The food we choose to eat is usually the single most important determinant of our health and longevity. Modern medical studies show again and again that a vegetarian diet is the best way to reduce our risk of many of the common diseases currently plaguing our society, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. It also forms a very valuable part of the treatment of these diseases.
When it comes to a healthful diet, many people mistakenly believe they are caught in a bind between wholesome food and great taste.
A vegetarian diet supplies the perfect solution to this dilemma by offering the most delicious-tasting food imaginable while providing the highest-quality nutrition available.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, live-stock and meat production contribute more to global warming than all the cars, buses, trains, planes, and ships put together.
Livestock rearing is also the main cause of rainforest destruction, and runoff from this industry is the cause of much of the water pollution the world over. There's a good feeling that comes from helping to sustain our land, air, and water. A vegetarian diet provides a very powerful solution to the environmental crisis we currently face.
Most of today's meat comes from factory farms, a perversion of traditional farming. These farms are designed to produce meat efficiently and cheaply. The problem is that the modern factory farm and slaughterhouse have created conditions that are very harsh for the farm animals.
All the major religions voice for a vegetarian diet. They also appreciate knowing what many widely respected religious leaders have been vegetarian or have advocated the desirability of a vegetarian diet.
Many people find that a vegetarian diet supplies a spiritually satisfying solution to the religious mandates of all major faiths to preserve health and honour Creation.
Vegetarians are everywhere these days, and in fact, they always have been an important part of our society. They have made contributions in all walks of life throughout history.
Examples include Albert Einstein in science ... Thomas Edison in industry ... Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis ... rock star Paul McCartney of the Beatles ... and founding father Benjamin Franklin, to name just a few.
But most vegetarians are not famous. They're the people who live next door, the lady who sits next to you at work, and the guy standing behind you in line at the movies. They're everyday people making a wise and delicious choice.
Switching over to a vegetarian diet is an adventure that is both interesting and fun. Trying new foods and learning as you go will give you a chance to be creative.
The secrets of success on your journey are to be willing to learn about and experiment with new foods, to proceed at your own pace, and just to do the best you can. Take the optimistic approach. However far you come on your journey will put you that much further ahead.
Many people think that humans are omnivores, meant to eat both meat and plant foods, and that a vegetarian diet is not natural. The fact is that nothing could be further from the truth.
Humans are natural herbivores. This position is not ' alternative ' science: it's hard-core, main-stream, scientific thought.
This is affirmed by Dr. William Clifford Roberts, editor in chief of the American Journal of Cardiology, who states :
" Although we think we are one and we act as if we are one, human beings are not natural carnivores. Flesh was never intended for human beings who are natural herbivores. "
Now ask yourself if there is anyone you know who can't peel a banana!
We can only eat animals through the use of tools and technology. While our growing brains have allowed for the increasing use of this technology over time, our bodies have remained unchanged!
We can go against our nature for a while, but sooner or later an unnatural diet will catch up with us. And when it does, disease is the result. It would have been truly unfair for us to have been designed to eat meat only to acquire so many diseases from eating meat.
Who wouldn't want to live a longer and healthier life? While many people search the world over for the fountain of youth, the answer lies closer to home .. in your own kitchen!
There is no diet more nutritious than a vegetarian diet. The new vegetarian food groups are fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts.
A vegetarian diet helps prevent many diseases. Several studies show that a vegetarian diet will also help many of these patients get well again.
Vegetarians who live in Loma Linda, California, the town with the highest proportion of vegetarians in America, have the longest life spans in the country.
According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live, it might even be longer. He states :
" Those who lived longest were those following the vegetarian diet the longest, and when we look at the sub-set who had followed a vegetarian diet for at least half their life, it appears they lived about thirteen years longer. "
Recent years have seen a veritable explosion in the vegetarian food industry. Even your local supermarket is likely to carry veggie burgers and soymilk. Specialty stores and natural food markets now abound with a variety of vegetarian food. In fact, natural food stores are springing up all over the country to meet the demands of people looking for healthier options.
Protein is abundantly available in plant foods. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council states that you need 8 to 10 percent of your calories from protein.
If you eat sufficient calories and a variety of nutritious foods, you will find that it is impossible not to get enough protein.
| Vegetables | Protein | Legumes & Grains | Proteins |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinach | 49% | Lentils | 29% |
| Broccoli | 45% | Pinto beans | 26% |
| Kale | 45% | Chickpeas | 23% |
| Mushroom | 39% | Peanuts | 18% |
| Okra | 27% | sunflower seeds | 17% |
| tomato | 20% | Wheat | 17% |
| Pumpkin | 15% | Oatmeal cooked | 15% |
| Corn | 15% | Cashews | 12% |
| potatto | 11% | Rice-brown | 8% |
Akers Keith, " A Vegetarian Source Book " it, Vegetarian Press, Denver Colorado, 1989
As long as you have a reasonably varied diet over the course of several days, you'll do fine. In fact, you'll do better than just fine. There's a reason vegetarians on average live much longer than others.
Being a vegetarian shouldn't cost any more than the diet you're following now. And while you won't be spending any more money, at the market or at a restaurant, you'll most likely be saving plenty of money at the doctor's office. In fact, the health care costs directly attributable to meat consumption amount to more than $60 billion annually.
There's a simple formula for easy shopping, delicious meals, and good health. Just remember to eat plenty offruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes.
Source: " The Vegetarian Solution " by" Stewart Rose "