lives of those young and old, including those throughout Washburn Rural High School.
Now, in Jan. 2018 the term veganism can be defined as “the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals”. Defining oneself as vegan can vary from strictly staying to a plant-based diet to avoiding the use of animal based products such as makeup brands who use animal testing.
For English teacher Courtney Bond, switching to a vegan diet was life changing for not only herself, but her entire family. With her husband on more than one medication daily and her daughter taking medications as well, the change was immense.
“He started juicing with just fruits and vegetables and I think he did that for two weeks straight and then basically just stopped eating animal products and in two weeks he was able to get off all of his medication,” Bond said.

For Bond’s husband, going through the right processes lead him to the right results. By following certain diets of juices to help prevent the medical issues he had, he was able to exclude the daily routine of medicine from his life.

Today, the intake of food within many generations often consists of fast foods, chemical filled foods, and a lack of nutrition. By switching over to veganism, doctors have seen many beneficial aspects. However, it is often discussed how being vegan is not what makes you healthy, it is the choices you make while being vegan.

As for the financial aspect, while many people believe being vegan costs more due to the many substitutions, Bond feels she was able to quickly return to her previous grocery store budget. At times she felt it was even a cheaper option.

“It was [more expensive] I would say the first month or so because I didn’t know what I liked yet, but once I figured it all out I was able to get my grocery budget back down to where I had it before” Bond said.

However for others, veganism can be more impactful to their budget. For Junior Kelsey Taylor, a new member of the vegan community, she feels this applies to herself.

“Some of the foods you have to buy to get the right nutrients can be expensive and you’re going to have to buy different foods so some of them are just more expensive than food you eat everyday,” Taylor said.

While there can be many pros and cons to living a veganism lifestyle, it is a growing trend and insight to a healthier and happier life for many.