Instead of reading The Lovely Bones this weekend as I planned, I decided to read the classic You Don't Need Meat. The movie was not very good in my opinion and a comment left here last week about how going veggie was bad for health gave me new direction. I knew the book by Peter Cox was jam packed with studies and scientific evidence that meatless diets are not unhealthy but I still hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. The meat industry and the media likened this guy to Hitler when his book was first published… that is how damaging it is to the meat industry.
Cox has been a vegetarian since he was 2 years old. He grew up thinking he was some sort of freak and his parents and doctors spoke of his imminent demise because he refused to eat meat. Except he didn't die and he was in fact very healthy and active. Later on he found out that he was simply a vegetarian, a term he is not keen on because it makes his diet sound alternative when in reality it is not. From the dawn of our existence their have been meatless folks. When asked to write a book about the subject he dove into the research and was pleasantly surprised that there were numerous studies going back to the 70s that compared vegetarians and meat eaters. And these weren't little anecdotal studies either. These were comparisons of LARGE groups of people, as in 25,000 plus done over time periods that spanned decades. The data showed conclusively that vegetarians were 50-60% less likely to die of heart disease or cancer than those who ate meat. The more meat that was consumed, the higher the risk. The book is full of graphs and charts that analyzes each part of these studies and breaks it down for us. And it has rebuttals to all the common straw man arguments.
After throughly slaying the concept that eating meat is required for good health he goes on to tell us why this information isn't common knowledge and he really demonizes the PR industry. It all boils down to money. No one gets very rich when everyone eats veggies and no one gets rich when everyone is healthy and fit. Most individuals would rather they eat whatever it is that gives them the most pleasure and hope that a magic bullet will be found in the form of a pill or a cure so they don't have to take responsibility for what they eat.
There are also numerous chapters on horrors found in meat packing plants and slaughterhouses and the diseases found in these animals that can be transferred to us. It goes through many atrocities committed by these companies and it names names.
It is a good book but the info I liked the best was the chapters that discussed various diseases and what the risks are for veggie eaters and meat eaters. I found the info on colon cancer interesting since that is what I had. Also it had a chapter that discusses all the common arguments against vegetarianism and veganism. I tried a meatless existence in my late teen years and my health suffered so I always assumed that this meant that vegetarianism and veganism were unhealthy. But when I started to eat raw last year I quickly saw what the real problem had been. I was a junk food vegetarian! I wasn't eating lots of veggies and greens.. I was eating iceberg lettuce salads, processed crap, sugary baked stuffed, white flour and rice, and saying it was healthy because it didn't have meat. I was a vegetarian without the veggies and duh.. it didn't work out so well. Other vegetarians and vegans put too much emphasis on not eating fat and they get themselves in trouble there cause we NEED dietary fat. Plus eating the majority of my food cooked is no good because cooking foods kills off half the vitamins. My raw experiences have really helped me to see that if you are unhealthy eating veggie… you are doing it wrong, period.
The only thing I didn't like about the book was the tendency to sometimes dip into extremes. Even I was rolling my eyes when one gal in the book was relating how mean her family is because they won't stop eating meat when she is around and how she won't even go to family events anymore because she knows "murdered animals" will be on the table. Maybe I haven't been meat free long enough but I am relatively certain I will always be able to get through Thanksgiving dinners without bawling and accusing my family and friends of being heartless meanies.
On the home front if you remember my post about getting my husband on board with vegetarianism it has been a smashing success. For 2 months now we have been totally meat free in this house and no one is complaining. My hubby even cooked tonight and made veggie burritos. They were so good I told him he must be the designated burrito maker from now on. He has also made scrumptious stuffed mushrooms and a killer mushroom soup. Now he just accepts that we eat veggie at home and that if he wants meat he has to cook it or get it when he eats out. He started out buying meat to cook himself but after he spent the better part of a day cooking expensive sausages only to have my son discover them and promptly throw them away, he stopped buying meat, LOL.
I think he likes the challenge of coming up with new ways to cook old favorites and finding new dishes that are just as good as meaty ones. His eyes roll back in his head when I make a vegetarian version of Chicken Scallopine. And the best part is that digestive issues are miraculously a thing of the past.
Soon I want to read The China Study. It was referred to several times in this book and is considered the "Grand Prix of epidemiology" since it is a study that examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. I just haven't been able to find it for $1 at my local thrift store like I did this book.
I think both books lay to bed the the myth that going veggie is somehow bad for you. The data, the science, the epidemiology… does not support it. I doubt I will ever be on board with telling other people they can't eat a modest amount of meat and be healthy. But I hope more people come to realize that meat is in no way, shape, or form something we NEED.
Not long after I blogged about vegetarianism I got several comments telling me how unhealthy it was and begging me to read a book about a vegan that was unhealthy. It was like meat spam, which is fairly better than the typical porn and drug spam. ;)
I’ll have to add this book to my wishlist at PaperBackSwap. Thanks!
Thanks for the book rec. I’ll have to put it on hold at the library, assuming they have it. I love having more ammunition to back up our family’s choice to be vegetarians.
Thank you for your awesome post. I have been a nearly vegan (I have two pet chickens whose eggs I eat without shame.) for 16 years. I have not regretted the choice for a moment. I feel health, vital, and in balance. Thank you for this affirming post. Peace. :)
Thankyou so much for this post! I too have read lots of info supporting the fact that it is healthier in many ways to live on a vegetarian diet. I have been quite discouraged lately however due to other’s comments (including a naturopath who was basically begging me to eat meat for no real reason that she could explain) – this post has come along at a great time! You’ve also inspired me to eat more raw foods and to do some further research down this route :)
That’s funny, I am in the process of reading the China Study right now! I’ve been veggie on and off (mostly off but now on again) over the past 2 years.
But this time, I feel so much better being veg, because I learned enough about nutrition to know that, for me personally, I have to eat a whole food (veg) diet in order to feel good and be truly healthy. I can really feel the difference! Reading the China Study is really amazing and life changing (and I’m only halfway through the book). People who think being vegetarian or vegan is unhealthy (though it can be if you rely on junk food) are definately missinformed. We can’t expect to be informed properly though the media. We have to do our own reaserch and live our own experiences.
That was great, so cool! I love reading your blog, your every post is so inspiring and just so lovely.
This is my first reply to your blog ever, so just wanted to say thank you to all the information and knowledge you share with us. I have learned a lot reading your entries.
I am a new vegan and have been trying to read a lot of food-related books. I just finished Eating Animals by Jonathan Foer. I really liked it. Even though he is a vegan himself, he points out that he also supports farmers who are doing animal husbandry as humanely as possible. I was also fascinated by the movie Food, Inc., which explores the source of our food in the United States.
Anyway, thank you again for what you do.
I LOVE that you point out that you were a junk food vegetarian. Every single veggie/vegan Ive come across screams at me when I tell them theyre unhealthy…but what they dont hear is that processed junk is whats bad, not actual veggies! I honestly think the ones Ive met just do it to feel superior, not for the health of it. They are lazy vegans ^_- whereas Im a grow-it-yourself type. And just fyi I realize many are nothing like those I mention, so dont get mad at me lol.
I just got a book called Food Rules by Michael Pollan, its a very easy read and most of it hits you like “oh durrr!” but its a great reminder! For example, one rule is to avoid food w/ ingredients a 3rd grader cant pronounce. ^_^
One last point I wanted to make (in your favor) is for people to look outside of the USA. Many people are too poor for meat, and they live just fine. Others live in too extreme an environment to raise or have meat delivered, and they are fine! And oddly enough some far northerners live off blubber, and again they are doing alright. We are an adaptable species! ^_- I think anything that exists in nature can be good, but most things from factories are not. Including what was once raised on the land (i.e factory farm meat). Thanks again for your thoughtful posts!
I’ve been veggie for 17 years and I feel healthiest when I’m ensuring all my oil and protein needs are being met, as well, obviously, my fruit and veggies. I read the China Study last year and it was so reinforcing. Not that I think I could ever eat meat again though. WHile I’m not an extreme meanie to others who do eat meat, I think it is an unnecessary and cruel food. Unless I was starving I wouldn’t eat it again. Enjoy the book.
I have been vegetarian for over a decade. All I have to say is AMEN and thank you for this post :)
Great blog, thanks for sharing! That picture looks so unappetizing to me!
I got into Green Smoothies, thank you. I read The Kind Diet, thanks again. I knew I couldnt go vegan before Christmas. So I had thought maybe in the New Year. The, my daughter (14) wanted to get healthy and quit the junk food. I gave her Alicia’s book. It really got her excited. So together, we are shopping, planning our menus and cooking for the first time. This book recommendation was perfect timing. I didnt want to go vegan. Those people are “weird”. Its so weird not to eat meat. LOL Its just WRONG to cause an animal’s suffering and death just to “enjoy” that big juicy steak. Yeah that was worth killing for. NOT!!! That point alone, has sold me. The meals we’ve been having are great! Everyone in the family is amazed at how good this stuff is. Not everyone is ready to admit or accept we arent eating meat but they are eating the non-meat meals and thoroughly enjoying them. I shopped at 3 stores today, Kroger, Costco and Trader Joes. Came home with a van load of groceries and not one ounce of meat.
I’m obviously on fire about this topic. I’m only half way through this book. The author talks about how bad meat is for you. Then, the treatment of animals. Everyone has their own reason for being a meat killer, I mean meat eater, or vegan. I ordered Slaughterhouse book today. My kids need to see the cost of that hamburger. It costs alot more than 99 cents, no matter what the commercial says. We homeschool. Wonder if we can organize a field trip to a slaughterhouse. LOL We did go to a farm that raises meat in a humane, organic environment. We had to return a ham once because the meat was tinged with blood streaks. It was explained to me that happens when the animal gets stressed prior to slaughter. No wonder after reading this book. I think its alot easier to be vegan now. So many more products, info and recipes readily available. Plus, theres more acceptance.
Thanks so much for all your info.
When I first stopped eating meat in 1994, my friends and family thought I was going to die. I pointed out that some famous people had been vegetarians and had not died when they stopped eating meat. I also pointed out that my friend David who was a veggie was thriving. At first I ate a lot beans and rice and pizza. Later I learned about raw vegan food. Probably, though, the most important thing I experienced out of it was compassion for animals. I still remember looking at the first cows I met after becoming a vegetarian and feeling happy for them and me that I wasn’t going to eat them. What a surprise!! The most powerful thing I’ve ever done to improve my consciousness by far!!
I think it depends on the individual and what their body needs. I was raised vegetarian, but now follow more of a Weston A Price-type diet. There are times when I need very little meat and follow a more raw diet. My 3-year-old daughter does not eat meat, and consumes very little dairy. I know that she can and will grow up healthy without meat, and I want her to follow her instincts when it comes to what her body needs. We are blessed to have a pediatrician who promotes a vegetarian diet, so we haven’t really heard any grief from anyone – although it’s not something we tend to discuss with people.