Vegetarian. 11/14/2011

   "Our task must be to free ourselves . . . by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."

    "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." ~ Albert Einstein 

Meat. The one addiction most people are afraid to give up. Health enthusiasts, animal rights activists, and even environmentalists fail to see the damage the meat industry has caused. 

Because of popular belief, people assume humans are omnivores. But because of our anatamoy, this is just not the case. Our antamy more closely resembles that of a herbivore rather than meat-eaters. Meat eaters have claws, sharp front teeth for tearing, a strong stomach acid to digest and break down the meat, and a relatively short intestinal tract so decaying meat can pass through quickly. All of which herbivores and humans do not have.

Because humans cannot naturally digest meat, when we do it meat a plaque builds up in our arteries. Meat eaters are much more likely to be obese and have heart disease, high blood pressure, etc. than vegetarians.  This does not mean that vegetarians can't have these things, its just less likely. Its no better to trade a burger for some fries. 

Cows, chickens, and pigs are often treated horribly on their journey to the slaughterhouse. Chickens are injected with growth serums that make them grow twice as big and in a third less of the time. The chickens bodies cannot  keep up with this rapid growth, and therefore suffer and can barely walk without having to stop because of all the extra weight. Cows are fed corn, something their body isn't supposed to naturally digest. Cows were meant to eat grasses, and because their bodies do not naturally digest corn, bacteria builds up and mutates in their stomachs, which creates E-coli, which in turn is eaten by humans, and makes us sick. 

I personally would understand a meat eaters diet more if the meat industry were mointered more. Many of today's food agencies former CEO's and what not, have a place in today's FDA, which means that they are much less likely to make sure companies are meeting regulations and checking the meat enough, Because of this, tainted meat goes undected and ends up on our plates, sickening our bodies with E-Coli and other forms of food poisoning.

Because of all the disgusting smog and what not leaking into the air and water from these slaughterhouses, environmentalists should be up in arms. It takes about 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, and only  25 to produce a pound of wheat. Trying to produce livestock for food is just pure waste of our most natural resources.

"It takes more than 11 times as much fossil fuel to make one calorie from animal protein as it does to make one calorie from plant protein. Raising animals for food gobbles up precious energy. Simply add up the energy-intensive stages of raising animals for food: (1) grow massive amounts of corn, grain, and soybeans (with all the required tilling, irrigation, crop-dusters, etc.); (2) transport the grain and soybeans to feed manufacturers on gas-guzzling 18-wheelers; (3) operate the feed mills (requiring massive energy expenditures); (4) transport the feed to the factory farms (again, in gas-guzzling vehicles); (5) operate the factory farms; (6) truck the animals many miles to slaughter; (7) operate the slaughterhouse; (8) transport the meat to processing plants; (9) operate the meat-processing plants; (10) transport the meat to grocery stores; (11) keep the meat refrigerated or frozen in the stores until it's sold." ~ PETA

There are many variations to being a vegetarian, such as the weekday vegetarian, in which you can feast on the flesh of animals on the weekends if you're that fearful of giving meat up.

And not to mention, if all that grain and what not were put towards starving humans rather than animals being raised to be slaughtered, we could end world hunger.
If this isn't reason enough to be a vegetarian, I don't know what is.


Sources;
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/more-reasons-to-go-vegan.aspx
http://www.celestialhealing.net/physicalveg3.htm
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-wastes-natural-resources.aspx
http://www.foodincmovie.com/