by Stephanie Bucklin, Originally posted 8/1/2014
It is a well-known fact that food demand influences agricultural production here in America. In the U.S., it seems our food demand is very focused on hamburgers – the consumption of fast food by such a vast majority of the population is actually dictating our agricultural system, so much so that the amount of beef (and grain to feed the beef cattle) that is produced for the United States alone has been moved to third world countries to accommodate the large factory farm productions to save costs for the producers. The focus of this article is on the environmental effects of a vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet, as well as the serious health benefits of a plant-based diet. What you eat on a regular basis makes a big difference in your personal carbon footprint. There is a link that’s been scientifically “proven” between agricultural production and environmental degradation in developing countries around the world. Considering the heavy carbon footprint associated with a non-vegetarian diet, we really should all be concerned about this and think twice about eating another cheap hamburger. With the many benefits of a plant-based diet, which may or may not be completely vegetarian, it would seem that what you eat really does matter.
An article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “Diet & Environment: Does What You Eat Matter?” (by Marlow, Hayes, Soret, Carter, Schwab & Sabate, 2009), the researchers cited the differential production of eleven food items for which consumption differs among vegetarian and non-vegetarians. They found that the non-vegetarian (carnivore/omnivore) diet required 2.9 times more water, 2.5 times more primary energy, 13 times more fertilizer, and 1.4 times more pesticides than did the vegetarian (herbivore/plant-based) diet. The problem is that the hefty carbon footprint of a non-vegetarian diet is causing a dramatic effect on the planet. If more people would just cut beef out of their daily intake, these numbers would shrink. Just out of curiosity, I visited the Environmental Working Group’s website while writing this article and came up with the following statistics:
- “Beef generates more than twice the emissions of pork, nearly four times that of chicken, and more than 13 times that of vegetable proteins such as beans, lentils, and tofu.
- Cheese has the third-highest emissions. Less dense cheese (such as cottage) results in fewer greenhouse gases since it takes less milk to produce it.
- 90 percent of beef’s emissions, 69 percent of pork’s, 72 percent of salmon’s and 68 percent of tuna’s are generated in the production phase. Just half of chicken’s emissions are generated during production.”
(From: http://www.ewg.org/news/news-releases/2011/07/18/ewg-meat-eater%E2%80%99s-guide-spotlights-beef%E2%80%99s-outsize-carbon-footprint; Accessed 5/30/2014)
From these combined statistics from these two references, it is clear that beef production is a major contributor not just of environmental degradation, but of global warming as well. The amount of methane gas released from cows is much higher than all the cars on the planet. I find this information rather disturbing. These facts have kept me from buying a hamburger, just as much as my choice to be primarily vegan has affected that decision. I care very much about my carbon footprint, and I’m doing as much as humanly possible to avoid careless consumption. From the extensive research I’ve done on the subject of food, I understand that every single person’s choices count. In fact, when I choose to buy French fries from fast food places (even if I don’t eat their hamburgers), I’m contributing to their overall bottom-line and making it possible for them to continue producing hamburgers. This has got me thinking twice about even buying those French fries.
Eat Smart: Your Food Choices Affect the Environment
Human health and the health of the environment are inextricably linked. Many thousands of agencies around the world are speaking out about our linear system of production, consumption and waste because it is NOT sustainable for humanity. This is of great concern because we humans are relying on a delicate balance here on the planet Earth. If we don’t realize the errors of our ways on a large scale, it is highly likely that global warming will begin to seriously affect our quality of life. It has already begun throughout the world, what with increasing temperatures, extreme weather conditions, and changing levels of toxins in our environment. In the coming decade, it is estimated that many countries will have to reconsider the increasing demand for animal-based diets. Science is calling for research on more sustainable methods of food production.
Through a survey of documentaries that have recently received attention, “Hungry for Change” had the most compelling reasons to adopt a plant-based diet. The China Study brought a tremendous amount of support for vegetarian diets, and “Forks Over Knives” also gives very powerful reasons for this dietary shift. There are many doctors now following the scientific evidence, in the U.S. and abroad – they are giving their patients plant-based or “Plant Strong” diets to follow, often adding regular exercise and stress management to their recommendations.
Many of the concerns cited in Hungry for Change involved food additives and man-made food stuffs. In addition, the problem with our food system is that many Americans are severely overfed, but their bodies are starving to death for a lack of nutrition in the food they are eating. It’s pretty likely that you have a favorite fast food chain that you frequent. As of 2012, there were 263,944 fast food restaurants in America with a combined revenue of well over $100 billion.
Going back to fast food consumption, from www.fastfoodnutrition.com, here’s a synopsis of the actual nutrition you get from a Cheeseburger, French Fries and Regular Soda from Burger King:
Cheeseburger
Calories 300
Calories from fat 130 (that’s 43% fat!)
Saturated Fat 6.0 g
Total Fat 14.0 g
Cholesterol 45 mg
Sodium 710 mg
Carbohydrates 28 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugar 6 g
Protein 16 g
Micronutrients (i.e. Vitamins & Minerals)??? 0 g
Large French Fries with Ketchup
Calories 510
Calories from fat 200 (40% fat!)
Saturated Fat 4.0 g
Total Fat 22 g
Cholesterol 0 g
Sodium 835 mg
Carbohydrates 75 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Sugar 2 g
Protein 0 g
Micronutrients (i.e. Vitamins & Minerals)??? 0 g
Large Regular Soda (ex. Classic Coca Cola)
Calories 190 cal
Calories from fat 0
Saturated Fat 0 g
Total Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Carbohydrates 51 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugar 51 g
Protein 0 g
Micronutrients (i.e. Vitamins & Minerals)??? 0 g
The Toxins Introduced in That Same Meal Include. . .
FROM THE CHEESEBURGER: Harmful fillers and a flour bleaching agent known as azodicarbonamide have been found in McDonalds & Burger King’s hamburgers. This toxin is a known cancer causing agent. The likelihood that the beef cow that was used to produce the hamburger was given large amounts of antibiotics in its feed for the entirety of its life is quite high, which translates to toxic chemicals in the meat that can not only make YOU resistant to antibiotic treatment, but also increase your chances of getting cancer. The “fresh” lettuce and tomatoes on the cheeseburger are likely laden with pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, which are known chemical toxins that may also cause cancer.
FROM THE FRENCH FRIES: Sodium propionate is put into French fries as a preservative during their production. Flavor enhancers, sweeteners, and other chemical additives may also be present. What makes them taste so good is also what makes them so addictive. The corn oil that is most commonly used by fast food restaurants is made from GMO corn. GMO corn has been known to cause leaky gut syndrome, though when corn is pressed into an oil, it has far fewer toxic attributes than the original corn kernel once had. This doesn’t mean the toxic pesticide that’s in the plant doesn’t show up in the corn oil – just that there’s much less of it. How this translate in consumption is that the build-up of the toxin takes longer. Toxic overload is a frequent precursor to cancer cell growth.
FROM THE REGULAR SODA: The toxic ingredients in cola include Phosphoric Acid (a known cancer-causing agent), High Fructose Corn Syrup (highly addictive corn isolate, turns to fat in the body), and Caramel Color (also a known cancer-causing agent). In off-brand sodas such as Shasta, potassium benzoate is included in the ingredients as a preservative (can cause digestive discomfort and sometimes, allergic reactions).
What Happens if You Eat this Meal?
The results of consuming such a poorly designed fast food meal is the obvious imbalance in the body systems during digestion. The animal protein actually puts the body into an acid state, and with the lack of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium introduced in the meal, the body actually must LEACH calcium phosphate from the bones to bring the system back to homeostasis. The high fat content of the meal will undoubtedly put the body off-balance, and will very likely become fat cells end up in your thighs or other “problem areas”. The chemical additives cannot be digested by the body unless certain enzymes and phytochemicals are present in the blood stream. If the person is chronically malnourished, it’s highly likely that in addition to the extra fat in the meal, the toxic additives will also be put into a fat cell by the body. Until the proper nutrients (phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals) are present to break down and remove these toxins, they will be held in fat cells. This not only relates to weight gain, but explains why someone who is losing weight would experience a “health crisis.” The number of toxins released during weight loss by someone who hasn’t first gone through a gentle detox will likely experience many mini health crises during the weight loss process.
Where is the Logic Behind This Food Choice?
Since this particular meal really has very little nutritional value and is so high in toxic chemicals – it makes me wonder why people consume it so often. In fact, this is one of the basic meals consumed in the “Standard American Diet”. One theory is that the chemicals laden in all three items make them highly addictive. Another theory is that the sodium and sugar levels are so high that these can relate to future cravings for salty & sweet foods, bringing you back to buy another fast food meal the very next day. Statistically, the likelihood that this meal is relating to weight gain and an increased chance of getting cancer in the consumer is far too high, so it seems completely illogical that people would consume this type of food on a regular basis. The only rational reason people are continually eating these fast foods is pure ignorance. People just don’t know any better.
There is no way to boost your immune system or increase your longevity when consuming these types of foods. The most common food additives (used by fast food restaurants) are MSG and other free glutamates, which are “used to enhance flavor in about 80% of all processed foods.” (Raymond Francis, MSc, MIT) These preservatives cause our brains to be overexcited, which turns our fat-storing hormones on. These chemicals cause oxidation of body cells due to the free radicals released into the bloodstream. If antioxidants are not present, free radicals begin to change the format of cells by stealing hydrogen ions from stable cells, causing them to be unstable. Smoking increases the incidence of free radicals in the body as well. The more free radicals that are in the body, the less likely you will have clear skin, healthy hair and nails, shiny hair, and strong muscles. The more toxic our body becomes, the more likely we will see disease manifest. The result – food kills more people than all the drugs combined. Premature death is caused by lifestyle choices.
What Can You Do About This?
Detoxify your body with fresh, organic fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. The darker the greens, the higher the levels of phytochemicals and enzymes that will help you cleanse. Some examples of cleansing plants:
- The gelatinous fibers of Chia Seeds and Aloe Vera will actually bind to fat soluble toxins in the liver.
- Parsley cleans the blood supply.
- Cilantro binds with heavy metals so they can be safely removed from the body.
If you consume a Plant Strong Diet focused on a variety of whole organic foods, you will achieve good health. If in addition to the healthy diet, you add exercise to your daily routine, you can achieve even better health. If you ensure that you consume all the nutrients your body needs on a daily basis through the food you eat, you regularly supplement with Superfoods and you keep an active lifestyle, you can totally achieve optimal wellness. I am living proof that optimal wellness is possible. Give it a try – I guarantee you will be as pleasantly surprised at the results as I was.
Becoming Plant-Strong
To begin, try just ONE DAY of not consuming any meat or dairy products. Replace the animal proteins with beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Then keep on trying this eating habit once a week. After you’re totally in the habit of eating as a vegetarian for one day per week, it’ll become easier and easier to remove animal proteins from your diet more regularly. Also begin to systematically remove all processed foods from your diet. Anything with isolates should be avoided, as the body has difficulty digesting these (common isolates are High Fructose Corn Syrup, White Sugar, White Flour, and some Proteins such as Wheat, Soy or Whey). Anything that’s been produced by breaking down the original plant is a processed food. The more something is processed, the less natural nutrition will be present.
“Juicing is the ultimate fast food – freshly extracted juice is the 15 minute expressway to good health,” according to David Wolfe from Longevity Now. During the filming of “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead,” Joe Cross lost over 100 pounds by consuming only juice for 60 days. This is an extreme way of dieting, but it may work for some people. Normally, I’d recommend a 10-day detox with juice, then transitioning to a plant-based whole foods diet for the duration of your lifetime. This 10-day juicing detox can be done on a regular basis (about every 3 months) during the person’s lifespan, just to cleanse the body of any toxins that may have built up in the system. A plant-based diet should be well balanced with a variety of whole foods, and about 50% of the diet should be raw fruits & vegetables.
Honoring Humanity
From the time that I began to shift to a plant-based diet in 2010, as a wellness coach and true friend, I’ve influenced no less than 100 people within the Ventura community to follow suit. More and more people are choosing a healthier diet to improve their overall wellness all over the world! I’m responsible for a part of that simply because I started a “Good Food Movement” at Ventura College last year. YouTube.com: Good Food Movement We brought in speakers from all over the U.S. to talk about plant-based diets, handed out a number of flyers and DVD’s from PETA and Food Day to educate the students on the perils of factory farming. As a result, the impact on the student population appeared to be dramatic. Of 350 students surveyed about 2 months after our main event, over 200 called themselves vegetarians. If this statistic is anywhere near the truth for the entire student population, that would mean that almost 58% of the students at VC are now vegetarian. I still talk to anyone that will listen about my experiences in changing my diet. In fact, I’m available to talk to groups as a motivational speaker about making positive lifestyle changes for optimal wellness!
Make a Difference in Your Community
Please share this article with family and friends. We each need to be aware of what our food choices are doing to our bodies and our environment. The more efforts YOU put into make a shift to a plant-based diet, the more likely others will also see that a plant-based diet would work for them as well. Inspire change by being the change! ~S
