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