Why Be Vegetarian?

WHY BE VEGETARIAN?

 

Cholesterol (which is only found in animal products) and high levels of saturated fats have been linked with heart disease. Removing animal products from your diet, or reducing your consumption of them, can considerably reduce your chances of developing heart-related problems. Reducing your consumption of animal products can also help reduce the probability of developing certain forms of cancer. For instance, studies have shown that vegetarians have up to 40% less chance of developing bowel cancer. With heart disease and cancer being the leading causes of death in western countries, the importance of reducing our consumption of meat and animal products cannot be underestimated.

Vegetarian diets contain higher amounts of fibre and antioxidants, and vegetarians also have lower rates of obesity, constipation and diabetes. It is also interesting to note that rates of osteoporosis are much lower in countries that consume little or no dairy products. This is obviously contrary to what the dairy industry would like you to believe!

It’s good for the animals…

"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, the whole world would be vegetarian" - Linda McCartney

Very few people could watch animals go through the slaughter process at an abattoir, watch the carcass be skinned, gutted and carved up, then sit down straight away and enjoy a steak. Most of us have an innate sense of compassion and concern about suffering, it is often just that what is out of sight is out of mind. So we challenge you to visit an abattoir, a local intensive piggery or chicken farm, or see some of the cruelty involved in modern livestock production by checking out a copy of our FREE 'Meet Your Meat' CD ( SPECIAL OFFER:   FREE 'MEET YOUR MEAT' CD "If slaughterhouses had glass walls the whole world would be vegetarian" - Linda McCartney

Very few people could watch animals go through the slaughter process at an abattoir, watch the carcass be skinned, gutted and carved up, then sit down straight away and enjoy a steak.  Most of us have an innate sense of compassion and concern about suffering, it is often just that what is out of sight is out of mind.  So we challenge you to visit an abattoir, a local intensive piggery or chicken farm, or see some of the cruelty involved in modern livestock production by checking out a copy of our FREE "Meet Your Meat" CD.   Then you will be able to make an informed decision!

The Meat Your Meat CD contains a 318 MB .AVI video file that was originally put out by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as a VHS video tape.  The file can be viewed on your PC using Windows Media Player*.

Meet Your Meat contains footage of chickens (broiler and battery), turkeys, pigs, cattle, dairy cows and veal calves and highlights the cruelty and suffering involved in the production of meat and other animal products for human consumption.   The video also contains some abattoir footage.

If you'd like a copy of this CD FREE OF CHARGE, email us at info@vnv.org.au with your name and address details and we will post it to you.  Be warned that the footage is very graphic.

Unfortunately this offer is only available to people living in Australia.  If you live in another country, you may be able to obtain the CD or video directly from PETA.

It’s good for the environment…

Throughout the world vast areas of natural habitats have, and are, being destroyed to create grazing land for livestock.   There are also issues of erosion, effluent disposal, methane production and wildlife extinction (due to habitat destruction) associated with livestock production.  And when only 7-10% of the food energy of grains and other food fed to intensively farmed animals is converted to the food energy available from meat, issues of wastage in an increasingly over-crowded world are also of concern.

 Three Simple Steps to Go Vegetarian…

The switch to a vegetarian diet is easier than you might think:

Think of some dishes that you enjoy now.  With a little know-how, many of these could be easily adapted to being vegetarian. The meat in many dishes can be replaced with meat substitutes without compromising on flavour.  Replacing meat in a few meals each week can contribute to reducing your overall consumption.  For example, the mince meat in spaghetti bolognese can be replaced with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) or Sanitarium Casserole Mince; sliced meat in a salad roll can be replaced with Longa-Life Vege Henchen or Vege Smoke; meat in casseroles can be substituted with chunky TVP or Sanitarium Tender Pieces.  Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or you would like some suggestions for your favourite recipes.

Sample various dishes at vegetarian restaurants to get some ideas for new and tasty meals.

Borrow some vegetarian cookbooks from your local library (or VNV's library) or try some on-line recipes and experiment! 

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Source: http://www.vnv.org.au/index.html
Update: 01-12-01