Consider Being a Part-Time Vegetarian?

The benefits of going meatless are numerous. The first one of course, is health. Meat is high in protein, fat, cholesterol, calories, and bacteria. Studies show that drastically cutting back on meat coupled with an exercise regimen, substantially lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, digestive ailments and auto-immune diseases such as arthritis. Meat isn't easy to digest and putrefies in the intestine while it is passing. If you are not taking in an adequate amount of fiber, the putrefying meat is creating toxins which accumulate in organs and intestines. Meat also creates toxic compounds when cooked, especially at high temperatures and for prolonged periods. Some meat proteins are similar to ours, so when present the body attempts to destroy them as foreigners increasing the chances of auto-immune diseases such as lupus. After the animal is killed, it is a carcass where bacteria multiply astronomically. Refrigeration and cooking retard this growth, but nevertheless bacteria is always present, increasing the chances of food borne illnesses.

Another factor is the environmental impact. It takes more energy and water to produce meat than to grow food. Water is needed to grow food for the animals. Land has to be cleared to keep the animals. The waste that animals produce accounts for about 20% of the gases that contribute to global warming.

The health and welfare of workers in the meat industry is hardly ever mentioned, but this is yet another consideration. Workers are exploited (it is usually immigrants that do this job); they are subject to long hours without benefits, accidents, and diseases. They are unable to file any claims for injuries or take time off from work.

Another reason for going meatless is the treatment of the animals to be consumed. Animals are cruelly dealt with. They are skinned or boiled alive in many instances, sometimes their limbs are cut off while still alive. They are supposed to be shot in the forhead with a compressed air gun but this isn't done skillfully in many occasions . Many are left in crowded, cramped quarters with no room to move, usually stepping in their own dung or on other fallen animals. Force-feeding, administering of antibiotics and hormones are already known factors.

There is also the factor of how eating less meat is more affordable than eating grains and vegetables.

Abstaining completely from meat eating is not the idea here but wouldn't being a part time vegetarian be an option?

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) dominates as a sweetener in many of our food products today. Derived from corn, it has been used since the 1970’s. It is added in tomato sauces, salad dressings, jams, chocolate syrups, yogurts, beverages, cereal bars, breads, cakes and snacks, etc. It is cheaper to produce because of the high corn yield by farmers. It has been a very popular additive in our foods and so has its correlation to damaging health.

HFCS has been linked to:

- Interference with the absorption of some minerals
- Playing a role in elevated cholesterol levels
- Increase in triglyceride levels (the liver produces it in order to
metabolize it)
- Interference of white blood cells
- Diabetes
- Interference of metabolism of amino acids
- Diarrhea
- Aging (through oxidative damage to cells)
- Mineral loss especially copper where HFCS effects are greater in its
decreased levels
- Obesity

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol. 76, glucose is metabolized in every cell in the body but all fructose must be metabolized in the liver, thus the production of triglycerides.

And to add insult to injury many brand name foods have been found to contain mercury. Mercury is present in mercury-contaminated caustic soda and hydrochloride; used to manufacture HFCS.

It is true that table sugar (sucrose) has its adverse health effects but HFCS goes through high levels of processing and uses genetically modified enzymes.

We are addicted to sugar. We have the power to influence how manufactures process foods. If more people protest having imperfect additives (HFCS for one) and less sugar added to our foods and we decide not to buy them, manufacturers will listen. I inadvertently have also been consuming enough of the product. Although I don’t purchase juices that contain HFCS, I never thought to look at the whole wheat bread, tomato sauces, and some other products that I use. So, I have switched brands and am more scrupulous on reading ingredient labels. I have also started informing manufacturers why I am no longer using their products.

Our Temples

It is perplexing to see how we strive to decorate ourselves. How about striving to maintain the system that keeps us going.

Sometimes we are willing to spend top dollars to look good in top brand name fashions, or get the fabulous haircut, or maintain the manicure every few weeks. When it comes to paying top dollars to see a doctor or dentist, we yell.

I am not saying that we shouldn't look good, it is perfectly reasonable. I am saying that we should also take care of ourselves and do the necessary to do so.

Why can't we take a moment and envision what our temples might look like inside because of neglect. We might engage in drinking excess alcohol, taking recreational drugs, smoking, not exercising, eating junk food, not seeing a doctor on a regular basis, not getting enough sleep.

We need to realize that we are beautiful creatures inside and out, and inside and out we must take care of ourselves.

Let's be kind to ourselves.