Vegetarianism is the diet of the future. This is as true as the fact that meat-eating belongs to the past. Henry Salt (English writer, scientist, humanist, reformer, philosopher of animal rights)
More and more people in the world are beginning to think about their health, about a healthy and harmonious lifestyle, about what is healthy and what is harmful in their diet. And, as a result, they turn to vegetarianism, which sometimes frightens and disorients their immediate circle - adherents of “traditional” nutrition. Is vegetarianism healthy?
What are the risks of a vegetarian diet? Why is vegetarianism beneficial? What about health? - these are the questions that begin to swirl in the heads of those who do not understand the motives and reasons for changing their usual diet to a vegetarian one. Let's take a detailed look at all the pros and cons of vegetarianism for a person and his life.
Is vegetarianism good for your health? Why meat is not a species food
One day I came across an interesting statement by the outstanding Irish playwright Bernard Shaw. Once the seventy-year-old Shaw was asked about his health, he replied: “Great, great, but the doctors are bothering me, claiming that I will die because I don’t eat meat.” When ninety-year-old Shaw was asked the same question, he replied: “Great. Nobody bothers me anymore. All the doctors who tormented me, claiming that I could not live without meat, have already died.” Gives me some thought, doesn't it? After this, I want to understand the issue of vegetarianism deeper!
So, let's start in order. Let's look at how the human body works. A long time ago, Charles Darwin proved that man, by the structure of his body, is not a predator. Within school education, of course, attention is not focused on this in any way. Later, this same thesis was confirmed more than once by other scientists.
vegetarianism, healthy eating
Differences between herbivores/frugivores and carnivores:
- Oral cavity. In predators, the mobility of the jaw allows movement only in one direction - closing and opening; the teeth are spaced widely so that large, stringy pieces of food do not get stuck between them; the structure of the jaw apparatus is designed to tear meat from bones and tear flesh; saliva does not contain enzymes for breaking down food, otherwise there would be a risk of self-digestion; the jaw is designed for quickly swallowing food. In herbivores and frugivores, the jaw can move in different directions - closing and opening, back and forth, left and right, which ensures the process of chewing and high-quality grinding of food; the teeth are placed close to each other and have a flat shape, this also indicates that there is no need to tear the flesh; Saliva contains an enzyme for digesting food in the mouth.
- Stomach and small intestine. Predators have a large, capacious stomach - approximately 60-70% of the entire digestive system. It is necessary in order to place as much food as possible into it (after all, predators hunt on average once a week), and the digestion process begins later, during rest; the stomach of predators produces hydrochloric acid for the fastest digestion of food and the destruction of parasites and harmful bacteria, which are found in large quantities in the flesh of killed animals; the small intestine is short—about 3–6 times longer than the body of the corresponding individual. Herbivores have a small stomach - less than 30% of the entire digestive system; the digestion process begins in the oral cavity and continues in the stomach and small intestine; the small intestine is long - approximately 10-12 times longer than the body, which ensures the absorption of nutrients along its entire length; For high-quality digestion and assimilation of food, the body of herbivores produces special enzymes that help break down food and extract nutrients from it.
- Colon. In predators, the large intestine is smooth and primarily performs the function of absorbing water and salt, as well as removing food debris from the body. While in herbivores it is more complex, has a corrugated structure, water and electrolytes are absorbed through it, it produces and absorbs vitamins and/or ferments fibrous plant foods. From this it is clear that the human digestive tract is adapted to plant foods.
There is an expression: “A gasoline engine will run even on kerosene, but its service life will be significantly reduced.” But what happens to our body if we eat food that is not suitable for us?
vegetarianism, healthy eating
Since the human digestive system is not adapted to digest meat, when it enters the human body and goes through all stages of digestion, meat food very quickly turns into poison. Meat, due to its properties, is not able to maintain its freshness for a long time; it begins to quickly decompose and rot immediately after slaughter, and then in the human body. During the process of decay, substances are released that are not just harmful to the body, but even life-threatening: ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, cadaveric poisons and other dangerous compounds. When meat is digested, a huge amount of uric acid is released, which can cause significant harm to the human body (especially joints!), as it is toxic.
Along with the meat of animals, you also eat the parasites that were in them, and they continue their wonderful life in your body, poisoning your life. And if you also pay attention to the modern meat industry, you will see that cows do not walk freely through the fields and do not eat juicy green grass, but specially prepared food, they are pierced and fed with antibiotics, hormones and other medications so that they get sick less often and grew better. Medicines are removed from the body over years and decades, but animals don’t live that long... I’m already silent about the fact that completely healthy meat is not used for sausage! Only those animals that were very sick are used for semi-finished products, sausages and frankfurters, and their meat in lump form will look unpresentable.
All this variety of “benefits”, entering the human body, begins to be absorbed and sooner or later affects health. Constipation, headaches, gastritis and ulcers, diabetes, senile dementia, kidney stones, problems with the heart, blood vessels, memory appear, and in the worst case, cancer may appear. Scientists have proven that diets high in fat and meat and low in dietary fiber and fiber lead to colon cancer and breast cancer. All these diseases are associated with poor nutrition and are sometimes also called “diseases of excess.”
A vegetarian diet allows you not only to avoid the above problems, but also helps in healing existing ones.
The benefits of vegetarianism for the heart and blood vessels. An adequate vegetarian diet helps maintain optimal levels of sugar and cholesterol in the blood, helps cleanse blood vessels, and adjusts the proper functioning of the lymphatic system without overload. That is why among vegetarians there are practically no people with heart disease, atherosclerosis and diabetes. But if these diseases are acquired due to long-term poor nutrition, then a vegetarian diet will help improve the functioning of the body!
vegetarianism, healthy eating
The benefits of vegetarianism for the liver.
A vegetarian diet helps cleanse the liver both inside and out. Often, with poor nutrition, a disease such as fatty liver appears, but vegetarians are not at risk.
The benefits of vegetarianism for the gastrointestinal tract.
The high fiber content in plant products normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, normalizes and stabilizes all metabolic processes. It is for this reason that vegetarians almost never experience constipation. Fiber also helps in cleansing the body of toxins, toxins and poisons; this greatly improves the body’s overall immunity and resistance to various seasonal diseases.
The benefits of vegetarianism for the kidneys.
People who follow a vegetarian diet are less susceptible to kidney disease. The earlier you switch to vegetarianism, the less likely you are to develop kidney stones.
The benefits of vegetarianism for the nervous system.
When an animal is killed, the so-called hormones of death, fear, pain and aggression are released into its blood. These hormones are not destroyed during heat treatment, like, for example, some helminths and their eggs, but are activated and turn on the program of self-destruction of the human body and psyche. It is no coincidence that scientists note the fact that people who eat meat are much more susceptible to stress and aggression than vegetarians.
The beauty benefits of vegetarianism.
The concepts of beauty and health are inextricably linked. You can put expensive creams and masks on yourself as much as you like, go to cosmetologists and hairdressers, but until you “fix” your body, the effect of cosmetic procedures will be short-lived and will not solve the real cause of brittle hair or rashes on the face. Vegetarianism allows you to improve the functioning of all body systems so that appearance problems will no longer bother you over time. The body will become slimmer, lighter and more flexible.
vegetarianism, proper nutrition
Switching to a vegetarian diet allows you to feel better, more alert and energetic. Even scientific research confirms that vegetarians have twice the stamina compared to meat eaters. It should also be noted that plant foods contain a large amount of collagen, which slows down the aging process and allows the body to stay young longer.
It is not surprising now that vegetarians can boast of healthier lives and longer lives.
Why vegetarianism is good for the mind
Some people claim that a vegetarian diet negatively affects brain function and attention. But let's look at the names of the great vegetarians, whose achievements are known throughout the world: Buddha Shakyamuni, Mahatma Gandhi, Pythagoras, Confucius, Socrates, Hippocrates, Plutarch, Sergius of Radonezh, Leonardo da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, Isaac Newton, Voltaire, Bernard Shaw, Benjamin Franklin , Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Seraphim Sarovsky, Schopenhauer, Charles Darwin, Nikolai Fedorov, Nikolai Leskov, Mark Twain, Vincent Van Gogh, Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford, Vasily Shulgin, Albert Einstein, Sergei Yesenin... And this is not a complete list of vegetarians of the past . It can be continued for a long time, supplementing the ranks of brilliant Russian and foreign vegetarians with people who adhere to this diet in our time.
No one can argue that these people made a significant contribution to the development of science, philosophy, art, culture and politics. The most educated people with a high IQ level become vegetarians. Children who are vegetarians from birth or from early years of life master the school curriculum much faster and easier than their peers, get sick less often and are more active and resilient. Also, vegetarian children, as a rule, are not affected by the problems of obesity, excess weight and absent-mindedness syndrome.
Is vegetarianism good for energy?
Now let's look deeper into vegetarianism and consider its energy aspect. When there is killer food on your table, then along with it comes its energy load. First, on your table or in the refrigerator, and then in your body, the energy of murder, suffering, fear, horror, hopelessness, despair appears, that is, everything that an animal experiences before death. Let's face it: any living creature, even the most primitive, experiences pain and suffering if it is injured or finds itself in an unfavorable environment for life. This is what your steak or chop is primarily nourished with, and not at all with vitamins, proteins and microelements. By immersing himself in the entire listed list of emotions and sensations, a person himself begins to experience the same things, becomes cowardly, depressed, depression and suicidal states arise. Sometimes a person himself does not understand where this comes from, because there are no objective reasons for such conditions. But there are energy ones.
vegetarianism, healthy eating
As opposed to killer food, there is a vegetarian diet. This diet is the most beneficial in terms of energy received. Through vegetarian food we receive pure energy, not burdened by anyone else's suffering and pain. A vegetarian diet is recommended for people who have taken the path of yoga and self-improvement. This way of eating helps you achieve the most significant results in your practice because you will not be tied hand and foot.
Imagine that every day you wake up and hang yourself with a large number of heavy chains, you proudly carry this load, joyfully clinking the heavy metal, you think that carrying weights is good for your health, because it strengthens your muscles and willpower so much! But over time, you realize that your spine is curved, the vessels of your neck and shoulders are compressed, you are increasingly experiencing headaches, your internal organs are compressed and varicose veins have appeared... “But how can this be?! - you say. “After all, I lead a healthy lifestyle, I have wonderful chains, which I regularly lubricate with oil, and on holidays I wear special holiday chains!” And they perfectly constrain my movements, I struggle with their weight every day, because I can’t do without it! Otherwise I will be weak and infirm!” Now try to throw off these chains and feel incredible lightness and simplicity of movements!
It’s the same with the transition from a traditional diet to a vegetarian one. At first it may not be familiar, but in the end your body will thank you, you will have more energy, your mood will improve and an inner lightness will appear “like in childhood.”
What indicators should vegetarians monitor?
Anastasia Kolpakova advises first of all to pay attention to general well-being, body weight and muscle mass.
In addition, it will be useful to monitor blood parameters: hemoglobin, determination of the total iron-binding capacity of blood serum, vitamins B12 and D in blood serum.
Now you can also take a genetic test and determine whether a person can be a vegetarian at all, and whether a new type of diet will harm health. Kazakhstan already has laboratories engaged in such diagnostics.
Why vegetarianism is good for karma
Let me put it simply: karma is the law of cause and effect, that is, any action has a consequence or price. Karma accumulates throughout life (this and previous ones) and can be positive or negative. So, from the point of view of the law of karma, by committing immoral actions, such as killing or otherwise causing harm to living beings, we accumulate negative karma. The presence of negative karma is the cause of all misfortunes in our lives, both in the present incarnation and in future ones.
But this situation can be changed. When you switch to vegetarianism, you stop accumulating negative karma in this area of your life. And by helping other people switch to vegetarianism, there is an accumulation of positive karma, which will determine beneficial events in your life.
vegetarianism, healthy eating
I would also like to add that we do not have the right to take the lives of living beings, since we are not the creators of these lives. Think about it.
Is vegetarianism good for the planet and its inhabitants?
There are a number of problems associated with livestock farming and the meat industry that have a negative impact on the environment. This is environmental pollution, and the fact that animals trample fields and land, the soil becomes infertile and lifeless... Raising animals for food contributes to massive deforestation, air and water pollution, and excessive consumption of resources such as water and oil. So, to reproduce half a kilogram of meat, 9000 liters of water are needed, and to produce 0.5 kg of flour, only 680 liters of water are needed.
It should also be noted that during the production and processing of animal feed, as well as during the digestion process of livestock and during the decomposition of manure, during the processing and transportation of animal products, so-called greenhouse gases are produced, consisting mainly of methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide . This gas is released into the atmosphere and creates a greenhouse effect, which leads to disturbances in the atmosphere and global warming.
According to scientists, a kilogram of beef produces carbon dioxide equal to the emission of exhaust gases into the atmosphere from a car every 250 kilometers and consumes an amount of energy equal to the consumption of a 100-watt lamp for almost 20 days.
Factory farms produce billions of kilograms of manure every day. Some of it is used to fertilize fields and crops, but much more of this waste is poured into rivers and lakes, along with the poisons and bacteria they contain.
The more people around the world adhere to vegetarianism and veganism, the less the planet's resources will be spent on maintaining and feeding animal farms. Clearing numerous fields and cultivating “proper” agriculture will help solve the problem of hunger that people experience in different countries of the world. After all, if cultivated plants, cereals, etc. are planted in the fields that are now being trampled by animals, then they can feed a much larger number of people than if they ate the meat of animals whose farms are located on these lands.
Why vegetarianism is good for society
If you have become a vegetarian, but other people are not, even if they do not accept your “strange hobby” for your health, even if they do not understand the physical and energetic aspects of the issue, do not despair! There are a sea of such misunderstood and/or unaccepted people in the world, but this does not prevent them from being true to themselves and their beliefs. Remember that there are vegetarians, and their number is only growing every day, and who knows, maybe in a year the friends around you will also want to reconsider their diet.
And if we consider the energy aspect, then we can confidently say that with an increase in the number of conscious people who adhere to a vegetarian type of diet, and therefore, observing the principle of non-violence (ahimsa) in relation to other living beings, the state of the general energy background also improves, which entails growth awareness of other people. We are all energetically connected. From the point of view of karmic connections, each person has individual karma, the karmas of a group of people, uniting, form the path that this group will take in the future, the karmas of groups unite into the general karma of society, which determines how this society will develop. Therefore, it is so important that there are as many conscious people as possible in our society, so that the path of society is aimed at further harmonious development, and not at degradation. Therefore, remember: “Change yourself, the world around you will change!”
OM
How are vegans different from vegetarians?
Veganism and vegetarianism are not the same thing, although some people think so.
In fact, veganism is one of the movements of vegetarianism, and implies a more strict lifestyle. If vegetarians only oppose the killing of animals, but at the same time consume dairy products, eggs, bee products, and visit zoos, then vegans do not do all this. Read more about vegetarianism in the topic “What is harmful about vegetarianism - a diet that slowly kills: 10 arguments in favor of meat.”
What's the result?
There are studies whose results show that giving up meat reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, as well as the risk of developing other cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, and increases life expectancy.
It should be understood that in poor countries where people are forced not to eat meat, such a relationship is not observed. After all, the diet there is unbalanced, with a deficiency of many vitamins and minerals. In addition, vegetarians in developed countries, in addition to a balanced diet, are usually also physically active and receive high-quality medical care.
But there is nothing bad or unacceptable for health in vegetarianism. The main thing is to monitor your diet and your well-being. But this can be difficult in northern regions with long and cold winters, when vegetables and fruits are expensive and their vitamin and mineral content is reduced.
Reasons why you should give up animal foods
There are two big factors that influence people's decision to become plant-based.
- The first group includes the desire for a healthy lifestyle and correct type, because many argue that renouncing meat products improves a person’s health.
- The second factor is the desire of man to rid the world of violence and exploitation of animals around the world.
It is the protection of animals that becomes the main reason why vegetarians refuse eggs, honey, and milk . This reason is more complex and, one might say, noble. If we compare a vegan and a vegetarian, the former most often choose their diet based on principles, they want to help our smaller brothers, but the latter, according to statistics, more often think about their own health and well-being.
However, both vegetarians and vegans do not want to eat food of animal origin. There are often vapers among vegans and vegetarians; they also worry about their health and say that vapor is safer than tobacco smoke.
Reviews from women
Anastasia Serebryakova, 21 years old, Minsk
I became a vegetarian when I worked in a veterinary clinic. There was one girl who worked with me who was a vegetarian, she seemed so good to me. She loved animals, helped them in every possible way, but did not eat meat and was slim. Looking at her, I lit up. I read a lot of information and reviews about the dangers and benefits of vegetarianism for women. At first, I had a severe headache, I wanted to eat constantly, I satisfied my hunger with sweets, which is why I began to quickly gain weight. Fortunately, I pulled myself together in time, began to cook a lot, and buy the right cereals. Gradually everything returned to normal. I have been a vegetarian for a year now, during which time I have lost excess weight and began to feel much better.
Antonina Gracheva, 34 years old, Moscow
I became a vegetarian after my second pregnancy. Naturally, first I took into account the doctor’s opinion about the benefits and harms of vegetarianism. At first, I gave up meat only because my body did not digest it well. The child is bottle-fed, I included dairy products, cottage cheese, eggs and honey in the menu. I eat mainly cereals and vegetables. In principle, I do not regret my decision to become a vegetarian. I feel great, I am constantly undergoing examinations.
