I've turned over a new leaf... again. Friday I officially decided to become a Vegetarian for life. That's right- no more hamburgers, bb-q sandwiches, grilled chicken, etc. GOOD RIDDANCE! I've been struggling with the decision for some time now, and last week I finally realized it was something I wanted to do for myself and for animals.. so I figured there's no time like the present. It isn't that big of a deal when it comes to not eating the meat, it's learning to eat new things that possesses the biggest challenge. For so long meat has been a staple in my diet- what on earth will I replace it with?
Luckily I like a challenge. And I love trying new things... problem is, my time is limited, and it's going to take a lot of time (in the beginning) to come up with yummy substitutes that are not only tasty, but also nutritious. It's also going to entail reading every ingredient of every food I put in my mouth. This is fine with me. I like knowing what I'm putting in my body as it is, and now that I have a child, it's even more important. He's way too precious to just give him any food. And with that I mean, food with toxins, and over all crap.
Okay, enough of this. It's making me hungry. Here are some reasons why we should all go Vegetarian and or Vegan. (credit to Rebecca Saltsburg)
1) Your health: prevent disease. Meat-eating has been linked with cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and many other devastating diseases. By eliminating meat from your diet you can take a crucial step towards a long life of health and happiness.
2) Increased energy and endurance: A vegetarian diet improves your stamina, concentration, and sense of well-being. In one study, athletes who switched to a vegetarian diet improved their endurance to almost 3 times as much as those who remained carnivorous.
3) Avoid toxic food contaminants: Flesh foods are loaded with dangerous poisons and contaminants such as hormones, herbicides and pesticides, and antibiotics. As these toxins are all fat-soluble, they concentrate in the fatty flesh of the animals. Not to mention the viruses, bacteria and parasites such as salmonella, trichinella and other worms, and toxoplasmosis parasites.
4) Humans are by design vegetarian: our flat teeth are perfect for grinding grains and vegetables, not for tearing apart animal flesh. Similarly, our hands are designed for gathering, not for flesh-ripping. Our saliva contains the enzyme alpha-amylase, the sole purpose of which is to digest the complex carbohydrates in plant foods. (This enzyme is not found in the saliva of carnivores.) Basically we have all the right apparatus to consume vegetarian products, and none of the right apparatus for flesh foods.
5) Care for the environment: by improperly using animals for food, we are eating ourselves off the planet. The raising of animals specifically to kill them and eat them has resulted in incredible waste and devastation of our precious resources. Just one example of the consequences is the fact that due to plundering our farmlands to fatten animals for slaughter, over 4 million acres of cropland are being lost to erosion in this country every year.
6) Help end world hunger: every day forty thousand children on this planet needlessly starve to death. According to the Department of Agriculture statistics, one acre of land can grow 20,000 pounds of potatoes. That same acre of land, when used to grow cattlefeed, can produce less than 165 pounds of edible cow flesh.
7) Become a more peaceful person: when we consume animal flesh products we are necessarily at odds with nature and our fellow living beings. Consumption of flesh foods has been scientifically linked with violent and aggressive behavior.
8) Have compassion for animals: animals who are raised for slaughter needlessly experience incredible suffering throughout their life and death. Many people try not to think of the torturous experiences of the animal whose flesh ended up in their hamburger or on their dinner table. But if it is distasteful to think about, consider what it is like to experience it.
