Vegetarianism

I Confess. . . .

I used to be a meat eater, but I never was really crazy about it. As an animal lover, I do not know why I never really thought about it before, but it just didn't occur to me that I was contibuting to the massive slaughter and cruelty to innocent animals who deserved so much better. It was so easy to eat a processed hamburger and detach myself from the reality of where it came from. I think if we all had to kill our own food, there would be many more vegetarians than there are! To me, a vegetarian is someone who eats no animal products, but the term has gotten looser to include those who ate no meat, but did eat dairy products. In my mind, that is NOT a vegetarian, but because of that, a new term, vegan, was used to describe those who eat no animal products. I am a vegan. I became total vegan over a year ago. Every time I tell people I am a vegan, I always get either one of two responses: A. What do you eat then? or B. I could NEVER give up meat! Do you know how many vegetarians there are who had once uttered statement B?! It's just all about what you want. You can give up anything you want to! Instead of saying "I could never give up meat" a more appropriate statement would be "I do not WANT to give up meat". I really got started as a vegetarian when I became a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian. Seventh-Day Adventists keep the same dietary laws as Jews do, but we like to go even farther by not eating any animal products. This is not because we feel that it's necessary to be saved, but rather because our bodies are the temple of God and as such we have a duty to keep it in the best condition possible. We honor God by taking care of the body He blessed us with. I don't think anyone can deny that in this day and age, much of the food has become contaminated. There are hormones, antibiotics, steroids, etc in just about all animal products and science has shown us that a vegetarian diet is the healthiest for our bodies. Residues of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins from the environment accumulate in animal fat. Bacterial contamination of animal products often causes illness and death. According to Time, "The conservative estimate is that bad chicken kills at least 1,000 people each year and costs several billion dollars annually in medical costs and lost productivity (oct. 17, 1994" . I don't think it's a coincidence that in the very beginning Adam and Eve ate only vegan food "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb-bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed: to you it shall be for meat. - Genesis 1:29". It's also no coincidence that we were created with flat teeth like all other plant eaters and a long digestive tract. Carnivores has short digestive tracts so as to expell the toxins from animal flesh quickly. Another reason I think vegetarianism is the right way to live is because from the beginning God instructed us to take care of the animals He created. He gave us dominion over them not to use them for our own selfish desires, but because He knew that caring for them would make us better people. It would teach us compassion and give us the example of unconditional love and trust we are to have towards God. Many people believe humans are superior to animals, but are we really? Who is it that kills for pleasure? Who is it that wages war? Who is it that selfishly seeks to gain while ignoring the needs of those around them? Look at the wolf, for example (my favorite animal, as if you couldn't tell!). This is an animal that mates for life. It would be impossible for it to ever betray its companion. When a wolf is too old or sick to hunt for itself, it stays with the pups and watches them while the others bring back food. There is only one thing that makes the animals "inferior" and that is their lack of speech. As someone who has lived with animals all her life, I can assure you that they are every bit as capable of thought and emotion as we are. Their wisdom is infinitely superior to ours. I came to the point where I realized that to claim to be a Christian and yet to continue contributing to the needless suffering of these incredible souls would make me a hypocrite and a liar. Most people have no idea what really goes on in factory farms. I think in most cases it's simply that they don't WANT to know. It's easier that way. The way I found out was from seeing a commercial for the Human Farming Association. I called their toll free number to receive information by mail. When I started reading the literature, I knew in my heart there was no turning back. I would never be ignorant again.

~Some Common Myths Debunked~

Myth: Vegetarians eat chicken and fish.
Reality: A vegetarian eats no flesh, fowl or fish. Total vegetarians exclude
eggs and diary products as well.

Myth: Getting enough protein is a problem for vegetarians.
Reality: Vegetarian diets--even those without dairy or eggs--easily meet and
exceed the RDA for protein. It's nearly impossible to design a diet with a
variety of whole foods that is deficient in protein. If you consume enough
calories to meet your energy needs, you'll get more than enough protein.

Myth: If a little protein is good, a lot is better.
Reality: In developed countries, too much protein is a much bigger health
threat than too little. Excess protein leads to kidney overload and mineral
deficiency diseases, such as osteoporosis.

Myth: Vegetarianism is too complicated. To get quality protein, one must
carefully mix and match foods.
Reality: Research has proven this unnecessary. All whole foods--fruits,
vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts--contain the essential amino acids that
are the building blocks of protein. Bananas have complete protein. Check
any official food chart listing for amino acid content.

Myth: Dairy products are necessary for calcium.
Reality: Total vegetarians not only get enough calcium, they also absorb
more calcium than people on the standard high-protein diet. Excess protein
actually inhibits calcium absorption. Also, calcium requirements for those on
lower-protein, plant-based diets are lower. The less protein you eat, the less
calcium you require. Most greens are abundant sources of calcium.

Myth: Vegetarians don't get enough iron.
Reality: Vegetarians do not have a higher incidence of iron deficiency than
do meat eaters. Beans and leafy greens are especially good sources of iron,
better on a per-calorie basis than meat.

Myth: Vegetarians don't eat a balanced diet.
Reality: Meat unbalances our diet because it lacks fiber and introduces
excessive amounts of fat, cholesterol, hormones and antibiotics. It also
interferes with our absorption of crucial nutrients and stresses our digestive
systems, kidneys and liver.

Myth: The human anatomy is designed to eat meat.
Reality: The opposite is true. The small mouth, tooth structure, salivary pH,
large stomach, long small intestines and puckered colon of human beings all
suggest a physical structure designed for an herbivorous rather than
carnivorous diet. Our body structure is much more like that of the vegetarian
great apes than that of the meat-eating lions.

Myth: Some people have extra nutritional requirements and need meat.
Reality: A vegetarian diet can be followed by people of all ages--including
infants, children, pregnant women and athletes. Comparative medical and
dental studies prove that children raised as vegetarians have better teeth
and greater freedom from childhood diseases.

Myth: Nations with the highest per capita meat consumption are the
healthiest.
Reality: Countries with the highest per capita consumption of meat also have
the highest incidence of chronic killer diseases.

Myth: Vegetarians and non-vegetarians are equally prone to chronic
degenerative diseases.
Reality: Conclusive scientific evidence shows that vegetarians are generally
at a lower risk than non-vegetarians for heart disease, high blood pressure,
cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Myth: Heart disease is irreversible.
Reality: Recent medical research demonstrates that vegetarian diet can help
reverse heart disease.

Myth: All American men have the same heart attack risk.
Reality: Risk of death from heart attack for the average American man is 50
percent, versus 4 percent for total vegetarian men.

Myth: Vegetable oils, margarine, nuts, avocado, tofu and coconut contain
cholesterol.
Reality: Only foods of animal origin contain cholesterol. None is found in
grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts or seeds.

Myth: Vegetarians are weak and lack endurance.
Reality: Meat is totally lacking in carbohydrates, the most readily usable
source of energy. Elephants, horses, apes and oxen are vegetarian. So are
many famous athletes, such as Hank Aaron, Ridgely Abele, Andreas
Cahling, James Donaldson, Roy Hilligan, Anton Innauer, Sixto Linares,
Edwin Moses, Paavo Nurmi, Robert Parish, Bill Pearl, Bill Pickering, Stan
Price, Murray Rose and Dave Scott.

Myth: Making the change to a vegetarian diet is difficult.
Reality: Being a vegetarian is as hard or as easy as you choose to make it.
Some people enjoy planning and preparing elaborate meals, while others opt
for quick and easy vegetarian dishes. Many people become vegetarians
instantly, while others make the change gradually.

Myth: Vegetarianism is just a fad.
Reality: Vegetarianism has been around for thousands of years. Greek
philosophers Socrates, Pythagoras and Plato were vegetarians. Other famous
vegetarians through history include Ovid, Plutarch, Leonardo da Vinci,
Voltaire, Einstein and Gandhi.

~Veggie Links~

Veggies Unite!
Humane Farming Association- Find out the TRUTH about where your meat comes from!
Jupiter Rising- Online Vegetarian Resource
The McDougall Wellness Center- A way of eating that saved my life! I lost 75 lbs. in a year. This is NOT a diet but a way of life
Veggie Life Magazine
North American Vegetarian Society Homepage
Very Vegetarian Sites- Want to see even more links??? Go here!