Many of you know that I
am a vegetarian. I often get
questions about why I would
choose such a diet. Here are
ten reasons that will get
you thinking about the
benefits of a vegetarian
diet. I also often get asked
about what I eat. Check out
my food and nutrition blog
here for the answer to
that question. Better yet,
come out to a
vegetarian cooking class
and learn to cook some great
vegetarian food for
yourself. Below are the last
three
vegetarian cooking classes
of 2007... come on out and
expand your healthy eating
repertoire!
1. Do it for the
Environment
It takes far less energy and
resources from the planet to
farm plants than it does
animals. Gary Null points
out that "the breeding and
slaughter of animals, and
the subsequent processing
and packaging of the meat,
requires an inordinate
amount of land, water,
energy, and raw materials."
In addition the production
of meat generates way more
greenhouse gas emissions
than the growth of plant
based food. In our current
culture when caring for the
environment has become a
moral obligation rather than
a choice, going vegan is
another thing we can do to
help our beautiful planet
earth.
2. Vegan Diets are
Cholesterol Free
The only foods that contain
cholesterol are animal
products. Cut out dairy,
eggs, cheese and meat and
you will completely
eliminate the cholesterol in
your diet. Add
cholesterol-lowering legumes
such as kidney beans and
chickpeas and you will never
have to worry about your
triglyceride and LDL levels
again.
3. Reduce the Amount
of Hormones and Chemicals
You Ingest
Treating animals with
hormones to speed growth and
increase productivity is a
widely accepted practice
within the meat and meat
by-product industries.
Hormone residues in meat and
meat products can disrupt
the hormonal balance for
many humans. Take for
example a common growth
hormone called estradiol,
the European Commission's
Scientific Committee on
Veterinary Measures Relating
to Public Health has raised
evidence that suggests this
hormone is a carcinogen that
exerts both tumor initiating
and promoting effects.
4. A Healthy Vegan
Diet is a Low-Fat Diet
A vegan diet is naturally
low in fat. One hundred
grams of mature boiled
chickpeas contains only 2.6
grams of fat of which only
0.27 gram is saturated. Of
course the 7.6 grams of
dietary fiber in that same
serving of chickpeas will
quickly carry that out of
your system. Tofu contains
only 4 g of fat per 100 g.
Compare that with cheddar
cheese which contains 15 g
of fat per 100 g - more than
four times the amount.
5. A Vegan Diet is
High in Fiber
By its very nature a vegan
diet is high in fiber.
Animal products have
absolutely no fiber. Legumes
on the other hand are one of
the most fiber rich plant
source foods on the planet.
Pair the legumes with lots
of fruits, vegetables and
whole grains and you are
well on your way to the
25-35 g of fiber recommended
daily. (The average North
American consumes only 10 g
of fiber per day).
6. Vegans Eat a Wide
Variety of Protein Sources
As a holistic lifestyle and
nutrition coach I often ask
my clients, "What are your
protein sources?" The answer
is simple: chicken. Day
after day, night after
night. My vegan clients on
the other hand choose a wide
variety of protein sources
from legumes and nuts to
tempeh and hemp.
7. Vegans are
Healthier
The American Dietetic
Association and Dietitians
of Canada found vegetarians
have lower body mass indices
than non-vegetarians, 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.
The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition reported
high fruit and vegetable
consumption is associated
with a reduced risk for
cardiovascular disease,
several common cancers, and
other chronic diseases (such
as macular degeneration and
cataracts).
8. It is possible to
get B12 and Iron from a
Vegan Diet
There is a myth that because
vegans do not consume fish,
milk and milk products,
eggs, red meat, and poultry
they could not possibly be
getting enough of iron or
B12 without supplements.
Many people do not realize
that B12 is naturally
available in miso and
nutritional yeast. Iron on
the other hand occurs
naturally in spinach,
legumes and pumpkin seeds.
9. A vegan diet is an
Alkaline Forming
An acidic environment in the
body keeps the body from
achieving optimal health.
Over consumption of acid
forming foods including
meat, dairy, refined grains,
and sugars leads to obesity,
fatigue, kidney stones,
viruses, bacterial
infections, cancer and
fatigue. Consuming an
alkaline forming diet
including plenty of
chlorophyll-rich vegetables
creates an environment for
health in the body.
10. Do it for the
Animals
Concern for the ethical
treatment of animals is a
powerful reason to eat a
vegan diet. Many animals are
kept and transported in
abysmal crowded conditions
and slaughtered inhumanely.
Compassionate living is
synonymous with a vegan
diet.
