Why Veg?: Part Two

I was so surprised by the flood of positivity I got in response to Part One of my "Why Veg?" series that it gave me that much more motivation to get on top of writing Part Two! I really felt it was important to discuss my reasons for going veg, 1) So that people wouldn't be horribly offended by my lifestyle choices and 2) So that people might further understand that what we put into our bodies matters. What we eat has an impact on our bodies, on our souls, on our world.

So without further ado, here is reason #2 for going veg...

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2. Concern for my Health

I'm not a health nut. I've tried wheatgrass...it ain't that tasty and I won't pretend that soy-based products taste anything like a genuine cheeseburger. But the truth is out there. While the USDA may not come right out and say it, there are plenty who will: we should not be eating meat and dairy three times a day. It's wreaking havoc on our bodies.

Did you know that the scientific community changed the name of Adult Onset Diabetes to Type II Diabetes because so many children started developing it in recent years? Why is that? Why are rates of cancer and heart disease the highest we've seen them?

Yes, red meat and pork are a great source of protein. But they come at a high cost. That cost is tons of fat that is clogging our arteries. Not only that, but ODing on protein can be incredibly damaging to your liver. Seriously, my step-brother nearly lost his liver from overdoing it on the protein powder (he's the same age as me!) and recently a former NY Times food critic admitted this his lifestyle centered around alcohol and red meat led him to a diagnosis of gout.

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Not only that, but if you recall my discussion from last week about factory farm conditions, why would you ever want to subject yourself or your children to the unsanitary and unhealthy things to be found in conventionally produced meat? E coli, mad cow disease, BGH (bovine growth hormone). These bactreia and viruses can be avoided!

Leaner meats such as poultry and fish are much healthier alternatives to beef and pork, but they're not free from similar kinds of bacteria, hormones and viruses that are found in their meat counterparts. I'm not a health professional, but the truth is out there. In the words of Michael Pollan, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

It doesn't get much easier than that!