Why Go Meat Free?

Meat just isn't good for you. Period.

Then why do people eat meat? When Homo sapiens roamed the earth we were Hunter-Gatherers living in small tribes based on one or two families. Homo sapiens, us, needed to get all the nutrition we could manage. To survive we diversified our diet to include meat so that we could survive. This was a vital source of protein for the monkeyman. Their Winters were alot harsher back then and meat was a great source of energy for them. Still they only ate meat as a supplement to their diet. Most of their diet was composed of fruits or vegetables. While our system can handle meat we can only tolerate a certain amount of it.


The average American doesn't need to store fat for the Winter or ration food to survive. We have come a long way from just surviving. Most of us have adequate access to fruits, vegetables, nuts and other legumes (like beans). Also keep in mind that back when we hunted Buffalo they weren't being treated with hormones to grow larger or anti-biotics to keep them healthy. Plus, it is shown in a dietary study in China (the longest dietary study ever performed) that vegans and vegetarians live 7-22 years longer than carnivores.

So what really are the negative effects of eating meat?

1. High in fat- Removing it from your diet can help you cut fat consumption. Trust me no American has trouble getting enough fat. The fat in meat is also the most harmful part of it. By reducing fat intake you lower your risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
2. No chemicals- Hormones are used to make animals grow larger, faster. Anti-biotics are given to them to keep them from getting each other sick. Some farmers even use tranquilizers to keep the animals calm. Guess what, you're eating all of it.
3. Disease- Completely remove your risk of getting the awful human version of Mad Cow. As well remove your risk for meat-related food poisoning. If you eat pork you can remove your risk of getting Trichinosis, a parasitic worm that you get from undercooked pork.

These are the biggies. Also, you've got to realize that our ancestors ate only what they could kill and had to save that animal for as long as possible and make it stretch. They probably only ate a tiny amount of meat per day if only every few days. So if you really don't think you can go without it, you at least need to consider seriously reducing your intake. Make a large salad with many types of greens and add whatever else you think would be good: mushrooms, black olives, fruit, nuts, carrots, celery, a little cheese, beans, good salad dressing. You can put anything in a salad. Make a grilled chicken breast and either slice or shread it. Add half of the chicken breast to the salad per person. Ideally one should only be eating meat AT MOST every other day. Even that is pushing it. The fat in meat is very hard for our bodies to digest. By cutting back on meat you can help reduce your weight and improve stamina and energy!

Summary: Our bodies are not made to handle eating meat every day. Vegetarians live longer and have lower risk for cancer, heart diseease and diabetes. Reduced fat consumption lowers risk for disease and will facilitate weight loss. Remove consumption of chemicals used in livestock farming!

Remember there is also an ethical and moral problem with eating meat. If you love animals you have to consider how these animals are raised and slaughtered. While a chicken may not have feelings per say, is it morally okay to clip their beaks and wings and keep them in horrible conditions. Often these factories produce tons of emissions and smell terrible for miles which can negatively impact nearby towns.

There is alot to consider when taking meat out of your diet and it is not an overnight process. I've been transitioning from a pescatarian into a full vegetarian myself recently. I am a vegetarian who has salmon twice a month and soon I won't eat that anymore either. It is a process that will benefit your health and the environment.  Consider everything and do your homework.