Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Eat Less Meat and Save the Planet



Eat Less Meat and Save Our Planet



Do you realize how much your food choices matter? Not only do they impact your health and sense of well-being, reducing your consumption of meat by half and eventually switching over to a 100% whole food low fat plant based diet, will make a major contribution to your wellness and the planet’s survival as an inhabitable place to live.

I’ll show you why my research, common sense, ethical and spiritual considerations, and environmental power of this lifestyle change are key reasons to eat less or no meat.

In her Paper, “Food Matters How What We Eat Affects Our Health and the Planet” by Roni Neff PhD., Research and Policy Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) states, “Many of the leading public health threats of our day—including climate change, environmental contamination and resource depletion, hunger and malnutrition, and the obesity epidemic—have strong roots in the current food and agriculture system.” "Food Matters"

To expand on this, here’s an excerpt from a report published in 2009 by Worldwatch Institute. Animal agriculture contributes more to greenhouse gases than the global transportation sector—that’s every single car, bus, plane, train, etc. on this earth. It reads, “Livestock currently amounts to 18 percent of the global warming effect—an even larger contribution than the transportation sector worldwide.” The document, by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang is available here:

A report from Florida International University researcher Brian Machovina confirms, "Reducing animal-based product consumption is realistic if we can offer delicious, convenient, plant-based foods that people want to eat." He continues, “Growing crops, including fruits, vegetables, legumes and soy protein would increase the number of food calories available for people by as much as 70 percent on the agricultural lands currently in use. Soybeans contain twice the protein of beef, pork or chicken, and 10 times more protein than whole milk.” Cultivating produce requires less land than what is used to raise livestock. In an article by Evelyn Perez, see what this research mentioned above shows. "Eat less meat, save the planet"

The World Health Organization (WHO) is getting into the act too. In November, 2015, WHO announced that they were classifying processed meat as a carcinogenic and red meat as "possibly carcinogenic," and the amount and frequency of meat consumption today is alarming. 

We need to cut consumption of meat at least to half, as a start. Even if there were no health concerns like the fact that 17% of all commercial cow meat has been injected with growth hormones and even more is laden with pesticide residue, ethical reasons are plentiful. Untold numbers of people are hungry and starving in the world. Terrible conditions for raising animals prevail in commercial farms, with infringement of animal rights, and pollution from industrial factory farms etc. Raising animals for food is distasteful, for moral as well as environmental reasons. Destruction of natural resources like land, water, and soil, and rising greenhouse gas levels result from this type of operation.  Food Democracy Now Blog.

When you eat less meat, your health improves, and you cut down on medical expenses. Eating a vegetarian or vegan diet that is whole food (not processed or fast food) can save you big bucks too.



To conclude, I plant this seed.





 "A reduction in beef and other meat consumption is the most potent single act you can take to halt the destruction of our environment and preserve our natural resources. Our choices do matter. What's healthiest for each of us personally is also healthiest for the life support system of our precious, but wounded planet."

     -- John Robbinsauthor of "Diet for a New America", and President, EarthSave Foundation, Santa Cruz, California
Link to EarthSave

Before you go, please take a moment to comment on my post. Please share what you do to improve your eating habits and efforts you've made or intend to make to reduce your carbon footprint. 


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8 comments:

  1. Hi Nancy,
    I agree with you that people should eat less meats but I also know that meats that are organically raised are a complete different animal so to say. Conventional raised meats and factory farmed animals are a disgrace. If we eat organically raised meats that do not contain hormones, antibiotics and such and does not hurt the environment. If red meat is organically raised it is not a carcinogen and can have many health benefits. Not everyone can thrive on a plant based diet and I am one of them due to many health reasons. I certainly agree with you statement about we all need to be mindful of our food for our health and the environments health. Just as soy and grains or other conventionally grown produce that are genetically modified can be loaded with pesticides and many toxins that are also harmful to our health and the environment. I think we all need to be more aware of what we are eating and the sources it comes to make sure that we are making the best choices possible for our own health and the future of our planet. Shared!

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    1. Thanks Marla for your comments. Appreciate you and glad you had an opportunity to express your view. Have a great week dear one. Nancy A.

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  2. Knowledge is power! That's why I enjoy a plant-based diet! We're so glad you shared this valuable and enlightening information on the importance of eating less meat and the impact on our planet at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I'm Pinning and sharing!

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    1. Thanks Deborah for your encouraging comments. Yes indeed. Knowledge is power and focusing on those things we can change and improve (ourselves and our health) does have a ripple effect. Keep on doing the good work you do at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. You are changing the world one blog post and party at a time. Nancy A.

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  3. Thank you for sharing your research about this important topic, Nancy. To answer your question, over the years I have "gone vegetarian" several times and always failed for one reason or another. Finally, I realized that I needed to stop beating myself up for the occasional lapse and recognize that I might never make it to a fully plant-based lifestyle.

    Somehow, accepting that changed me. Since then, although we were almost vegetarian at that point, we've stopped bringing meat into our home for any reason. We haven't even bought bacon in more months, perhaps years, than I can remember. (That was the big one!)

    Not only that, but I've taken to exploring alternatives to dairy and eggs in my recipes. Many were failures, but the successes shine! We notice a difference in how we feel on days we eat no dairy. We may get there yet!

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    1. Think your attitude is cool Kathryn and the efforts you've made terrific. If I can be of any service to you with recipe ideas, suggestions for alternatives for dairy, etc. I'd be happy to do that. I've been wanting to blog about progress not perfection and how it relates to improve ones' lifestyle. So please look for that in the future. I hear you about noticing "a difference in how we feel on days we eat no dairy. We may get there yet!" Nancy A.

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  4. I completely against eating meat. When you have so many options in vegetables, why would you choose to be a cause of some animal's death? Go organic, go vegan!

    Best Regards.
    Evan
    Organic Noni Juice

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Hope you enjoyed your visit and will return again. Be well. Live well. Lead a colorful life! Warm regards, Nan