I never thought I would be a part of the up and coming vegan movement for I always viewed this new diet as just for people who needed to lose weight or were extreme vegetarians from PETA. I remember giving my friends a hard time for trying it out themselves; saying that all vegans can eat is dirt, and for that I am sorry. It wasn’t until recently when I discovered some of my own health problems, such as hereditary high cholesterol and the new inability to digest lactose, that I really started looking into it. The more I read the more disturbing facts I found when learning about where our food comes from, and what it does to our bodies. I am now setting out to try and challenge myself to completely change my life style and complete the challenge of being vegan for 101 days; and who knows maybe I will stick with it for good.
Here is a summary of some of the most shocking things I have learned…..
Meat
* Contributes to osteoporosis, heart disease, arthritis, kidney stones, and cancer
* Meat is hard to digest and can stay in your system for three days. Not to mention often by then it has started to rot and putrefy!
* The meat packing industry is unsanitary and is the cause of out breaks of coli. We feed farm animals, such as cows, corn which makes them build up this bacteria in their stomachs. They also have the animals sit all day in there fecal matter which often can get in your food. Yuck!
* The meat packing industry is not only cruel to their animals but also their workers.
Dairy
* Contributes to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, allergies, osteoporosis, and cancer
* While milk does have calcium in it, it also causes the body to release even more of it! Meat and dairy are major causes of osteoporosis, not the cures.
* It is hard to let go of eating dairy product because it is addictive! It contains a protein called casein which when broken down becomes casomorphins (as in morphine. Casomorphins make you feel relaxed and happy. It is designed by nature to make babies feel attached to their mothers.
All these facts I found in the book “The Kind Diet” by Alicia Silverstone as well as are fact checked from other nonbiased sources. You can check out more information at Silverstone’s website www.kindlife.com
Also if you haven’t watched it already you should check out the documentary Food Inc. which goes in depth about the problems in our meat packing industry. You can find more information about the movie at http://www.foodincmovie.com/index.php
I will support you sweetheart! for the past few weeks we have taken out dairy products and dramatically decreased our meat intake. Therefore we were already were very close to the vegan life style. After reading my health book with you and watching "FOOD, inc." I actually haven't been eating meat. I no long see it in the same light, I look at it with disgust now. Not knowing what I am putting into my body really disturbs me, not to mention there may be feces mixed into it. As I have told you before I have never been a big fan of milk to begin with, for I don't like the taste. I am not saying I will turn vegan with you, but I do think we will have fun looking up and trying new recipes together!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Sara! I recommend a book for your family called Help! My child stopped eating Meat! by Carol J. Adams. And also a new book called Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth About Dairy and Your Health by Joseph Keon.
ReplyDeleteAnd anyone who has the stomach for it may want to watch the video at meatvideo.com. It is heartbreaking and violent, but honest and accurate, and it will make people understand instantly why you want to be a vegan. If your mom and you want to come to my next cooking class, it's Wed. June 8 in Fairfax. Let me know, and you can be my guests.
I have been a vegan for 26 years, and if you want to ask me any questions, Cris knows how to reach me.
All my very best to you, Patti B., co-author of How to Eat Like a Vegetarian, Even If You Never Want To Be One