Friday, September 29
having just just read rachel's blog entry about her reasons to go vegetarian, i am completely impressed by her initiative to make that difference. as all of you should know by now, i myself am a vegetarian. initially, it started 6 years ago due to a meat allergy. but over time, it became a choice. however, in the name of teenage curiosity and experimentation, this allergy was put to the test a year ago and i realized i could eat meat. i then proceeded on a horrible, absolutely frightful, meat rampage.
but of course, i've since reverted and have fully fortified my will to remain a vegetarian. contrary to what people think, that it must be a constant struggle to resist 'temptation', i beg to differ. although, undeniably, it's a little tough at the start. but over time, it becomes a natural state of being. things become clearer from a whole new pespective and you start to wonder how how people could speak of compassion when the acts they commit on a daily basis, glaringly go against the very principle they speak of. maybe when it comes to our very own existence, we're willing to shut an eye and let it go by as the norm and hence, the accepted.
someone once tried to tell me that consuming meat is merely a process that is part of the food chain. that we human beings are at the top of this chain. well, i am sorry but i cannot accept that we are entirely like animals. if that is so, we should ignore the fact that we possess a critical mind and a sense of morality that the other animals lack. if such an argument is to be used, then why do we even attempt to be civillized? i say, let's just remove the legal system.
my favourite quote is this: "when you go against the current, you get to the source."
alot of things in this world have been taken for granted and i urge everyone to question every single convention/normal behaviour and use your critical mind and conscience to evaluate it.
dare to be different and don't partake in the herd mentality.
i shall now leave you with an excerpt from rachel's entry.
reasons to go vegetarian!
1. health. a good vegetarian diet can promote longevity, vitality, improved immuned systom, weight control and a healthier heart, liver and kidneys. for example, atherosclerosis (hardening/narrowing of arteries), which contributes to heart disease and stroke, is a gradual build-up of plaque caused by a diet high in saturated fat and high cholesterol to which meat consumption is a major factor in.
2. nutrition.
plant foods
- contrain absolutely zero cholesterol
- generally low in total fat content
- low in saturated fats (except coconut and palm oil)
- only source of fibre (important to colon health)
- appeal to our taste buds (haha this is subjective but it is rather cleansing for the palate)
- full of vitality and important enzymes, especially when raw
- contain antioxidants, which protect against free radical damage and thus chronic diseases such as cancer, heart and liver disease
- only source of phytochemicals, such as soy isoflavones and carotenoids, which protect against aging and various diseases
- best food source of folates, which are important in protecting against birth defects and heart disease
animal foods
- contain absolutely zero fibre
- generally high in cholesterol, even lean meat
- generally high in fats, especially saturated fats
- mostly unpalatable without seasoning or cooking
- contain carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds, especially when grilled or cooked at high temperatures
- account for >95% of food poisoning cases
- may contain toxins from the foods fed to animals, including antibiotics given to animals and the toxins animals secrete during imprisonment, mistreatment and slaughter
3. our body. are humans herbivores? while this is a complex issue, there is some hard evidence. our nails are flattened, and unlike carnivores, we don't have sharp pointed teeth. both humans and herbivores have carbohydrate digestive enzymes in our saliva, while carnivores and omnivores do not. carnivores and omnivores have a colon that is short, simple and smooth, and have stomach acidity less than pH 1 with food in stomach; humans, like herbivores, have a very long, complex and sacculated colon and stomach acidity is around pH 4-5 with food in stomach. our long intestine length is designed for a high fibre diet. meat does not digest well in such an environment and often turns toxic, contributing to colon cancer. carnivores enjoy the act of savaging and the scent of blood; humans usually cannot tolerate sounds and cries of animals being killed and sight of bloody is usually disturbing more than inducing hunger.
4. compassion. needless to say, today's animal farming is cruel. to enable farm animals to survive harsh conditions and to promote unnatural growth, they are often injected with antibiotics and growth hormones. chicks are debeaked, pigs castrated, teeth cut, tails docked and all these without anaesthesia. i will elaborate on this another time because i feel so much for this! it has been one concern of mine since i was nine.
5. environment. it takes 10 kg of grain to produce 1 kg of beef. more than 80% of corn and 95% of oats grow in the US are fed to livestock, not hungry people. it takes more than 25000 litres of water to produce 1 kg of beef. it takes 200 times more water to make a pound of beef than a pound of potatoes. huge amounts of forest have been cleared to grow crops to feed livestock. the meat industry is the single greatest polluter or our waters. in the US, animals raised for food produce many times more excrement than the ENTIRE human population. livestock agriculture accounts for almost 40% of nitrogen and 35% of phosphorous that pollute US waters. methane-emitting livestock contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect, which leads to global warming. 78 calories worth of fossil fuel is needed to get 1 calorie of protein from beef, while it takes only 2 calories of fossil fuel to get 1 calorie of protein from plant food. large amounts of energy are wasted on running equipment, shipping animals to slaughter and so on.
6. a vegetarian diet can meet ALL our nutritional needs. contrary to popular misconception, it is virtually impossible to be deficient in protein on a vegetarian diet as good sources of protein include soya products, legumes, whole grains, vegetables, nuts and seeds. also meat-eaters who overeat protein have a high chance of developing kidney problems, and also animal protein increases calcium losses. most meat-eaters who try to build up on calcium will find themselves in a rut as protein blocks the absorption of calcium. calcium deficiency leads to brittle bones and osteoporosis.
xoxo;
2:22 PM
