so, a while back i made a post about how to transition into veganism. now i’m going to give you a couple of reasons why you should try a plant-based diet.
HEALTH:
i’ll start off with health, since most people who read this blog are into health. according to the American Dietic Association’s position paper on plant-based diets, “Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.” veganism is a diet that benefits everyone who tries it(as long as you eat a balanced diet!): diabetics, people looking to lose weight, celiacs or other people who live gluten-free, babies, children, the elderly, athletes, ANYONE. a vegan diet is high in fiber & nutrients, but low in saturated fat and free of cholesterol, the latter of which is a potential witch’s brew for heart disease. people who are at high risk for cancer should also look into a vegan diet. also according to the ADA’s position on vegan diets, “Vegetarians have considerably lower rates of several types of cancer than non-vegetarians. The Adventist Health Study found that non-vegetarians had a 54% increased risk for prostate cancer and an 88% increased risk for colorectal cancer, even after controlling for age, sex, and smoking.” i could go on and on all day, but i’ll continue with other points.
ANIMALS:
factory-farmed animals are among the worst-treated beings in the entire world. these animals are not only sentient, but are intelligent, capable beings. chickens understand sophisticated intellectual concepts, learn from watching each other, demonstrate self-control, worry about the future, and even have cultural knowledge that is passed from generation to generation. pigs have been proven to be as intelligent as 3-year-old children, and they dream, recognize their names, play video games more effectively than some primates, and lead social lives of a complexity previously observed only in primates. cows are as diverse as cats, dogs, and people: some are bright; others are slow learners. some are bold and adventurous; others are shy and timid. some are friendly and considerate; others are bossy and devious. even fish, considered to not even BE animals by some, can recognize their “school-mates” in a crowd of other fish, and even create little “algae” gardens, weeding out the less tasty ones to make rooms for the more desirable breeds. animals are so much more intelligent than we give them credit for, and the cruelty that even “free-range”, organic farms put animals through is not okay. if these were dogs or cats, what is being done to them would be ILLEGAL and PUNISHABLE BY LAW. so, why is it okay because they’re not?
THINK ABOUT IT.
ENVIRONMENT:
global warming, overexploited natural resources, deforestation, wasted land, water pollution, air pollution… all these can be linked to raising animals for consumption. livestock emissions produce methane, which is worse for the environment than CO2. the cost of grain that is used to produce ONE 8-ounce steak can fill 45 to 50 bowls with grains that could feed the poverty-stricken. E magazine once speculated that more than one-third of all fossil fuels in america were used to raise and transport animals for food. nearly half the drinkable water in the US goes to farmed animals. the run-off from factory farms pollutes our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined. i really could go on and on, but i think you get my bottom line: factory farming is a waste of resources and is poisoning our planet.
my sources: ADA’s position paper on vegetarianism, http://www.goveg.com, http://www.chooseveg.com
you know the how. you know the why. now take that first step & go vegan.
keep it vegan,
dia.
Dia's Vegan Corner 