| A new study published in the Journal of the | | | | red meat. That will be very important to |
| American Medical Association shows a doubling | | | | realize as our world population grows and it |
| of the risk of colon cancer for people who | | | | becomes increasingly difficult to produce the |
| are heavy consumers of red meat. More | | | | protein required by the population. |
| specifically, it shows that the risk doubles | | | | |
| compared to those who consume smaller | | | | How to make the transition away from red meat |
| quantities of red meat. But how does this | | | | |
| compare to people who consume no red meat at | | | | These are all reasons to avoid an |
| all? | | | | animal-based diet and pursue a plant-based |
| | | | diet. Many people reading this are already |
| This is conjecture, but I'm willing to bet | | | | following a plant-based diet, but some of you |
| that heavy consumers of red meat probably | | | | who might be considering making the change |
| have quadruple the risk (or more) of colon | | | | probably aren't sure exactly how to do it. |
| cancer compared to vegetarians or people who | | | | |
| consume no red meat. By the way, you don't | | | | Perhaps you want to merely reduce your |
| have to be a vegetarian to boycott red meat. | | | | consumption of red meat but not give it up |
| You can still be a consumer of other sources | | | | completely yet, which is fine, since that's |
| of animal protein (fish, seafood, etc.) while | | | | the way all of us ex-meat-eaters got into |
| avoiding red meat. | | | | plant-based diets to begin with. Few people |
| | | | ate more meat than I did because I grew up in |
| There are plenty of health reasons to avoid | | | | an environment where we had all the red meat |
| eating red meat, and a higher risk of colon | | | | we wanted at no charge (my grandfather was a |
| cancer is just one of them. The saturated | | | | cattle rancher). We had a freezer full of red |
| animal fat found in red meat products | | | | meat at all times, and we could have as much |
| contributes to heart disease and | | | | hamburger, steak or other cuts of meat as we |
| atherosclerosis. In addition, red meat can | | | | wanted. I consumed large quantities of red |
| contain contaminants such as heavy metals, | | | | meat for nearly 30 years. |
| pesticides and undesirable environmental | | | | |
| pollutants that tend to collect in the fat | | | | I found the transition away from red meat to |
| tissues of cows, which are absorbed into your | | | | be difficult at first. I started consuming |
| body when you eat cow fat. And you can't eat | | | | less of it and eating other meat |
| red meat without getting some animal fat. | | | | alternatives, and pretty soon I began to view |
| | | | red meat in a different way, because if you |
| Then, of course, there's what I call the | | | | eat less of it, you eventually start to lose |
| vibration of red meat, which concerns the | | | | your appetite for it. And within less than a |
| homeopathy of the meat, or the environment in | | | | year, any time I would see red meat at the |
| which the cow was raised. Was it a natural | | | | grocery store, it would gross me out. I look |
| environment? Did the cow have access to open | | | | at it and I realize what it is: a chunk of |
| fields, sunlight and clean water? Or was this | | | | flesh sliced off the carcass of a living |
| a cow raised as part of a slaughterhouse | | | | creature that has been ground up and stuffed |
| operation, produced for the sole purpose of | | | | into a box. Usually there's some blood |
| generating profits? If you eat cows' meat | | | | running around in the container as well. |
| that has undergone that kind of experience, | | | | Every time I would look at that I would get |
| you are consuming a product that is tainted | | | | grossed out and think to myself, "Gee, is |
| with the negative experience of the animal | | | | this really what I want to eat for the rest |
| from which it came. | | | | of my life? This sliced up chunk of a dead |
| | | | cow?" And the answer was, "No." So it didn't |
| There are a lot of negative effects | | | | take very long before I didn't want any red |
| associated with the consumption of red meat, | | | | meat, and now I can't imagine eating it. |
| and this is why more and more people are now | | | | |
| giving up red meat and moving to healthier | | | | That's one way to get rid of red meat in your |
| foods like fish, free-range chicken, or | | | | diet, but there are many other ways and I |
| better yet, plant-based proteins like | | | | encourage you to experiment and see how you'd |
| spirulina or soy products like soy milk and | | | | like to approach it. But the bottom line on |
| tofu. This is where you'll get your best | | | | red meat is that there is an increasing body |
| protective effect and disease prevention, and | | | | of evidence supporting the notion that you |
| you will be helping protect the environment | | | | can prevent cancer by pursuing a plant-based |
| at the same time. After all, it's far less | | | | diet. If you want to be healthy, it's time to |
| stressful on the environment to produce food | | | | join the vegetarians. Maybe even join the |
| as plants than as animals. | | | | vegans, if you have the courage. |
| | | | |
| It takes 10 acres to produce the same amount | | | | Think about limiting or eliminating your |
| of red meat protein as it does to produce one | | | | consumption of red meat and instead nourish |
| acre of soy beans. And producing spirulina | | | | your body with the phytonutrients, |
| yields a tenfold increase over the production | | | | phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and even |
| of soybeans. So think about it: one acre of | | | | the living energy of plants. That's how |
| farmland used to produce spirulina can | | | | you'll be the healthiest you can be. |
| produce 100 times as much protein as beef and | | | | |