David's Blog

Lets look at why we eat: The cells in our body are constantly dividing, and they don’t do this magically. Just split a cell in half, it has to first double its DNA/RNA. Those amino acids are protein, so the protein you eat is being used by your cells to reproduce.

As humans we eat two different types of protein: animal, and plant. Animal protein is more efficient than Plant protein, that is it has more of the different types of protein your body needs to do its thing. Actually, the most efficient type of meat you can eat, is human meat, it contains all of the protein your body needs. (disgusting right) Plants, on the other hand, are much less efficient, from a scientific point of view, than animal protein. Anyone who does not eat meat should be aware of this.

As a vegetarian I get a good amount of animal protein (and B12) from eggs and sparse dairy products. but I don’t eat eggs every day, and it is not my main source of protein. If you eat only soy, which is the most common form of plant protein, you can get yourself into some trouble. The key is to vary your protein intake, use soy in moderation as it can easily overtake your diet. Most of my protein comes from plants, not just soy, but a good variety of beans, seeds, and nuts.

Vegetarianism is not a fad diet, its not something a quack invented to sell books. It takes deliberation and planning in what you eat. I take my heath seriously, and Ive been a vegitarian for years now. It is essencially a lifestyle, and I thoroughly enjoy it. I constantly joke that of all the things I ‘am’ Student, Veteran, Firefighter, Reservist… people most often introduce me as a Vegetarian. I guess its true what they say, you are what you eat.

There are a lot of health benefits to being a vegetarian including significantly lowered rates of cancer (prostate, and colon), high blood pressure, and drastic reductions in obesity. Although the statics may be off a little, people who eat little to no meat usually also have more healthy habits than omnivores (more exercise and a lower occurrence of smoking)

Anyway, for a little fun, check out the Meatless Monday website for an easy way to get onto the veggie bandwagon. Trust me those cows can wait until Tuesday to be slaughtered, and it will give you a good idea of how being a vegetarian can be fun, save a buck, and challenge you to think about what you eat. (its actually pretty exciting)

The New York Times covered a, story on E. Coli contamination in ground beef.
Im sure everyone has heard a caution about how volatile this product is, but this article seriously puts things into perspective.
Taken in stride, Im sure only a small portion of people who ate the contaminated shipment of beef were infected. Your still more at risk when you get into your car each morning. Still, coupled with the serious health problems Americans have, most of which can be traced back to terrible diets, I have to ask myself. Why does everyone eat this stuff?

Along with that article was this diagram: Anatomy of a Burger.
Humor me and take a peak at where your burger comes from:

• Omaha
• Texas
• Uruguay
• and a company that treats their beef with… ammonia!?

And a couple more points, from the article:

• “Cargill, whose $116.6 billion in revenues last year made it the country’s largest private company”
• “Greater Omaha Packing, where some 2,600 cattle are slaughtered daily and processed in a plant the size of four football fields.”
• “It warms the trimmings, removes the fat in a centrifuge and treats the remaining product with ammonia to kill E. Coli.”

I’m a vegetarian, not because I think cows shouldn’t die to feed people. I’m a vegetarian because this system is completely insane! Beef should be expensive, if you eat a dead animal, you should feel it (at least in your wallet) The current process of beef production in our country is ridiculous! It is so completely warped it has gone beyond anything most people can imagine. (2600 cattle a day?)

The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
-Mohandas Gandhi

Stumbling all night, and regrettably avoiding those spreadsheets for my class, I came across two links I’d like to share.

Link #1: 365black.com
I came across this link while following a thread from a marketing website that had posted an article on racially targeted advertisements and their development since the early 1970′s. And this is it, the culmination of targeted advertisement/ job offer bulletin.

On a personal level, I disagree with the existence of most burger joints, being a vegitarian. Eating at fast food restaurants is like shoveling the most vile food substitutes into your mouth. Horrible!

But that is an argument for another day. In my opinion the deliberate one sided, racist, targeting of this add campaign is like a slap across the face. Who in their right mind would dream something like this up? I cant imagine the flack any company would get if they posted an add site called 365white. (Yea I checked, and found 365white.net a dentists site)

I really wouldn’t be taken back if the site was selling anything other than what I consider to be poison.

Link #2:Over 101 Reasons not to be a vegan
Im not vegan, but none the less, I can sympathize with their plight.

Some of my Favorites from this Page are:
19. You might have to walk or drive a little further to visit a store or restaurant that has food you can eat.

36. Because my economy teacher said, “It is obvious that a plant-based diet is good for health and the environment, but the economy would suffer greatly and people would lose their jobs if everyone stopped eating meat.”

52. after getting to know you for your sparkling personality (not to mention stunning good looks) people act stunned and tricked when you finally get around to mentioning you’re a vegan. you desperately try to think of a good attention-grabbing remark to fill the awkward silence. it’s times like these when i wish i was gay.

60. People think that you must be anemic or have some other sickness if you’re vegan. You just can’t be getting proper nutrition! They keep pointing out, “You look kind of pale today” or “You look tired” or “Are you feeling okay? Are you really feeling okay?” (I had a college doctor who insisted that I had to eat meat and eggs to stay healthy.)

122. People in your church (or mosque, synagogue, temple, etc.) tell you that “God told us to eat meat.”