A Healthier Lifestyle

Ever feel disgusted when looking down at the dinner plate, only to see a piece of flesh on a bone waiting to be devoured? Maybe it’s time people met their meat, gained some knowledge, and saw what they’re really dealing with. Though humans are capable of eating meat as well as vegetables, it does not mean that it is necessary for life. Humans are not carnivores nor herbivores, frugivores, gramnivores, folivores, insectivores, etc. They cannot be strictly specialized eaters of just one category, because they are capable of eating just about anything. Over hundreds of years, however, people have had the misconception that humans must eat meat to survive when really people have become “conditioned” to eating meat. Unlike non-meat eating diets (herbivorous, frugivorous, gramnivorous, etc) consuming meat can be a very unhealthy lifestyle, but it can simply be fixed. A lifestyle without meat could be the best lifestyle choice for everyone. By going vegetarian or cutting back on their consumption of meat, people can save money, better their health, better the environment, and can also significantly help people in need of food. If people chose a vegetarian lifestyle they could save more money. It’s expensive to raise animals for food, and it can also be expensive to consume meat. Most fast food places are popular for their burgers and other meat products. If people cut meat out of their diet, they wouldn’t have to waste hundreds of dollars at fast food restaurants, but instead could save their money. Eating meat products from fast food restaurants can also cause health problems if consumed enough. People may have hospital bills because of health problems due to eating too much meat, and money can be wasted on trying to lose weight, because of health problems like obesity. Eating meat increases the risks of developing heart disease, gallbladder disease, lung cancer, colon cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis, and food poisoning. Humans are not actually “true” meat-eaters. If they were, they would get down and dirty and eat raw, bloody flesh just like carnivores do, and they wouldn’t have to cook it and season it to disguise it. Humans, however, have conditioned themselves to being hunters by creating tools effective for hunting/killing. A vegetarian’s immune system is much stronger than that of a meat eater. Vegetarians are said to be 50 percent less likely to develop heart disease, and have 40 percent of the cancer rate of meat eaters. Eating meat is also unhealthy because the human body more closely resembles that of an herbivore than of a carnivore. There are many differences between the human body and a true meat-eaters body. Carnivores have claws and have sharp front teeth for tearing, and no flat molar teeth for grinding. Humans and herbivores do not have claws and do not have sharp front teeth, but have flat rear molars for grinding. The digestive system of carnivores differs greatly from that of humans and herbivores. A carnivore’s intestinal tract is only 3 times their body length so that rapidly decomposing meat can pass through quickly, whereas herbivores and humans have an intestinal tract 10-12 times their body length. Carnivores have strong hydrochloric acid in the stomach for digesting meat, and humans’ and herbivores’ stomach acid is 20 times weaker than that of a carnivore (celestialhealing.net). The environment benefits when people decrease or cut out their meat consumption. By taking part in the consumption of animals, people are helping destroy the environment and perfectly good resources are being wasted. It takes a lot of water and land to raise and feed farmed animals that are being used for food. Excrements passed by animals pollute our water, erodes our soil, and also contaminates our air. The misunderstanding that there would be an overabundance of animals if they were not consumed, would not be true because animals would no longer have to be “bred” for food purposes. If more people went vegetarian, resources could be used more efficiently. Land being used to grow crops for feeding animals could be used for humans instead. Land, water, and other resources could be used to grow food for human beings. There is plenty of food in the world to feed everyone, but instead it’s being used to raise animals for food. If people went vegetarian, the resources could be used simply for growing crops for humans, which would provide more food for people than animals can. Going about being a vegetarian is easy. You can take baby steps, or you can quit “cold turkey.” Taking baby steps usually includes cutting the red meat out of your diet. Red meat is like steak and pork(cows and pigs). Eventually more meat products can be cut out, usually the last people cut out is chicken and fish. Learning how to substitute meat is also another step. Grocery stores sell meat substitutes like, veggie burgers, soy chicken patties, soy chicken nuggets, soy ground beef, soy corn dogs, soy hot dogs, etc. People may be wondering why eat these items when they can eat the real thing? Meat substitutes are healthier because they’re made from soybeans, and don’t have all the fats that meat does. Also, the substitutes weren’t injected with antibiotics, hormones, and nobody was harmed. They’re made from natural resources, and they won’t give you diseases, cancer, or make you obese. Being a vegetarian can be the healthiest lifestyle for the planet and everyone in it. People who are vegetarians can live happier, healthier, and longer lives. Though there is much controversy whether humans are omnivores or herbivores, vegetarianism is clearly the healthiest for all.