He’s a well-known local music producer who manages to work a day job in Corporate America selling Dell products as a Solutions Representative at Tech Data, one of the world’s largest IT Distribution companies, while staying relevant in the nightlife scene as a Techno DJ.
Most individuals who work a rigorous schedule like this rely on a substantially, meaty diet that will maintain their day to day activities and liveliness, but not this individual. Empowered by the benefits of a vegan lifestyle, Scotto finds alternatives that aid this type of lifestyle.
Thirty-one-year-old Jesse Scotto of St. Petersburg, Florida has been living a meat-free, vegan lifestyle and relishing in all of it's benefits for 5 months now that allows him to uphold his energy, steer away from his old sluggish habits and direct away from the contributions of a torturous cycle of animal suppression and environmental demolition.
Vegan What?
Veganism is not an easy lifestyle to preserve but it allows people who decide to choose this path a way to discover a non-violent, plant based regimen. Vegans eat nothing that comes from animals or is an animal by-product. No dairy goods like milk, eggs or cheese – nothing that would involve the brutalization of animals of any kind. When asked why a vegetarian diet would not be a nutritional option, Jesse explained, “I just do not care to eat any animal products. The quality is so poor between all of them, and dairy is the worst offender against my health, so it’s easiest to avoid all of it.”
To You Meat Eaters
Meat eaters fail to realize that even if one chooses not to consume animals, they are still being tortured for the products they produce. Cows and chickens are deemed a life of captivity; jailed in cages, separated from their parents and siblings, branded, and fertilized against their will while being bought and sold continuously in the meat industry. Not to mention (even though I'm mentioning it), the way meat is processed to be preserved for future consumption is absolutely horrific, but we'll save that for another time.
Furry Friend or Foe?
Although the abuse of farm animals and sea life pertains to the aiding of a meat-lovers diet, this is not the only suffering these animals experience. Fur farms are a harsh reality of a perceptive animals’ life and these poor, innocent creatures are murdered for their skin and hair. People who wear these articles of clothing are supporting this trade and a true vegan like Scotto understands the value of a guiltless animal life. “Aside from the immediate health benefits, it makes me feel better knowing that I’m no longer contributing to a system of animal torture and slavery as well as environmental destruction and corporate greed,” he explains.
Save Your Arteries
Other than the obvious element that ingestion of animals is a moral nightmare, the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle are plentiful. According to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, since vegans consume more fruits and vegetables that most omnivores, their risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol levels is very low and obesity is almost non-existent. Fruits consist of the good kinds of carbs but many people may fear that a lack of calcium in one’s diet can cause a loss of bone health but this stereotype is not true in veganism as the vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium and other nutrients impedes bone deterioration. The lack of red meat in a vegan’s diet also eliminates the risk of diabetes and colon cancer.
A Flexible Alternative
Finding alternatives to protein could seem like a challenging task to accomplish, but Scotto turns to a common vegan ingredient Jackfruit. “Jackfruit tends to fit into a lot of vegan recipes in place of meat,” comments Jesse. This fruit’s seeds are rich in protein, potassium and other nutrients that can be used in many forms such as a pulled pork alternative or even used as a desert. This fruit can be found in most Asian markets in the United States as it is innate to South Asia. This is only one of the countless substitutions to an omnivore diet.
You Can Do It
Making the change to a vegan lifestyle from a meaty way of life that has been overly prevalent throughout history is not for everyone, but if there is any reason to convert its because of the health benefits and the moral obligation and support of wildlife. Jesse Scotto shows that it is indeed possible to accomplish. Even with the responsibility of working two jobs, supporting his family and maintaining a work/life balance he stays true to his newfound vegan belief and you could too.