Why Vegetarianism Is Good For You And The Planet

Even the Utah Beef Council admits, “Several epidemiological studies indicate that vegetarians have lower morbidity and mortality from chronic degenerative diseases.” Today, vegetarians only make up about two percent of the population, but everyday more and more people give up eating red meat or try their first bite of tofu. Aside from ethics, what are the main reasons people are turning away from meat? Health and the ecology.

Lower rates of disease amongst vegetarians

Hundreds of different studies concur, showing that vegetarians who eat balanced diets have lower rates of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, and certain cancers. Registered Dietician Winston Craig says that meat eating costs Americans somewhere between $30-$60 billion per year in medical expenses for hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity, and food-borne illnesses associated with meat. Craig says that a vegetarian diet is associated with lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less obesity.

In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund recommended a vegetarian diet for reducing the risk of cancer. Lifelong vegetarians have 24% less heart disease, while vegans have an astounding 57% less. A comprehensive study of a vegetarian religious group, the Seventh Day Adventists, found that they had half the rate of high blood pressure and diabetes, half the rate of colon cancer, and two-thirds the rate of arthritis and prostate cancer as other groups (2001). Furthermore, Cornell University reported that eating less meat did more to reduce osteoporosis than supplementing your diet with calcium.

Do you have to be completely vegetarian to benefit?

In 1999, a meta-analysis of several vegetarian and vegan mortality studies was conducted. The results of these studies were compared together and re-analyzed. The researchers concluded that even reducing meat in your diet had a significant effect on lowering your rate of disease. People who ate meat just once a week had a 20% lower rate of dying from heart disease, and their over-all mortality rate was reduced by 10%.

Those who ate only fish saw as much as a 34% reduction in heart disease death, while their over-all mortality was lowered by 18%.
In the same sense, the more you reduce consumption of animal products, the more you appear to benefit. Only 7% of the vegans studied died of cancer (lung, stomach, and colorectal). Alarmingly, 19% of over-all deaths in the US are from cancer.

Vegetarian diets are good for the planet

Every year, meat eaters contribute to the cattle farming industry. This industry uses farm lands that could be producing human food to make grain for cows. As most people know, cows produce large amounts of environmentally-toxic methane gas. Raising cows also uses precious water resources.

Vegetarianism and the rain forrest

What you may not know though is that eating meat also contributes to the destruction of the rain forests. In an effort to make a cheaper Big Mac and Whopper, companies are growing cattle in Central America, where labor and other costs are lower. Eager Central Americans are slashing and burning their native rain forests to make room for the beef industry.

Vegetarianism and carbon dioxide emission

Estimates show that a vegetarian diet saves 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas per person per year. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that producing one calorie of animal protein requires ten times the fossil fuel as producing one calorie of plant protein. Wow! Furthermore, eating a vegan diet reduces more carbon dioxide emissions than driving a hybrid car, according to the New Scientist.

Vegetarianism and water reserves

What’s more disturbing is that every hamburger that originated from a rain forest cow required the destruction of roughly 55 square feet of rain forest. Furthermore, studies show that one pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water. The water used to produce one hamburger patty is enough for two-week’s worth of daily showers.

Mistakes Vegetarians Make

This may seem a bit shocking, but many new vegetarians actually gain weight when they stop eating meat. As a vegetarian, you must adjust to an entirely new vegetarian food pyramid. Years of eating patterns must be re-programmed.

The golden rule of vegetarianism is that you need protein to feel full. If you’re still hungry after a meal, then you probably didn’t eat enough protein. Many new vegetarians gain weight because they find themselves not getting full after a meal. In turn, they eat more and start snacking.

Vegetarian meat substitutes

As a new vegetarian, you must make an active effort to replace meat, not just remove it, from your diet. If you are unsure how to replace meat in your diet, go to the store and buy a few different meat substitutes to try at home. There is a lot more than tofu on the market, so jump in and start sampling. Meat substitutes can typically be found in the frozen food, produce, or canned food sections.

If you are unhappy with the meat substitutes you’ve chosen, try cooking them differently or try a different brand. Be patient! You will find some you like and others you don’t. While fake meat might smell, look, and taste like the real thing, it will either require significantly more or less cooking time (depending on the product).

Vegetarian protein shakes, bars and powders

To replace meat, consider adding your favorite protein shake, bar, or powder to your daily routine. While meat substitutes are easy to add to your routine, they do not typically contain enough protein to satisfy your total daily requirement. To supplement the fake meat in your diet, you will need to diversify.

Many protein supplements are best consumed for breakfast. With most people skipping breakfast anyway, a quick protein drink or bar is an easy way to get your morning boost and your protein. If you’ve tried different protein powders and bars and not been pleased, try a Slim Fast or Boost type drink. They taste like chocolate milk (or strawberry, vanilla, etc.), and they don‘t have the pastiness or heaviness of other protein products. Boost makes a “High Protein” drink that contains 15 grams of protein, which isn’t exactly a steak, but makes for a nice and easy vegetarian breakfast.

Don’t forget to vary your proteins. Most meat substitutes are made of soy. Try to therefore consume a protein product that includes whey as well. Many new vegetarians add “egg white powder” to protein smoothies they make. Remember, all the protein is in the yolk!

How to order at a restaurant the vegetarian way

Among the new habits you must develop as a vegetarian, you will need to re-learn how to order at a restaurant. Do not ask a wait person, for example, if they can recommend a vegetarian dish. Why?

Because “vegetarian” to some means no red meat, to others it means no chicken broth or lard. Instead, ask the wait person specifically for what you want. There is nothing worse than not asking for specifics and then being served something you’re not going to eat. You will soon discover the best restaurants for your new diet in your area. Many restaurants now have vegetarian sections on their menus. Take advantage of these with the same caveats as above.

Always be prepared!

As a new vegetarian, you may find yourself over at a friend’s house at meal time with nothing to eat. You don’t want your host to have to make you something special, so be prepared. Carry a jar of almonds, cashews, or peanuts in the car. They are high in protein, won’t melt (like many protein bars), and don’t have expiration dates. Having an alternative snack with you at all times will help you reduce temptations to have meat and fast food and will make eating away from home less stressful.