6 Things You Should Know About… Eating Meat
Eating meat increases your risk for life threatening diseases.
Before you take a bite from that hamburger, consider what it will do to your body. Studies have shown that vegetarians have are 25% less likely to die from heart disease than meat eaters. Also, by eliminating meat, or simply eliminating red meat, your chance for cancer lowers as well. Vegetarians also have a 50% less chance of developing type 2 diabetes than meat eaters. (Harvard Health)
The animals.
Around 10 billion animal are killed each year for human consumption. Poultry are debeaked, since they are living in such close quarters, farmers don't want them to peck each other to death. Heavy chains are often placed on veal cows in order to decrease mobility inside their lightless pens. Chickens are often in cages that equal the size of a sheet of paper. Pregnant pigs are put in cages slightly bigger than they are until their piglets are born. Then they are killed. (Peta)
Antibiotics.
Antibiotics are fed to meat animals to increase rapid growth and a very unnatural rate. However, some of the antibiotics given to animals are completely necessary. If the animals weren't given them, they would have died from conditions that would have made them sick otherwise. Such as standing in waste all their entire lives. (Peta)
Water.
It takes 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat, while producing a pound of wheat only takes 25 gallons. Half of the water used in the world, goes toward raising animals. Rivers and streams are being polluted, and animals farming is the number one cause. The rainforest is being cut down for farming animals, about 14,400 acres a day. (Peta)
It is easily avoidable.
Nowaday, there are thousands of non meat options for vegetarians, that offer high level of nutrients. On top of that, you will save an average of $4,000 on what you spent on meat. Think about what you could do with that money.
Convince yourself you don't need it.
One of the hardest parts of giving up meat is convincing yourself you can live without it. If you are still having trouble, try doing a meatless Monday every week. Then, add a new day every week until your are a full vegetarian. Once you give up meat, you won't ever want to go back. All the health benefits that along with having a vegetarian diet is enough motivation. Once you do, the animals will thank you.
Eating meat increases your risk for life threatening diseases.
Before you take a bite from that hamburger, consider what it will do to your body. Studies have shown that vegetarians have are 25% less likely to die from heart disease than meat eaters. Also, by eliminating meat, or simply eliminating red meat, your chance for cancer lowers as well. Vegetarians also have a 50% less chance of developing type 2 diabetes than meat eaters. (Harvard Health)
The animals.
Around 10 billion animal are killed each year for human consumption. Poultry are debeaked, since they are living in such close quarters, farmers don't want them to peck each other to death. Heavy chains are often placed on veal cows in order to decrease mobility inside their lightless pens. Chickens are often in cages that equal the size of a sheet of paper. Pregnant pigs are put in cages slightly bigger than they are until their piglets are born. Then they are killed. (Peta)
Antibiotics.
Antibiotics are fed to meat animals to increase rapid growth and a very unnatural rate. However, some of the antibiotics given to animals are completely necessary. If the animals weren't given them, they would have died from conditions that would have made them sick otherwise. Such as standing in waste all their entire lives. (Peta)
Water.
It takes 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat, while producing a pound of wheat only takes 25 gallons. Half of the water used in the world, goes toward raising animals. Rivers and streams are being polluted, and animals farming is the number one cause. The rainforest is being cut down for farming animals, about 14,400 acres a day. (Peta)
It is easily avoidable.
Nowaday, there are thousands of non meat options for vegetarians, that offer high level of nutrients. On top of that, you will save an average of $4,000 on what you spent on meat. Think about what you could do with that money.
Convince yourself you don't need it.
One of the hardest parts of giving up meat is convincing yourself you can live without it. If you are still having trouble, try doing a meatless Monday every week. Then, add a new day every week until your are a full vegetarian. Once you give up meat, you won't ever want to go back. All the health benefits that along with having a vegetarian diet is enough motivation. Once you do, the animals will thank you.