Why Be a Vegetarian?
(Because they live longer?)

Why be a vegetarian?  Let’s consider some reasons.

Ward off disease. Vegetarian diets are more healthful than the diets of the average American, particularly when it comes to reversing or preventing heart disease or reducing the risk of cancer.

Help keep your weight down. The standard American diet is high in saturated fats from meat and processed foods.   Plant-based foods are high in complex carbohydrates and fiber making us feel “full” more quickly.

Live longer. According to Michael F. Roizen, MD, author of The Real Age Diet…” , changing from the typical American diet to a vegetarian diet can add around 13 years to your life.  He says that animal products clog your arteries, sap your energy and slow down your immune system.

Reduce risk of food-borne illness. The Center for Disease Control says that food-borne illnesses of all kinds amount to about to around 76 million cases a year, which results in over 300,000 hospitalization and 5,000 deaths every year in the United States.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that foods rich in protein like meat poultry, fish and seafood are very often involved in food-borne disease outbreaks.

Ease menopause. Many plant-based foods are rich in phytoestrogens, or plant-based chemical compounds that mimic the behavior of estrogen.  This can provide a more comfortable passage through menopause.

Have more energy.  Vegetarian diets are naturally free of cholesterol and artery-clogging animal fats that can sap our energy and make us want to snooze during the daytime hours.

Be more “regular”. A vegetarian diet provides fiber which aids the body in pushing waste from the body.  Meat contains zero fiber.  Vegetarians tend to have less trouble with constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis.

Help reduce pollution. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), animal and chemical waste runoff from chemical farms accounts for more than 173,000 miles of polluted streams and rivers.  It constitutes one of the greatest threats to our water quality today.

Why be a vegetarian?  Because it will help you and help the environment.

Avoid toxic chemicals. The EPA says that almost 95% of the pesticide residue in the typical American diet comes from meat, fish, and dairy products.          

Help reduce famine. About 70% of all grain raised in the United States is fed to animals that will be slaughtered for human consumption.  According to David Pimental, professor of ecology at Cornell University, if all the grain fed to livestock were fed directly to people, it would feed almost 800 million humans.

Spare lives of animals.  Every year, 10 billion animals are slaughtered for human consumption.

Plate will be full of color. Phytochemicals are disease-fighting chemical and are also what give fruits and vegetables their rich and varied hues.

Save money. Americans spend 10% of their food budget on meat.  Eating veggies in place of 200 pounds of beef, chicken and fish every year would save an individual food bill and average of $4,000 a year.

So, why be a vegetarian?  What do you think?  Give us your thoughts below!

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