This September, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced their proposal to add the rusty patched bumble bee to the endangered species list. It would have been the first bee to be placed on the list. One week later, seven species of yellow–faced bees, native to Hawaii, jumped the line and were awarded the dubious honor.

The Endangered Species Act

Congress passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. Its purpose is to conserve the ecosystems of endangered and threatened species and to provide conservation programs to protect and restore them.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (overseeing land and freshwater plants and animals) and the National Marines Fisheries Service (overseeing marine wildlife and anadromous fish) administer the ESA.

Five factors are considered when a species is being evaluated:

1. Damage to, or destruction of, a species’ habitat
2. Overutilization of the species for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes
3. Disease or predation (killed by predators)
4. Inadequacy of existing protection
5. Other natural or manmade factors that affect the continued existence of the species

When wildlife is listed as endangered it is illegal to “…harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect or attempt to engage in any such conduct.” This includes “…significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding, or sheltering.” – ESA Basics

The goal is to restore a species to the point it no longer requires protection. Recovery plans are written and implemented by the Fish and Wildlife Service with input and assistance from stakeholders including species experts; academia; other Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes; and nongovernmental organizations.

Who Are the Stakeholders for Bees?

An argument could be made that every human on Earth is a stakeholder in the preservation and restoration of bees. According to the USDA, about 35% of the world’s food crops depends on pollinators for reproduction, and bees are considered our most important pollinators. We need them.

Generally, we think of commercial honeybees when we think of crop pollination. But bees are not our only pollinator. Wasps, birds, beetles, bats, butterflies, moths, ants, and other animals and insects contribute to pollination as well. Honeybees are only responsible for about 14% of crop pollination. Native bees and other insects are responsible for the majority of the work. These wild bees are being eradicated by pesticides, mono cropping, and habitat destruction.

When it comes to protecting the habitat of wild bees, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be battling with stakeholders who will come to the table to support their own interests. Pesticide companies and seed companies (companies that sell seeds coated with neonicotinoid pesticides) will do their best to protect their own interests as will commercial growers who will fight to continue mono cropping practices that are known to be destructive to both the soil and our pollinators. But these are not the only concerns for honey bees. In addition to herbicides, pesticides, mono cropping (which leads to nutritional deficiencies), and habitat destruction, honey bees face the following:

• 23 different known viruses
• Parasitic mites
• Fungal infections
• Bacterial pathogens
• Predators (small hive beetles)
• Chemical exposure (chemicals designed to assist beekeepers have been found to harm the hive)

What Does the Future Hold?

We live in a world with an ever-growing population and a fragile food supply. Climate change and drought are currently affecting crops, and no one knows how this will play out in the years to come. It is said that fewer than 20 crops provide 90% of the world’s food supply, and of that 90% more than half is comprised of 3 crops – maize, rice, and wheat.

We scramble to maintain genetic variety and diversity among these crops to prevent a catastrophic collapse due to blight or a parasitic infection. (Remember Ireland’s potato famine?)

We want to believe new technologies will save the world from starvation. GMOs, new fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, new mono crop farming methods, and factory farming practices to raise livestock are touted as the new way – a means to feed the world. But common sense and careful scrutiny show us these practices will only lead to a bleak and unsustainable future.

Herbicides and pesticides are destroying the soil. Animals raised in inhumane, filthy conditions breed disease. Herbicides and pesticides are one of the causes of leaky gut syndrome, which leads to a host of illnesses including a wide array of autoimmune diseases. GMOs and pesticides are also implicated as a causal factor in autism.

We’ve known that chemicals kill our pollinators for some time. We don’t know a lot about the effects of GMOs on pollinators because they were never appropriately tested. Current studies are being conducted on non-bee insect pollinators. Results are showing the non-bee insects are not as dependent on a natural habitat or semi-natural habitat as bees.

While it is encouraging to know bees are not our only pollinators, we can only hope these non-bee pollinators do not give us an excuse to continue destructive practices that are adding to the demise of bees and other pollinators.

We turn a blind eye to corporate greed that is creating a serious health crisis and using human beings to test their genetically altered creations and glyphosate soaked grains. Those of us who protest are being ignored and labeled as anti-science. Wouldn’t it be amazing if saving the bees leads to saving us as well?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRoffLvSG94

Recommended Reading:

• Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods
• Repel Mosquitoes by Cultivating Marigolds
• How Vertical Gardening Could Help Save the World
• Three Homemade Toothpaste Recipes – Better Oral Health for Less Cost

Sources:

• The Endangered Species Act of 1973 – (In its entirety)
• ESA Basics – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services
• The Xerces Society Website
• Endangered Species • Endangered Species Act | Overview – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• You’re Worrying About the Wrong Bees – Wired
• Non-bee insects are important contributors to global crop pollination – PNAS
• Buzzkills: abiotic and biotic stressors of pollinators – Penn State College of Agricultural Science
• Exemption Process under the Endangered Species Act: How the God Squad Works and Why – Notre Dame Law Review

The Director, James Cameron, and former governor of California, former movie star, and former omnivorous bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, remind us that animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the combined exhaust from all transportation. Cameron, vegan since 2011, and long time meat eater, Schwarzenegger, are promoting a plant-based diet. Together they are supporting China’s new directive that asks its citizens to cut down on meat consumption to prevent illness such as heart disease and diabetes. Schwarzenegger says he feels fantastic and tells us not to buy into the idea that we need more meat to be strong. He also says:

Less meat, less heat, more life.”

True Activist Reports:

According to the documentary Cowspiracy, livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. By utilizing land to grow crops that feed humans rather than cows, world hunger can be managed and the large amounts of methane produced by the livestock (which is 25-100 times more destructive than CO2 on a 20-year time frame) will be lessened.

It all begins with the little choices you make. Thankfully, eating healthy, plant-based food is easier now, more than ever. Whether you purchase veggie burgers at the store or opt to make your own, there are a variety of ways you can please your palate while helping the planet.

Schwarzenegger correctly advises: “You have to start slowly, you can’t just convince people to stop eating meat altogether. It’s a very big challenge, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done and you shouldn’t be on that campaign, but it’s a very hard thing to overcome.”

It doesn’t have to be difficult, and it can most definitely be delicious. Click here if you need recipe inspiration.

Arnold Schwarzenegger partnered with the Wild Conservation Society to raise awareness about the issue of poaching. In that video, he made it clear that poachers will pay for their crimes against humanity as killing African Elephants for their tusks is likely to result in their demise within the next decade.

Conclusion

It’s not that eating meat is bad for you, contrary to what almost every vegan argues. The concern with meat regarding health is if it’s factory farmed or otherwise unhealthy meat, how it was processed, and how it is cooked. Meat, when of healthy quality and prepared right, is not “bad” for you. Raw fresh produce is the best thing to eat, but if that was all we ate we’d need to graze on food all day, especially if we are active. Regardless, there are many other great reasons to stop eating meat or to cut down.

If you choose to eat meat, please do so responsibly, and don’t forget that your money will be a vote for cruelty or a vote for better treatment every time you purchase meat. Please be an informed customer.

Sources:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger Has A Message For Humanity, And It Concerns What You Eat – True Activist
• Facts – Cowspiracy

We have all heard the perpetual argument about the meat industry. On one side, unwavering pro-meat eaters assert that some animals were put on this earth for our consumption, as a means for our survival. On the other side, vegan individuals claim that eating animals is not only cruel but evolutionarily outdated. Regardless of one’s moral compass or core beliefs, finding the facts can be difficult. Beyond “he said/she said,” there are some very tangible things happening around the globe that are a detriment to our health and to our planet. Sifting through what is fact and what is opinionated fiction can be difficult. Here are some of the unbiased facts.

Beef is raised in some of the most sensitive regions of the world creating a destructive path in places like the North America’s Great Plains, the Brazilian Amazon, the savannahs of Southern Africa, and the Great Barrier Reef watershed of Australia.

The meat industry is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The amount ranges from 18% – to an astonishing 51% depending on the study. The numbers differ depending on the exclusion or inclusion of emissions due to deforestation and land use.

Since the 1950s antibiotics have been used in industrial farming to increase the growth of the animals, which has created an antibiotic resistance in those who consume the meat. According to a recent study by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 80% of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used for farm animals, not for human beings, and 90% of that amount is distributed through feed or water.

The amount of water used to sustain the meat industry is astronomical. Beef is the largest offender using 2,000 gallons of water for just 1lb of meat. Beef, meat manufacturing as a whole, and consumption are water intensive and a drain on our world water supply. A good example of this is California. California produces more food than any other state and is also in a historic drought putting tremendous pressure on the water supply of the entire southwest. One-third of all fresh water in the world today is used for the meat industry.

Industrial farm waste does not stay on the farms. The antibiotics pumped into the animals is eventually excreted and ends up in waterways and our oceans. The once natural flow of water into the ocean is being replaced with flows of polluted farm runoff contributing to nutrient pollution among other things.

It’s no secret that the population continues to grow with each passing year. With that growth comes expansion. The current population is 7.2 billion by 2050 it is estimated to be  a whopping 9.6 billion. The meat industry was reported to use 26% of the Earth’s ice-free terrestrial surface for grazing making it the largest user of land resources. Pasture and land dedicated to the production of feed embodying almost 80% of the total agricultural land.

There are many conflicting ideas, statistics, and ideologies. Whether actually consuming meat is necessary for a healthy diet or not is highly controversial, but there is no denying the facts behind the environmental destruction that the meat industry has created. The science and research are undeniable. Understanding the harm caused by industrialized meat production is only half of the battle. As a concerned citizen, how can each of us impact change in such an overwhelmingly large industry, by starting right at home? Here are 5 changes you can make to impact tomorrow’s environment.

Meatless Mondays

As stated above, it is estimated that it takes 2,000 gallons of water to produce 1lb of beef. Americans lead meat consumption, eating an average of 270 lbs of meat per year, twice as much meat as is recommended for a healthy diet. Eating less meat of higher quality may be just what the doctor ordered.

Local Butcher

Buying from a small farm or local butcher is an easy way to make sure that the meat you are consuming was pasture raised without hormones and doesn’t come from a factory farm.

Raising Your Own Meat

Another option, if you live in a rural area, is to raise your own meat. There are many reasons to grow your own beef, but not supporting the industrial factories and knowing where the meat came from and has been exposed to are the most important.

Labels

If the city life is for you, learn about labels. Some are meaningless. Some are fraudulent.  Kroger and Perdue Farms both used a label  “humane.” A recent lawsuit filed by The Humane Society of The United States ended up being settled out of court. Kroger and Perdue Farms took the “humane” label off of their packaging. Similarly, there are no standards for labeling products “All Natural,” or “Antibiotic-free.”

Vegetarian/Vegan Lifestyle

Choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet is another option.  This is a hard one for a lot of people to swallow . It is a radical lifestyle change, but the benefits far outweigh the initial difficulties not only for the environment but for your conscience and your health.

Related Reading:

• Homemade, Vegan Nut Milk Recipes and More
• 10 Vegan-Friendly Sources Of Protein
• Want To Know What Factory Farms Do With Their Waste? (Video)
• Why Conventional Agriculture Has To Stop
• The Vegan Diet: Why It Is a Big Deal

Sources:

• Environmental Groups Sue the FDA Over Antibiotics and Meat Production – Ecocentric
• The Water Footprint of Food – GRACE Communications Foundation
• WHAT’S THE ROLE OF FACTORY FARMING IN OCEAN DEGRADATION? – Mission Blue
• World agriculture towards 2030/2050 – The 2012 revision
• Why grow your own beef? – Hobby Farm

Recent studies show that more and more people in the U.S. are choosing to reduce or give up meat in their diet because of the growing body of evidence linking meat consumption to obesity, digestive problems, heart disease, some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, and early death.

What is the problem with meat? Most people eat conventional factory farmed meat, which may have risks due to the presence of chemicals or diseases.  On top of that, most people eat way too much of it. Americans consume 60 percent more meat that Europeans and 4 times more than other developed countries. One study found that meat-eaters are 27 percent more likely to die early and 20 percent more likely to die of cancer.

Out of an estimated 16 million vegetarians, (5 percent of the population) about 8 million people are vegan. So, when people give up meat, they either switch to a vegetarian diet (no meat but the diet includes eggs and dairy) or the new trend, which is vegan (no meat, or dairy, or animal-derived products).

Like the featured image? Check out the collard green wraps recipe here.

Why Do People Eat Vegan?

There are usually 3 reasons why people choose a vegan diet:

• to protest the exploitation/cruelty of animals by the agricultural industry
• to reduce the environmental costs of agriculture
• to improve their overall health and live a healthier life

To Protect Animals

Many people choose a vegan lifestyle because they are against the exploitation of animals by the agriculture industry. Vegans believe animals should not be used against their will and made to suffer and die as resources for human needs.

Vegans believe animals are sentient beings with rights not unlike humans. Vegans are against animal testing, large animal breeding factories, and poultry, cattle, and dairy operations where animals are often kept in less than ideal conditions. There are reports of animal cruelty in many livestock operations. Ten billion animals are slaughtered every year for human consumption in the U.S.

Protect the Environment

Vegans are against the environmental costs of livestock agriculture, including the use of large amounts of land and water, use of chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers, topsoil erosion, and pollution. According to the EPA, chemical and animal waste runoff pollutes more than 173,000 miles of rivers and streams annually and is the nation’s leading cause of impaired water quality. Nearly 20% of worldwide pollution is attributed to the meat industry.

Resource use is a concern to vegans. It is estimated that it takes 40 calories of fossil-fuel energy to create every 1 calorie of feed-lot beef in the U.S., but it only takes 2.2 calories of energy to create plant proteins.

In addition, 70% of the grain produced in the U.S. is used to feed animals raised for slaughter. Livestock animals consume five times as much grain as is eaten by the population.  According to a Cornell University professor of ecology, David Pimentel, if that same amount were used to feed people directly, nearly 800 million people could be fed globally.

Researchers at Loma Linda University in California have concluded that consumption of meat and dairy should be drastically reduced in order to cut the environmental footprint (use of resources). They rated vegetarians and vegans as requiring 30 percent fewer resources.

To Improve Overall Health

Statistics show that most Americans eat an overabundance of foods that are high in fat, sugar, and the added chemicals contained in processed foods.  The vegan diet is designed to eliminate many of the health risks associated with meat consumption, (such as higher risk of disease) and increase consumption of healthy raw foods like vegetables, nuts, grains and fruits. Vegans (and vegetarians) are known to have lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower body/mass indexes (less fat), and lower rates for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. So, the vegan diet, when combined with a healthy exercise lifestyle, especially for those who actively work out or compete in athletic events,  produces healthier people.

Why is Vegan Better?

A vegan diet can be healthier than a conventional diet for many reasons.  Vegan foods include whole grains, a variety of vegetables, fruits, and beans, that are rich in essential vitamins, contain lots of needed fiber, are low in fat, and contain no cholesterol. Calcium is derived from eating vegetables like broccoli, kale, collard greens, tofu, fortified juices, and nut milks (soymilk, almond milk, etc.). Iron is obtained from eating things like chickpeas, spinach, pinto beans, and soy products.  Vitamin B12 (which does not occur naturally in plants) can be supplemented in pill form or in products that are fortified with it. Most fruits and vegetables contain essential ingredients like carbohydrates, vitamins, folate, minerals like magnesium and potassium, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (carotenoids, anthocyanins) which help prevent disease.

Some people believe they cannot eat vegan because they won’t get enough protein, but vegans get protein from many sources. For example, green vegetables like kale, broccoli, seaweed, peas, and spinach are good sources of protein and so are various kinds of beans like lima, black, pinto, edamame, and lentils. Grains are another way to get protein and these include brown rice, whole wheat bread, pasta, quinoa, and bulgar. Nuts such as peanuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, and walnuts are protein rich. Vegans also eat lots of berries, (strawberries, blueberries, etc.) because they contain antioxidants and phytochemicals.

The Problems with Meat, Dairy, and Fish

Meat

The standard American diet is usually centered around red meat. But when red meat is  consumed in excess quantities, it can cause a person to have higher than normal levels of cholesterol and saturated fats. Diets rich in animal fats are associated with higher risks for obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, and several types of cancer.  Red meat also contains carnitine, which causes hardening of the arteries, and studies show that increased carnitine is associated with increased  cardiovascular disease. A meat diet may cause an excess of iron, which studies show can increase your chances for Alzheimer’s disease and colorectal cancer. Most of the processed meat (lunchmeat) is unhealthy because it contains carcinogenic compounds.

The FDA reports that foods high in protein such as meat, poultry, and seafood can cause outbreaks of foodborne illnesses like E.coli and salmonella. Additives are used in the meat industry to enhance the color and appearance of meat, like pink slime and meat glue, which have questionable health benefits.

The EPA estimates that 95% of pesticide residue in the American diet comes from meat, fish, and dairy products.

People on a meat diet have shorter lives and more disability later in life, according to author Michael F. Roizen, M.D., author of “The Real Age Diet”. He says animal products clog your arteries, give you less energy, slow down your immune system, and increase the rates of cognitive and sexual dysfunction.

Dairy

Recent studies are showing that as many as 75 % of the world’s adult population may be lactose intolerant, which can cause a number of health problems. Milk products like cheese and yogurt have been heavily promoted as part of a healthy diet in the U.S. for many years, and only recently has evidence been coming out to the contrary. High intake of dairy products can raise an individual’s cholesterol levels which can lead to obesity, digestive problems, and heart disease. The problem comes from the combination of animal products derived from unhealthy animals and a diet high in refined sugar.

According to Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. of the Institute for Medical Functional Medicine, dairy consumption has not been proven to increase athletic performance. It does not protect bone strength and may even reduce it. And he says dairy products can increase a man’s risk of prostate cancer by 50%.

Dairy animals are often given supplemental steroids, growth hormones, and antibiotics, all of which may pose health hazards to humans. There has been concern over whether these additives can cause cancer in humans, but the scientific evidence is inconclusive.

Fish

Fish, although high in protein, can contain varying amounts of carcinogens like PCBs and DDT and also heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium. These contaminants are linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and neurological deficits.

Conclusion

With all the growing evidence pointing to the health hazards associated with a meat-centered diet, it is no wonder that more people are adopting a vegan (and vegetarian) diet. The benefits are obvious for anyone who wants to live a longer and healthier life. And, with the number of people eating vegan, it is not surprising that an increasing number of restaurants catering to vegetarians and vegans, and there are also numerous meat and dairy substitutes now available to consumers.

Recommended Reading:

• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula
• 10 Vegan-Friendly Sources Of Protein
• Animal vs. Plant Protein – What’s Better?

Sources:

• What Is Farm Runoff Doing To The Water? Scientists Wade In – NPR
• 11 Convincing Reasons that Going Vegan Isn’t Crazy – Reader’s Digest
• http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/R-D/Environmental-footprint-of-vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-30-lower-than-non-vegetarian-diets-say-researchers-We-have-to-drastically-cut-consumption-of-meat-and-dairy – Food Navigator USA
• 10 Reasons To Stop Eating Red Meat – Prevention
• Why Go Veg? – Vegetarian Times
• Dairy: 6 Reasons You Should Avoid It at all Costs – Dr. Mark Hyman

A growing number of health-conscious and environmentally concerned people of all ages are adopting a vegan diet so they can live more efficiently and improve their overall health. A vegan diet promotes efficient living because it requires fewer resources to grow vegetables than to raise animals.

Statistics show that since 2009, the percentage of people eating a non-meat diet have doubled in the U.S. Today, 5 % of the population, an estimated 16 million people, are vegetarians, and one-half of them are vegan. That’s about 8 million people.

The vegan diet is growing in popularity, as many celebrities (Bill Clinton, Carrie Underwood, Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, etc.) and top athletes (Mike Tyson, Dave Scott, etc.) are promoting it. But the diet has continued to stir controversy because it is such a drastic lifestyle change from the traditional meat eater diet that has been the mainstay of American culture for hundreds of years.

Vegans don’t eat any meat, fish, honey, or dairy products, which includes milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc. Strict vegans also avoid using cosmetic or chemical products made with animal-derived ingredients, and they don’t wear fur, leather, or wool clothing. Most vegans do not eat refined white sugar (made with charcoal from bone fragments) and some types of wine (includes isinglass, fish bladders).

7 Common Benefits of Eating a Vegan Diet

1-Better Overall Health

People on a vegan diet eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, nuts, berries, beans, and soy. As a result, they tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol and a lower risk of cardiovascular and heart disease; type 2 diabetes; prostate, colon and breast cancers; macular degeneration; cataracts; arthritis; osteoporosis; PMS; migraines; and allergies.

2-Weight Loss

A U.S. News and World Report article named the vegan diet as the best for overall weight loss, heart health, diabetes prevention, and long-term weight loss. Vegans have lower rates of obesity and weigh 5 to 20 pounds less than those on a meat diet. Studies show that vegans tend to eat fewer calories than meat-eaters and therefore have a lower body mass index (a measure of body fat). The vegan diet contains fewer saturated fats, so vegans have a better chance of losing weight and keeping the weight off.  One study showed that people who eat a low-fat vegetarian (vegan) diet averaged a 24 pound weight loss the first year and kept the weight off 5 years later.

3-Increased Energy

Many successful athletes are vegans. Too much fat in your bloodstream from eating meat prevents arteries from opening to supply oxygen to the muscles. Vegetarian diets are high in carbohydrates that are good for efficient energy conversion.  Vegan athletes include marathon runner Scott Jurek, triathlete and ironman champion Dave Scott, NFL player Tony Gonzalez, and Olympian track and field star Carl Lewis.

4-Healthier Skin and Hair

Meat-based diets are high in fats that can clog skin pores, but a plant-based diet is low in fat and high in vitamins and antioxidants that are good for skin. Fiber and whole grains help your body flush out toxins, and vitamins C, A and E from a variety of vegetables and nuts help fight wrinkles and brown spots. The zinc found in beans may help to decrease acne.

5-Reduced Body Odor

One study in the Czech Republic found that those who ate a plant-based diet (vegetarians and vegans) were judged to have a more pleasant body odor than the study group who ate meat. The conclusion was that meat consumption has a negative impact on body odor. This is because the meat diet does not have an adequate intake of phytochemical and micronutrients, so cellular detoxification is impaired. Some vegans report fewer problems with bad breath and others have discontinued the use of deodorant products.

6-Boost Immune System

Eating fruits and vegetables means a diet high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help improve your immune system. A good immune system means your body’s cells and organs are working efficiently, so your body has defenses that protect you from the threats posed by bacteria and viruses. Your diet works in partnership with other good health practices such as getting enough sleep, reducing stress levels, and exercising.

7-Live Longer  

A recent study of 173,000 people showed that vegetarians (and vegans) have a 20 percent lower mortality rate than meat-eaters. This means they live about 10 years longer. A 30-year study in Okinawa attributed the longevity of centenarians there to a fiber-rich diet of fruits, vegetables, unrefined complex carbohydrates, and soy.

Another recent study published in The Daily Mail, found that a poor diet is the biggest contributor to premature deaths across the globe. One in five deaths are caused by diets that are high in red meat consumption and sugary drinks and lacking in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Unhealthy eating is contributing to the rise in heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

A long-term study of more than 121,000 men and women in the U.S. found that eating beef, pork, lamb, or processed meat such as bacon, bologna, hot dogs, salami, or sausage, increased the chances of early death by 12 percent.

Conclusion

When you consider the advantages of a vegan diet, including improved health, weight loss, increased energy, healthier skin and hair, reduced body odor, a boosted immune system, and longer life, eating vegan is a very tempting choice, anyway you look at it.

Recommended Reading:

• 10 Vegan-Friendly Sources Of Protein
• Animal vs. Plant Protein – What’s Better?

Sources:

• 2014, The Year of the Vegan – One Green Planet
• Vegan Diet – U.S. News
• Why Go Veg? – Vegetarian Times
• Body Odor: Do Nutritarians Smell Better? – Dr. Fuhrman’s Disease Proo
• Go Vegetarian, Live Longer – Men’s Journal
• Red Meat Consumption Increases Risk of Early Death – Scientific American
• 42 Health Benefits of Going Vegan – Wildflower

Consumer Reports tested 300 samples (458 pounds) of hamburger from 103 stores from 26 cities for bacterial contamination, comparing “sustainable” meat to conventional meat. (Sustainable, in this study, referred to beef from cattle that was not given antibiotics). What they found was both enlightening and truly disturbing.

Beef samples were tested for 5 types of bacteria:

• Salmonella
• Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
• Coli (7 strains)
• Clostridium perfringens (CDC estimates 1 million cases of food poisoning due to this bacteria each year.)
• Enterococcus

Consumer Reports published the following results:

All 458 pounds of beef we examined contained bacteria that signified fecal contamination (enterococcus and/or nontoxin-producing E. coli), which can cause blood or urinary tract infections. Almost 20 percent contained C. perfringens, a bacteria that causes almost 1 million cases of food poisoning annually. Ten percent of the samples had a strain of S. aureus bacteria that can produce a toxin that can make you sick. That toxin can’t be destroyed—even with proper cooking.

Just 1 percent of our samples contained salmonella. … salmonella causes an estimated 1.2 million illnesses and 450 deaths in the U.S. each year.

Consumer Reports then tested the bacteria they found and discovered that 18 percent of conventional beef samples were contaminated with superbugs—dangerous bacteria that are resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. While testing out to contain half that amount, 9%, sustainably produced beef also contained superbugs.

A full 97% of the beef sold is obtained from conventionally raised cattle that are crowded into feedlots and left to stand in their own manure. They are fed corn and soy (both of which are usually GMO), candy, slaughtered parts of pigs and chickens and dried chicken manure and litter rather than the grasses and other plants they were meant to eat. They are also fed plastic pellets for roughage and routine antibiotics.

Although sustainable beef is clearly better and cleaner, all of the samples, even organic beef samples, were contaminated. Consumer Reports strongly recommends cooking hamburger to an internal temperature of 160 degrees – medium, rather than rare or medium rare. Rare hamburger, it seems, is much more likely to cause disease than other cuts of beef due to the fact that it is ground up and the bacteria is inside as well as outside. With other cuts of beef, the bacteria would only be found on the surface, where it is more likely to be killed by the heat source. If you’ve been eating conventionally grown meat, consider a GMO detox.

Further Reading:

• The Way We Used To Eat – The Real Paleo Diet
• Food For Naught: 5 Reasons To Kick Factory Farmed Meats Off Your Plate 
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Sources:

• How Safe Is Your Ground Beef? – Consumer Reports

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.  A whole egg contains all the nutrients required to turn a single cell into a baby chicken.  Pasture-raised eggs are one of the richest sources of bioactive nutrients that enhance hormone function, reduce inflammation, improve fat-burning, and enhance brain function.

Chickens are designed to naturally graze on grass, weeds, worms, and insects.  When they are able to do this, they bioaccumulate omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoid antioxidants and major minerals like magnesium.

It is a great idea to consume pasture-raised, organic eggs. Unless you have an immune sensitivity to them (lab test) or feel tired, have to clear your throat, feel inflamed, etc. than you want to have these as a staple item in your diet.

Eggs Are a Dense Source of Bioactive Compounds

Eggs provide nutrients that help to prevent human health degeneration. One study released in 2005 provided that eggs contain 18 vitamins and minerals, some of which are commonly deficient in the western diet.  Carrots seem to get all the credit for its carotenoid content, but this pigment also gives yolk its yellow/orange color.

Carotenoids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that play a role in the central nervous system and are responsible for eye and vision wellness. Carotenoids are required for vitamin A production, assist in neural retina function, and provide protective macular pigment (responsible for field of vision in the center of the eye). Lack of this key nutrient is linked to macular degeneration and cataract formation.  A study published by the Journal of Alzheimers Disease released in 2014 states that a link exists in carotenoid intake and cognitive function observed by Alzheimer’s patients.^1-4

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin are two types of carotenoids and are an essential dietary component because the body’s tissue does not synthesize these compounds on its own. Specifically, aside from being found in the yolk of eggs, lutein and zeaxanthin are naturally occurring in dark leafy greens.

Providing more reason to not limit egg consumption to egg whites, egg yolk is a source of lecithin, choline, and phosvitin. Lecithin provides cellular support and aids in the secretion of bile, which inhibits the buildup of stones in the bladder. Among metabolism promoting factors, choline is essential for brain development. The choline content alone in egg yolks is one reason why pregnant women supplement their diet with eggs. Phosvitin is a protein that chelates iron ions, or in other words behaves as an antioxidant in the removal of metals, and assists in detoxifying the body. Specifically, phosvitin aids in inhibiting excessive melanin synthesis in skin.^{3, 5}

The choline content alone in egg yolks is one reason why pregnant women supplement their diet with eggs. Phosvitin is a protein that chelates iron ions, or in other words behaves as an antioxidant in the removal of metals, and assists in detoxifying the body. Specifically, phosvitin aids in inhibiting excessive melanin synthesis in skin.^{3, 5}

Eggs Are a Nutritive Powerhouse

Eggs provide a valuable source of protein, especially for individuals with gout because it does not contain purine (3). One entire large egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and is a good source of protein for vegetarians.⁶

Mostly found in the yolk, biotin is a B-complex vitamin that contributes to metabolic pathways by serving as a transport mechanism for vitamins and minerals into eggs during development and makes eggs an excellent source of this nutrient. Also responsible for the vitamin and mineral transportation, riboflavin and iron are two other nutrients found in trace amounts in both egg whites and egg yolks.⁷

Sources:

1. Nolan JM, et al. Macular pigment, visual function, and macular disease among subjects with Alzheimer’s disease: an exploratory study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2014 Jul;42(4):1191-202. PMID: 2502431
2. Shapira N. Not All Eggs Are Created Equal: The Effect on Health Depends on the Composition. Canadian Journal of Cardiology. 2011 Mar-Apr;27(2):264. DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2010.11.01
3. Miranda JM, et al. Egg and Egg-Derived Foods: Effects on Human Health and Use as Functional Foods. Nutrients. 2015 Jan;7(1):706-729. DOI: 3390/nu7010706
4. A 2010 Report and Scorecard by The Cornucopia Institute: Scrambled Eggs: Separating Factory Farm Egg Production from Authentic Organic Agriculture  Link Here
5. Iishikawa S, et al. Egg Yolk Phosvitin Inhibits Hydroxyl Radical Formation from the Fenton Reaction. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 2004 May; 68(6): 1324-1331. DOI: 1271/bbb.68.1324
6.  Berkeley Wellness: The Sunny Side of Eggs
7. White HB, et al. Biotin-binding protein from chicken egg yolk. Assay and relationship to egg-white avidin. Biochem J. 1976 Aug;157(2):395-400. PMCID: 1163865