Here is a great article for 10 Eco-Friendly Reasons to Buy Organic Meat & Dairy.
Vegetarianism
Wikipedia (not the best source but I like it) lists vegetarianism as "the practice of following a plant based diet including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, with or without dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat meat including red meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, and shellfish, and may also abstain from by-products of animal slaughter such as animal derived rennet, found in some cheeses, and gelatin." That pretty much sums it up. Now, there are different kinds of vegetarians. And a vegetarian may eat one thing but not another. Some steer clear from gelatin and some don't. I personally do not eat gelatin. Here is my list of types of vegetarians and my definitions:
Vegan: A strict vegetarian, who refrains from all animal derived products including all meats, dairy, all animal derived by products, and from wearing clothing and shoes made with animal products. Vegans will also avoid products that have been tested on animals like makeup.
Ovo-Vegetarian: A vegetarian who does not eat meat or dairy, but will eat eggs (preferably organic or free range).
Lacto-Vegetarian: A vegetarian who does not eat meat or eggs, but will eat dairy products like cheese and milk (Again, preferably organic and rennet free).
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian: A vegetarian who will not eat meat, but will eat both eggs and dairy products.
Pesco-Vegetarian: A vegetarian who will refrain from eating any meat with the exclusion of fish. Also called pescetarians, they may or may not eat dairy or eggs. I have found that if people eat fish, they'll usually eat cheese and eggs. I have also found on vegetarian websites that crazy extreme vegans criticize pescetarians instead of praising them for minimizing the amount of meat our community consumes. On a side note, I can not stand how people have an all or nothing view on our world. I welcome pescetarians with loving open arms!!
Raw Vegan: The strictest form of vegetarian, a vegan that avoids all food cooked above 118F degrees. Mostly raw veggies, fruits and nuts. *People may ask why someone would eat this way, and the reason is they believe cooking foods will destroy most nutrients so it's healthier to eat them raw. They may also eat this way for environmental reasons.
Fruitarian: A vegetarian diet that includes only fruits, nuts, and seeds. No veggies are eaten on this diet. Most fruitarians only eat which falls from the tree or plant to the earth without harming the plant itself.
Macrobiotics: Macrobiotics is becoming increasingly popular. It consists of eating whole grains, vegetables, beans, legumes and no processed foods. Fish may be eating sparingly. You eat foods according to the time of year, or to the weather. Look it up!! Macrobiotics is a great way to transition to gluten free and vegan way of life. Read Alicia Silverstone's book "The Kind Diet" or visit her website http://www.thekindlife.com/.
There are more different kinds of vegetarians, but these ones are the most known or most popular. So why would someone want to eat this way? I've noticed that when I tell people that I am a vegetarian, they said "Cows are delicious and should be killed so I can devour them!". Why would someone say that? It's like telling someone who doesn't eat sugar "Sugar is the best and I will grow my own sugar cane to devour as I please". Why are you telling me that? You want me to feel bad for not eating sugar? Are you trying to get a rise out of me? Eat what you want but please don't say such negative things. I've been told "I will never give up chicken, I love it too much!" That's fine, that's a positive statement. If you have positive things to say about your eating lifestyle feel free to share!! It is sad when unsolicited negative comments get thrown around. I personally think it's sad that animals get killed for our consumption which leads me to my first reason for eating veg, animal rights.
Animal Rights
Believe me, I am not going to go into gory details about how animals are slaughtered. It does make me sad. But everyone should know what does go on in slaughterhouses. Yes, I know, not all slaughterhouses are the same. But can you pick and choose where your meat comes from? If so, then pick wisely!! If you are buying a no name brand of chicken, where did it come from? How long has the animal been dead? How was it killed? Is it pumped full of hormones? These are all legitimate questions. Here is a video, narrated by Alec Baldwin, about what goes on behind closed doors. I know this stuff doesn't happen everywhere!! But it is REAL. In order to stop it, we need to eat from organic, natural, local vendors or better yet, do not eat meat at all. ** This video is really hard for me to watch so if you love animals, be careful **
Another good documentary to watch is Food, Inc. It's a great way to learn about how our food is made and how the food industry works. I love this documentary, I highly recommend it to everyone. It doesn't have a biased opinion on animal rights at all, he just goes around to different farms and shows you the ropes. Also, they talk about GMO products and buying organic. After I watched it, I checked all of my soybeans I have in my pantry and freezer for the Non-GMO stamp :)
Health Reasons
There are so many healthy reasons to turn vegan. Too many people think that vegans are a bunch of animal rights activists and see it as hippie mumbo jumbo. But believe it or not, there's more to it than that. It is human to be curious about how someone can change their diet from what our culture is used to eating. I get questioned all of the time about my eating habits. "Where do you get your protein?" "Do you get enough iron?" or "How do you get calcium?". And if people really know what they are talking about then they will ask about my sources for B12.
Protein. You get enough. I get enough. We don't need to eat a bear to satisfy our protein needs. According to the American Heart Association, [on low carb (high-protein) diets] "Most Americans already eat more protein than their bodies need...eating too much protein can increase health risks. High-protein animal foods are usually also high in saturated fat. Eating large amounts of high-fat foods for a sustained period raises the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer."
To determine your recommended protein intake, multiply your weight (in pounds) by 0.37. So for me, that number is 59. Protein sources for a vegetarian diet are as follows:
Tempeh 1 Cup 31g
Soy Beans: 1 Cup 29g
Seitan: 3 oz 24g (not gluten free)
Buckwheat: 1 Cup 23g
Lentils: 1 Cup 18g
Black Beans: 1 Cup 15g
Garbanzo Beans: 1 Cup 15g
Black Eyed Peas: 1 Cup 13g
Kidney Beans: 1 Cup 13g
Pinto Beans: 1 Cup 12g
Hemp Seed: 3 Tbsp 11g
Tofu: 1/2 Cup 10g
Quinoa: 1 Cup 9g
Almonds: 1/4 Cup 8g
Peanuts: 1/4 Cup 8g
Peanut Butter: 2 Tbsp 8g
Peas: 1 Cup 7g
Soymilk: 1 Cup 7g
Nutritional Yeast: 1 Tbsp 6g (great source of B12!)
Spinach: 1 Cup 5g (cooked)
Brown Rice: 1 Cup 5g
Obviously I didn't list every bean or every nut. As you can see, there are a lot of protein sources you can choose from. If you've heard of the complete protein, I accept your challenge. For those of you who don't know what a complete protein is, it is a whole protein which contains all of the essential amino acids. Complete proteins are found in poultry, red meat, seafood, dairy, and eggs. They can also be found in nutritional yeast, buckwheat, quinoa, spirulina, hemp, and soy. You can also make a complete protein by combining beans/legumes with seeds, nuts, and grains. Easy examples are peanut butter on toast, pita chips and hummus, or tortillas with beans. Plus you don't have to eat them together. As long as you eat them relatively close together (up to about four hours) you are completing your protein.
Next!! Iron. We need it to transport oxygen in our blood through our bodies, and to regulate growing cells. If you have low iron, you can develop anemia. Iron deficiency can make you feel tired and weak, and may also weaken your immune system. As humans, our main food source for iron is in red meat. But, it can also be found in beans, dried fruit, and spinach. Our daily recommended intake for iron is 10mg for men, and 15mg for women. According to evitamins.com, "Vegetarians eat less iron than non-vegetarians, and the iron they eat is somewhat less absorbable. As a result, vegetarians are more likely to have reduced iron stores. However, iron deficiency is not usually caused by a lack of iron in the diet alone. An underlying cause, such as iron loss in menstrual blood, often exists." So if you are iron deficient, it is more likely that you have another existing condition. Make sure you are eating enough iron, and make sure to get regular doctor's check ups. According to the CDC, vitamin C helps iron absorption from plant based iron and people eating a varied well balanced diet need not to be concerned. The CDC also states that young children and pregnant or menopausal women are most at risk for iron deficiency. So I guess that gets us vegetarians off the hook!!
Calcium. We've all seen those milk commercials. They tell you how milk 'Does a Body Good' and how it's a great source of calcium. I decided to Google "Best Source of Calcium" and the first result was an article from the Harvard School of Public Health on Calcium and Milk. The article states "While calcium and dairy can lower the risk of osteoporosis and colon cancer, high intake can increase the risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. Plus, dairy products can be high in saturated fat as well as retinol (vitamin A), which at high levels can paradoxically weaken bones. Good, non-dairy sources of calcium include collards, bok choy, fortified soy milk, baked beans, and supplements."
While we are talking about milk, doesn't anyone else find it strange that we drink another species milk? Whose idea was it to 'milk' the cow and say "Hmm, calves drink it! Lets give it a try!" Another thought is that cows produce milk to feed their babies, just like we produce milk to feed our babies. It's full of nutrients to help a calf grow into a huge ass cow. Just sayin'...
