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 Why be vegetarian?
Health Reasons
Despite all the rhetoric and brainwashing we have been exposed to by governments and the media, courtesy of the meat and dairy industries, you don't have to eat meat to survive and be healthy. On the contrary, if you follow the most valid scientific research you'll find there is far more unhealthy about meat than you ever dreamed. Besides cholesterol, and fat there are some wonderful other ingredients that make up commercial meat today. Antibiotics: Modern
science has seen to it that animals are given a healthy dose of
antibiotics before they reach us to minimize losses due to illness. By
eating this meat, we ingest these antibiotics and by being dosed when
we don't need them, they have less effect when we take them because we
are ill.
Bacteria and Parasites: Meat is a magnet for some of the most dangerous bacteria and parasites. Does E-coli ring a bell? How about Mad Cow disease? Trichnosis? If you are a vegetarian, this isn't the kind of issue it is for meat eaters. Putrefaction: Fruits ferment into alcohol like wine. Vegetables likewise ferment or
decay creating gases. Meat on the other hand putrifies which means it
creates poisons that are toxic to humans. Fruit and most vegetables are
easy to digest and don't stay in your digestive system as long as meat
does. This gives it more time to putrify. It also gives those nasty
bacteria and parasites (above) more time to multiply. Digestive
problems such as constipation are often due to a heavy meat diet.
Doctors recommend fruit and vegetables (roughage) as a cure for
constipation (when will they just recommend becoming a vegetarian?). Chemical toxins: Animals are higher on the food chain and thus concentrate toxins contained in the food they eat. Thus one ounce of meat will usually contain far more chemicals than the equivalent amount of grain or legumes. Plus some animals are fed animal parts that already have concentrated the toxins of their diet. Ecology The numbers are staggering. The amount of land required to grow one cow
to maturity versus the amount grain that can be produced in the same
acreage. By raising cattle on arable land, our species is being
inefficient in it's use of resources. By choosing to be at the top of
the food chain we consume unwisely, making it difficult to feed our
ever growing population.
The rainforest: The Central American and Amazon rainforests are being
destroyed to provide farmland and cattle grazing. The farmers can only
raise a few crops before the thin soil is depleted, causing them to
burn more virgin rainforest. The land is then only suitable for cattle
to graze the thin grasses. This is the real reason the farmers are
allowed to burn the forest. They are the pawns of the cattle industy in
Brazil. They do the dirty work, and the ranchers get more land for
their herds. This endless cycle spells doom for the "lungs of the
Earth" and perhaps for all of us.
In
many countries the taste for meat has been introduced by companies like
McDonald's or Burger King. People whose diets consisted of fruits and
vegetables now see meat eating as a sign of affluence and status.
Densely populated countries whose land is under intense cultivation and
where pressure to urbanize has reduced that cultivation are also
pressured to raise beef. This inefficient use of their land will one
day doom them to starvation.
Economic Meat is more expensive than vegetables. It takes more protein to feed
animals than they yield. They require more water. Meat is more
perishible, takes longer to harvest, requires refrigeration, is
transported over vast distances, uses more resources, so of course it
costs more. For rich countries and well off populations eating meat is normal. But
in developing countries it is seen as a sign of affluence. Owning
animals is status.
Humanistic Food Factories: That's where meat comes from. No one likes to think about where that hamburger or hot dog or chicken nugget comes from, much less what's in it! As a species we have lost touch with the source of our food. In our hunting/gathering days we were very much in touch with nature, animals and their spirits. If we had to hunt or raise and slaughter our food ourselves we could appreciate what it really is - a living animal that we must kill to satisfy our hunger. Nowadays a big mac means you won't have to cook tonight.
To provide this convenience, multinational corporations have setup food factories around the world that take the worry and fuss about having that next meal off your mind. What you don't see can't hurt you - or can it? Certain animals are raised in appalling conditions. To produce veal - a very young cow, the animal spends it's whole life caged up in a pen no bigger than itself. This prevents it from moving and developing strong muscles thus keeping the flesh tender. It's short life is spent standing in its own urine and feces, never to graze fields of green grass, never to see sunsets, never to live the life a cow is meant to live. Because of the conditions under which it lives it must be given massive doses of antibiotics to stave off sickness, which are then passed on to those who love to eat these poor animals. Chickens: Little chicks are hatched and sent on conveyor belts where they are examined for sex and deformities. Like the station at Auschwitz they are then either routed to the growing area or ground up to feed their siblings. The lucky chick survivors then have their beaks burned off to prevent them from pecking the hundreds of other chickens they'll be cooped up with. Most chickens in America never see the light of day. They are kept in huge rooms where the density of chickens per sq. ft. is maximized. The lighting is controlled to maximize their feeding and growth. Since they are so densely packed, they are highly prone to infection and must be given massive doses of antibiotics to suppress illness.Pigs: One need only visit a pig farm to grasp the horrifying conditions under which they are raised. Once the inhabitants of forests, they are now penned up and fed just about anything. Is it any wonder nobody wants a pig farm in their neighborhood? Political Meat is big business. The cattle, dairy, pig, and chicken industries all have powerful lobbies that keep Congress in their camp. It takes a total disaster like Mad Cow disease before people even think about what they eat. What a political mess that was! No other country wanted British beef, yet the British were still stuck eating it!
Most Western countries have had meat in their diets for centuries. You eat meat because your parents eat meat, because their parents eat meat, etc. Yet most Eastern/Asian countries have little or no meat in their traditional diets. What meat is consumed is considered a treat. Of course now these diets have changed due to western influences like hamburger chains. But why not reverse our centuries old habit? New cuisines have combined food ideas from all over the world, and with such a varied assorment of ingredients available nowadays, let's take advantage of the many vegetarian options. It's not necessary to become a strict vegetarian overnight. It's easier to eat less meat, more grains and vegetables more often. First stop eating red meat, especially fast foods. Then cut back on poultry. Finally eat less fish and soon you'll be a vegetarian. I can guarantee you'll lose weight (absolutely a great benefit!), you'll feel better, and have more energy. You won't get that heavy bloated feeling after eating a heavy meat meal. And of course you won't get all those illnesses meat eaters get. |
