Reasons Why Vegetarians and Vegans Eat the Way They Do ;)

Yay, new post!  Okay, so the original title of this article is: "How to Win An Argument With a Meat-Eater" (http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/09/how-to-win-an-argument-with-a-meat-eater.html).  I decided to change it up a bit, though, because the point that I'm trying to make here is not that vegetarians/vegans and carnists (a.k.a. meat-eaters) should be arguing about who's right or who's diet is better.  The point is that vegetarians/vegans and meat-eaters alike should be aware of these powerful facts (a.k.a. "arguments").  Thanks for reading. :)



The Hunger Argument
Number of people worldwide who will die as a result of malnutrition this year: 20 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed using land freed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100 million
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90
How frequently a child dies as a result of malnutrition: every 2.3 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 40,000
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 250
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of edible flesh from feedlot beef: 16


The Environmental Argument
Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 3 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat imported to U.S. annually from Central and South America: 300,000,000 pounds
Percentage of Central American children under the age of five who are undernourished: 75
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of rainforest beef: 55 square feet
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 per year


The Cancer Argument
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times
For women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times
For women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week: 3.25 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times.


The Cholesterol Argument
Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in the U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in the U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat: 15 percent
Risk of average U.S. man who eats no meat, dairy or eggs: 4 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption of meat, dairy and eggs by 10 percent: 9 percent
Amount you reduce risk of heart attack if you reduce consumption by 50 percent: 45 percent
Amount you reduce risk if you eliminate meat, dairy and eggs from your diet: 90 percent
Average cholesterol level of people eating meat-centered-diet: 210 mg/dl
Chance of dying from heart disease if you are male and your blood cholesterol level is 210 mg/dl: greater than 50 percent


The Natural Resources Argument
User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock production
Amount of water used in production of the average cow: sufficient to float a destroyer
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of California beef: 5,000
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
To get 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Percentage of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by U.S. that is devoted to the production of livestock: 33
Percentage of all raw materials consumed by the U.S. needed to produce a complete vegetarian diet: 2


The Antibiotic Argument
Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support


The Pesticide Argument
Common belief: U.S. Department of Agriculture protects our health through meat inspection
Reality: fewer than 1 out of every 250,000 slaughtered animals is tested for toxic chemical residues
Percentage of U.S. mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 99
Percentage of U.S. vegetarian mother's milk containing significant levels of DDT: 8
Contamination of breast milk, due to chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in animal products, found in meat-eating mothers vs. non-meat eating mothers: 35 times higher
Amount of Dieldrin ingested by the average breast-fed American infant: 9 times the permissible level


The Ethical Argument
Number of animals killed for meat per hour in the U.S.: 660,000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job-injury in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker


The Survival Argument
Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time winner)
Food choice of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
Largest meat eater that ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex (Where is he today?)



Source: "Diet For A New America" by John Robbins (http://www.johnrobbins.info/)

30-Day-Vegan to Vegan "Flirt" (a.k.a. "Flexi-Vegan")

Hi all!  Sorry for the delay, but I'm finally posting a blog about the end of our 30-day vegan trial.  First, I thought I'd start out with some lessons that I learned from this experience:

1)  Eating vegan can make shopping easier and harder at the same time.  Shopping becomes easier, because eating vegan means that you there are almost whole sections of the supermarket that you can bypass (i.e. dairy, meat).  On the other hand, eating vegan means that you also have to carefully read all product labels (unless they are labeled as 'vegan') and avoid anything that contains eggs, milk,  or animal byproduct (i.e. gelatin).  The whole reading-the-labels part wasn't very hard for Dave and I, because we already do that anyway (to avoid things like MSG and high fructose corn syrup, etc).  But, it was especially hard for Dave when we couldn't buy certain things because they contained only a small amount of egg or dairy, etc.  He wasn't exactly a big fan of having his food choices so limited. ;)  I, however, found it kind of an adventure to weed through the thousands of product options and pick from what was suitable for our vegan diet.  To me, it felt like it helps me to have limits on what I could eat, because all of the different product options were no longer as overwhelming.

2)   Recipes can require some creativity.  Eating vegan can often mean that you need to substitute different ingredients for ones that you have become accustomed to using (i.e. nut milk instead of cow's milk, applesauce instead of eggs).  This can take some time to adjust to, especially when your recipes don't turn out quite like they used to.  For me, I enjoyed this, because I knew that we were eating healthier and I didn't actually notice much of a taste different.  Dave's taste buds weren't as fond of these changes, though, but he was a very good sport in trying these 'vegan' recipes. 

3)  Eating vegan isn't boring, and does not (and should not) have to be a sacrifice.  I guess if you're just trying out veganism for a bit, it can seem like it's a sacrifice to have to give up meat and dairy, etc.  But, the way I look at it is that if you go into it with the right attitude and reasons for doing so, it can be fun and it can even help you to get out of old eating habits and develop some new ones.  Besides, there are plenty of recipes and dishes out there that are already naturally vegetarian or vegan.  And, if you find a vegetarian recipe you like, the only change you have to make is to find a cheese substitute or just replace the cheese with some entirely different. For instance, when Dave and I had rice and beans for dinner one night, Dave added avocado, cilantro, and different spices (instead of cheese, as he loves to do), and it tasted awesome!  

4) Educating yourself is key.  The library became my new best friend before and during our 30-day vegan experience.  I think it's so important that you educate yourself about various issues that you are interested in.  I started out reading a couple books about veganism for fun, and I learned so much from them that I just kept reading until I finally realized that I needed to experience it for myself. It was really fun to read about other people's experiences with becoming vegan, and it was also very eye-opening to read all the facts behind the start of veganism and the vegan movement.  And, I realize that a lot of people--for various reasons--would just rather not hear about the cruel treatment of animals in factory farms, or what the consumption of meat and dairy can do to your health, and that is completely their choice.  But, I would highly suggest, that if you are at all curious, to check out a couple books from your local library, so you can see what all the fuss is about and decide for yourself what the information means to you.

Our month of vegan eating taught me a lot, and I am very glad that Dave and I were able to experience it together.  And even though it wasn't always fun or easy, I think we both learned a lot from it and it helped us to have a better appreciation for what we eat and why.  As a result of our vegan experience, Dave has decided that he is going to be a "mostly-vegetarian" (aka, a "flexitarian).  Cheese is something that he just cannot live without, so being a vegan permanently is out for him. He did find out, though, that he just doesn't really enjoy eating meat as much as he used to.  However, he does still love his bacon (bacon sure is powerful stuff!), and says that he will eat it every once in a while.  He also wants to eat chicken now and then (i.e. pad thai with chicken). 

I, on the other hand, have discovered that I don't enjoy eggs or cheese as much as I used to.  I think the combination of not eating them for a month, plus all the information that I have read, has made me more aware of what I am eating and they are just not as appealing to me anymore.  However, I have also realized that eating completely vegan is not going to work for me right now.  It definitely puts a bit of strain on shopping trips and family get-togethers, and I am also just not ready to make that kind of commitment at this time.  What I have decided to do instead, is to become flexi-vegan (or a vegan "flirt", as Alicia Silverstone calls it). :)  This means that I am a permanent vegetarian, and that I will eat vegan when I can.  I do definitely enjoy eating vegan, because I just feel a lot more healthy and less-sluggish and tired.  Plus, I just feel better about the fact that I am not helping to support the awful practices of factory farms or the destruction of the environment.  Since, I don't like milk at all anymore, and because I'm now not a big egg fan either, I will only really eat these two items when they are used to make things (i.e. cookies).  I will, however, probably eat cheese on it's own from time to time.  I really love fresh (hormone and anti-biotic free of course!) mozzarella, and I enjoy eating it every once in a while.  During our vegan month of eating, I did also discover, though, that I love vegan pizza!  I really prefer to eat pizza without the cheese, and instead I of add pesto and lots of veggie toppings (plus, nutritional yeast, which tastes a bit cheesey).  It is sooo tasty! 

So, there you have it, Dave and I have lived and learned from our month of vegan eating, and we have now decided to change our eating habits for the better.  :)  Oh, and did I mention that I'm now reading about the raw food revolution?  I used to think that eating raw food seemed a bit extreme, but after reading Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, I have developed a newfound interest in it. :)  I will share more later, but for now be sure to check out my Links and Books/Films sections for more info.  Thanks for reading!

Want to really help the planet? Eat less meat.

I'm not much of a meat-eater myself.  I guess at the moment I'd call myself a flexitarian (I choose to eat vegetarian whenever possible, but I'm not going to refuse to some meat if it's offered to me).  I have, however, given up red meat almost completely (except for the occasional meatball or two at a potluck)  ever since I watched the film Super Size Me.  That movie pretty much changed my whole view of meat and the fast food industry....for the better, I might add. :)   I am currently reading two books about how our diet affects not only our own health but also the health of the planet.  The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone, and Harvest for Hope: A Guide for Mindful Eating, by Jane Goodall, have both reminded me of the importance of eating less meat. 

Not only does meat cause all sorts of problems for our health--heart disease, osteoporosis, even cancer--but it is also depleting our planet of vital resources (i.e. water, land, as well as crops grown not for human consumption, but for animal feed).  Furthermore, methane produced by livestock is the leading cause of pollution, surpassing carbon dioxide emissions from the cars we drive.  Now, those reasons right there are enough for me to step back and really consider cutting out meat from my diet completely.  However, for those of you who love your meat, that's okay.  But, I ask you to really make an effort to eat a little less meat--and a little more veggies or legumes--during the week.  And, when you do eat meat, buying organic, grass-fed meat (preferrably from a local farmer) is really the way to go.  Not only will that meat be a lot better for you--no growth hormones or antibiotics--but it will also mean that we are supporting people actually cares about animals and the land (as opposed to supporting factory farms, which are cruel to animals and are creating havoc for our environment).  I'm not asking anyone to completely give up meat, I'm just asking you to think twice about the meat you do eat, where it comes from, and how it affects your body and our environment. 

You don't have to just take my word for it.  Here are some resources I recommend you check out. :)

http://www.earthsave.org/environment/foodchoices.htm
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/78/3/660S
http://www.csupomona.edu/~admckettrick/projects/ag101_project/html/destruction.html
http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/latest/7397