Why Vegetarianism Is Good For You And The Planet (deer hunting forums)

August 22nd, 2008 admin Posted in animals |

By Lee David

Even the Utah Beef Council admits, Several epidemiological studies indicate that vegetarians have lower morbidity and mortality from chronic degenerative diseases. Today, vegetarians only make up about two percent of the population, but everyday more and more people give up eating red meat or try their first bite of tofu. Aside from ethics, what are the main reasons people are turning away from meat? Health and the ecology.

Lower rates of disease amongst vegetarians

Hundreds of different studies concur, showing that vegetarians who eat balanced diets have lower rates of coronary artery disease, hypertension, obesity, and certain cancers. Registered Dietician Winston Craig says that meat eating costs Americans somewhere between $30-$60 billion per year in medical expenses for hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity, and food-borne illnesses associated with meat. Craig says that a vegetarian diet is associated with lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less obesity.

In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund recommended a vegetarian diet for reducing the risk of cancer. Lifelong vegetarians have 24% less heart disease, while vegans have an astounding 57% less. A comprehensive study of a vegetarian religious group, the Seventh Day Adventists, found that they had half the rate of high blood pressure and diabetes, half the rate of colon cancer, and two-thirds the rate of arthritis and prostate cancer as other groups (2001). Furthermore, Cornell University reported that eating less meat did more to reduce osteoporosis than supplementing your diet with calcium.

Do you have to be completely vegetarian to benefit?

In 1999, a meta-analysis of several vegetarian and vegan mortality studies was conducted. The results of these studies were compared together and re-analyzed. The researchers concluded that even reducing meat in your diet had a significant effect on lowering your rate of disease. People who ate meat just once a week had a 20% lower rate of dying from heart disease, and their over-all mortality rate was reduced by 10%.

Those who ate only fish saw as much as a 34% reduction in heart disease death, while their over-all mortality was lowered by 18%.

In the same sense, the more you reduce consumption of animal products, the more you appear to benefit. Only 7% of the vegans studied died of cancer (lung, stomach, and colorectal). Alarmingly, 19% of over-all deaths in the US are from cancer.

Vegetarian diets are good for the planet

Every year, meat eaters contribute to the cattle farming industry. This industry uses farm lands that could be producing human food to make grain for cows. As most people know, cows produce large amounts of environmentally-toxic methane gas. Raising cows also uses precious water resources.

Vegetarianism and the rain forrest

What you may not know though is that eating meat also contributes to the destruction of the rain forests. In an effort to make a cheaper Big Mac and Whopper, companies are growing cattle in Central America, where labor and other costs are lower. Eager Central Americans are slashing and burning their native rain forests to make room for the beef industry.

Vegetarianism and carbon dioxide emission

Estimates show that a vegetarian diet saves 1.5 tons of greenhouse gas per person per year. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that producing one calorie of animal protein requires ten times the fossil fuel as producing one calorie of plant protein. Wow! Furthermore, eating a vegan diet reduces more carbon dioxide emissions than driving a hybrid car, according to the New Scientist.

Vegetarianism and water reserves

Whats more disturbing is that every hamburger that originated from a rain forest cow required the destruction of roughly 55 square feet of rain forest. Furthermore, studies show that one pound of beef requires 2,500 gallons of water. The water used to produce one hamburger patty is enough for two-weeks worth of daily showers.

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Give Shelter Pets a Chance When Adopting a New Pet
By Chris Jensen

And, while some shelter animals may need a little more attention and care, many make great pets. After the death of the last of our three beloved dogs (one St. Bernard and two Rottweiler’s), decided to adopt a dog from a shelter. Spent weeks making a list of requirements for our ‘perfect’ dog: medium size (under 80 pounds), housebroken, between two and five years old, good with children, and leash broken.

Spent hours combing through pet finding sites and local shelter sites. Each day, printed the photos of possible dogs and took them home for review. Thought we found a shelter that had five dogs that would be good fits. Then, printed the photo of Bruno of a local rescue site. We found one dog picture, we knew he was the perfect dog for us.

He was 82 pounds, two years old, good with children and other animals, housebroken, and leash broken. Made an appointment, gathered my niece and her then two year old son and made the 45 minute drive to meet him. He had been with three families before finally being left at animal control. The rescue group had gotten him on his final day. He had worms and was in need of a bath, but they took him to the shelter. They were told he was destructive and was not housebroken.

However, after his bath and an exam (where the worms were found), they determined that he was really just bored, was housebroken (but the worms caused accidents), and would be a great pet. He was at the rescue shelter for two weeks before meeting up with him. It was love at first site. He immediately went to the baby and let him tug his ears and pull his tail. He was gentle, easy to walk, and just a great dog. The next week, the shelter brought him for a home visit. The decision was made to keep him, and to surprise, they let him stay that day (we were told it would take another week at least).

Everything was going fine, told he was crate trained. Apparently, he was in process of being trained. He easily destroyed two crates, a wall, and a chain link fence on a dog run (and breaking a tooth). At wits end, called the shelter. They suggested putting him on medication for separation anxiety. The medication generally takes two weeks to begin working, so I had to leave him a day-board kennel (he was fine if other dogs and people were nearby).

After visiting my normal vet for a follow-up, we discovered that he was also quite a bit younger than we thought; he was really only slightly over a year. We’ve had him now for about a year and a half. He is still on medication, but able to leave him in the dog run without him trying to get out.

Dog has also grown to 105 pounds. But, despite everything, he is the most loving and gentle dog we could have hoped to adopt. He recently completed training and testing to be a therapy dog and has patiently withstood two great-nephews under two staying with us.

Chris Jensen is a contributing author of Jetfly Blog. For more related articles and views visit Jetfly Pets & Animals Blog now. Also, for the best up-to-date related online products, check out Jetfly Dog Training Video & Books Shop for todays current online deals.

Warm Weather Tips for You and Your Long Haired Cat
By Chris Jensen

No, cats don’t like water, so rule number one - don’t strap a life jacket on the cat and set it afloat in the pool, it’s just going to make the cat mad! My beautiful long haired boy cat can become very lethargic when the temperature goes way up. His sister, an American short hair does not seem to mind as much, but she also becomes a bit quieter when the mercury passes ninety degrees.

My boy is a Norwegian Forrest Cat and he is definitely designed for cold weather. He has a lot of thick fur that forms an undercoat for his long fur, and that provides insulation against the warm as well as against the cold. So rule number two- don’t try to shave the cat. It doesn’t help them at all and it could end in serious injury for you! Any creature can suffer from dehydration. In warm weather cats need to drink more water than normal, just like us humans.

However, cats can be very fussy about their water supply. Cats like their water to be in the same spot, just where they like it. Cats tend to prefer water that is running and like to drink out of faucets, although I don’t recommend it for them. What works better is a running fountain water bowl, available at almost any store that sells pet supplies. Make sure to change the water daily and clean the fountain once a week. To do this you have to take it apart, but hey, it’s worth the trouble, you do love your cat right?

Another tip about water for the cats- they don’t like odd or unknown things floating in the water, so rule number three- don’t put ice cubes in the cat bowl, they just think there is something that does not belong in the water, and they won’t drink at all!

Last but not least, provide a cool floor for the long haired cat to flop down on. If you have a tile entry or kitchen or maybe even bath, take the rugs up so there is a nice cool floor for the cat to enjoy. It’s really the best place for a long haired cat in the heat of summer. They can stretch out with belly to the floor and enjoy that cool feeling.

If it’s really hot, you can just sprawl out down there with them, but, rule number four- do not, I repeat do not wake them while they are napping! If you do, they are just going to get up and go find a spot away from you and it might not be so cool there!

Chris Jensen is a contributing author of Jetfly Blog. For more related articles and views visit Jetfly Pets & Animals Blog now. Also, for the best up-to-date related online products, check out Jetfly Cat Feeder Supplies Shop for todays current online deals.

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