"Nothing will benefit human health
and increase the
chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the
evolution to a vegetarian diet." -- Albert Einstein
"In
each and every environment, good
health and sustained wellness is dependant
on the rapid removal of waste." -- Hari Singh
Think
about it!
"No
matter how good the diet is, we tend to exceed the self cleaning
capacity of our bodies. Uric acid (a
biproduct of meat consumption),
calcium crystals, and many other wastes and poisons get stored
in
tissues and joints. They make us stiff and may cause many
diseases.
In Kundalini Yoga,
breathing exercises, muscle stretching and internal
massage bring waste back into circulation so that the lungs,
intestines,
kidneys, and skin are able to remove it." -- Yogi
Bhajan
LATE
NEWS
Cows emit 18% of the world's greenhouse
gases.
In
a recent, August 2010, press release by U.S. health officials,
poultry has become the leading source of food-born illness
in America.
And
according to a recent report by the United Nations, "Livestock's
contribution to environmental problems is on a massive
scale ... the impact is so significant that it needs to
be addressed with urgency."
Cows
emit a staggering 18% of the world's greenhouse gases.
There are more cattle in China than Chinese. Each of these
1.5 billion cattle has 4 stomachs resulting in a total
of 6 billion stomachs. These produce mass quantities,
100 gallons a day of methane gas, which is far more potent
as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide."
CAUTION!
A vegetarian is a person who refuses to
eat dead animals.
People have been known to become vegetarians, and to
quit smoking and-or drinking after viewing this material.
What
is a Vegetarian? A
person who refuses to eat dead animals.
Vegetarians
do not eat meat, poultry, or fish (people who include
small amounts of these foods in their diets sometimes
call themselves semi-vegetarians.) Vegetarians build their
diets around a wide variety of plant foods, including
grains (such as rice, barley, and oats), grain-based foods
(such as bread, pasta, and cereals), legumes, vegetables,
fruits, nuts and seeds. Soy foods such as tofu,
soy milk, and soy-based meat substitutes may
play an important role in many vegetarian diets. In addition,
cheese and milk made from rice, almonds, and soybeans
are prominent in some vegetarian diets. Lacto-ovo vegetarians
consume dairy foods and eggs. Vegans are vegetarians who
do not eat any animal products, including dairy products,
eggs, and honey.
Why do people choose meatless diets?
People
choose a vegetarian diet for a variety of reasons.
Many
choose it to improve their health or to decrease the risk
of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.
Others
go vegetarian due to concerns about world hunger and the environment,
because large-scale production of animal foods uses land that
could otherwise be used to grow plant-based foods, and is
a major cause of deforestation and soil erosion worldwide.
Still
others are concerned about the presence of antibiotics, hormones,
pesticide residues, or disease-causing agents (as with mad
cow disease) that may be present in meat.
Some
vegetarians object to inhumane practices of modern-day animal
farming, so their reasons for being vegetarian are largely
ethical.
Some
vegetarians believe that humans are not physiologically suited
to meat eating; humans have more in common with herbivorous
animals than with carnivorous animals in terms of the structure
and function of our teeth and our digestive tract.
Finally,
some people choose vegetarianism in an attempt to live more
simply and economically, and in closer harmony with the way
most of the world’s population eats.
What
do the advocates say?
Bread, cereal, rice, pasta group, 6-11 servings daily.
Vegetable group, 3-5 servings daily.
Fruit group, 2-4 servings daily.
Dry beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat substitues group, 2-3
servings daily.
Milk, yogurt, and cheese group, 2-3 servings daily.
Fat, oils, and sweets, sparingly.
It is well documented that vegetarians are healthier than
people who eat meat. In some cases, vegans have better health
than lacto-ovo vegetarians. Although many vegetarians also
exercise and avoid smoking, evidence indicates that their
good health is largely due to diet. One study of 30,000 people
in California compared vegetarians and meat eaters who, aside
from their dietary differences, had very similar lifestyles
and health practices. The vegetarians were less likely to
be obese, or to have high blood pressure, diabetes, rheumatoid
arthritis, or colon cancer. They were also less likely to
die from heart disease. In fact, the vegetarians were healthier
even than people who ate meat only occasionally. Even when
vegetarians were fatter than meat eaters, the vegetarians
had lower cholesterol levels.
Vegetarians have lower blood pressure even when they eat the
same amount of salt as meat eaters and exercise less. Researchers
have known since the beginning of the 1900s that feeding meat
to vegetarians causes their blood pressure to rise.
Many studies show that vegetarians have less colon cancer
than meat eaters. The composition of bacterial flora in the
colon differs between vegetarians and people who eat meat
in ways that could possibly affect cancer risk. (Have you
ever met a vegetarian alcoholic? Let
us know here.)
Change your body chemistry! A
vegetarian diet minimizes toxic byproducts in the body.
Many factors in a vegetarian diet contribute to the better
health of vegetarians. These factors include:
Vegetarians
consume two to three times as much fiber as do meat-eaters.
This helps to reduce cholesterol and blood glucose levels,
and protect against colon cancer.
Vegetarians
consume more antioxidants, which are found in a wide variety
of plant foods. Antioxidants protect cells from oxygen-induced
damage and reduce the risk for heart disease, arthritis, cancer,
and other diseases.
Vegetarians
consume more phytochemicals than do meat eaters, special compounds
found in plants. Many phytochemicals have a wide range of
protective effects in the human body. They help to detoxify
carcinogens, stimulate the immune system, regulate cell growth
(which helps to fight cancer), and reduce some of the harmful
effects of excessive exposure to hormones.
Vegetarians
eat more isoflavones than do meat eaters. These compounds,
found mostly in soy foods, are another type of phytochemical.
Research shows that isoflavones may reduce the risk for prostate
cancer and may improve bone health.
Vegetarians
consume much less saturated fat and cholesterol than do meat
eaters. This helps to explain why they have significantly
lower levels of blood cholesterol. One study showed that blood
cholesterol levels were 14% lower in lacto-ovo vegetarians
and 35% lower in vegans compared to meat-eaters. Lower intakes
of saturated fat reduce the risk for heart disease and possibly
for diabetes and cancer.
Vegetarians
do not consume heme iron, a type of iron found in meat that
appears to increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Vegetarians
do not eat red meat, which has been linked to increased cancer
risk in many studies. Red meat consumption stimulates the
production of mutation-causing compounds in the colon and
is linked to increased damage to DNA.
Note:
We know of no vegetarians that are alcoholics.
A typical meat-eater's physique with undigested meat
and all of the resultant toxins held in the intestines.
What
do the critics say?
Critics of vegetarianism claim that people who choose this
diet will have to “balance incomplete proteins”
to synthesize complete protein in the body. Proteins that
come from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grain products
are only “incomplete” in the sense that they do
not provide all nine essential amino acids (protein building
blocks) at a single meal; thus, according to critics, a vegetarian
(and especially a vegan) must be careful to consume appropriate
quantities of complementary proteins each day to ensure that
he or she is getting enough dietary protein.
Contrary to this popular belief, inadequate protein intake
is rarely a concern for vegetarians. Better understanding
of protein nutrition shows that, for adults, it is not necessary
to consume special combinations of foods to meet requirements
for the right balance of amino acids. Many plant foods, such
as grains and legumes, provide protein. Soy foods and dairy
products are particularly rich in high-quality protein. Protein
needs are easily met when vegetarians consume a variety of
plant foods and eat enough food to meet calorie needs.
Critics also point out that there is no way to get vitamin
B12 via food except through animal products. Tempeh and other
fermented soy products do not contain consistent enough quantities
of B12 to meet the body’s requirements. Vegetarians
must therefore eat B12-fortified foods or take vitamin supplements
on a daily basis to prevent a deficiency.
Some critics fault vegetarian, and particularly vegan, diets
for not providing sufficient calcium. In truth, most people,
not just vegetarians, eat less than optimal amounts of calcium.
Dairy products are a good source of dietary calcium, but they
are not the only source. Green leafy vegetables and tofu are
also good sources, and are usually eaten in large quantities
by vegetarians. Vegans—who eat no animal products—are
the most likely to suffer from calcium deficiency. Many Americans—vegetarians
and meat eaters alike—could benefit from taking a calcium
supplement.
Vegetarians eat less iron than non-vegetarians, and the iron
they eat is somewhat less absorbable. As a result, vegetarians
are more likely to have reduced iron stores.
However, iron deficiency is not usually caused by a lack of
iron in the diet alone; an underlying cause—such as
iron loss in menstrual blood—often exists. Although
iron is found in a variety of different foods, its availability
to the body (bio availability) varies significantly. This
is determined by whether it is found in the form of heme and
non-heme iron. Heme iron is found only in meat, fish, and
poultry. It is absorbed much more readily than non-heme iron
found primarily in fruits, vegetables, dried beans, nuts,
and grain products, such as bread and iron-fortified breakfast
cereals. Including a source of vitamin C at each meal improves
absorption of vegetarian-source iron.
Strict vegans may become iodine deficient if they do not consume
enough iodine, readily available in iodized salt.
Very few foods are good sources of vitamin D, which is why
milk is fortified with it. Vegetarians who do not consume
milk should be sure to get 20 to 30 minutes of sun exposure
every day since this promotes the synthesis of vitamin D in
the body. People who live in cloudy, smoggy, or northern areas,
and people who do not leave their residences, need foods fortified
with vitamin D. These fortified foods include breakfast cereals
and some brands of soy milk and rice milk. Since people with
dark skin make vitamin D less efficiently, they may also need
supplemental sources of vitamin D or increased sun exposure.
*Consultation
with a health care professional should occur before applying adjustments
or treatments to the body, consuming medications or nutritional
supplements and before dieting, fasting or exercising. None of these
activities are herein presented as substitutes for competent medical
treatment. See Disclaimer.
Many
choose it to improve their health or to decrease the risk
of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.
Bread, cereal, rice, pasta group, 6-11 servings daily.
Vegetable group, 3-5 servings daily.
Fruit group, 2-4 servings daily.
Dry beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat substitues group, 2-3
servings daily.
Milk, yogurt, and cheese group, 2-3 servings daily.
Fat, oils, and sweets, sparingly.
*Consultation
with a health care professional should occur before applying adjustments
or treatments to the body, consuming medications or nutritional
supplements and before dieting, fasting or exercising. None of these
activities are herein presented as substitutes for competent medical
treatment.