I have spent the last several months struggling with the idea of becoming a vegetarian. Since I have already moved somewhat in that direction, it would seem like an easy decision, but it is not. The more that I read about dairy, factory farming, and the morality surrounding our food choices, the more the idea of becoming a vegan has complicated the picture.
My first question is what role does milk and dairy products play in osteoporosis and cancer?
American women have among the highest consumption of dairy products, yet they also have the highest rate of osteoporosis and bone fractures. One of the leading theories focusing on this paradox is that milk increases the acidity of our tissues, and in order to neutralize this acid our bones leach calcium. Is "drink milk and build strong bones" a true statement, or is it misinformation based on very old science or perhaps an advertising lie perpetuated by the dairy industry?
Most milk and cheese produced in America is now obtained from CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), or factory farming. Here, the cows are injected with various genetically engineered hormones and are subjected to unnatural milking practices in an effort to maximize milk production. European countries and Canada have found that the link between American milk and hormone induced cancer is strong enough that they have banned American milk and cheese products obtained in this fashion. The evidence linking the proteins found in milk and cancer, especially prostate cancer, is less strong, and you can find arguments defending either side of the issue. I wonder, however, if switching to soy alternatives are better since the consumption of soy in large quantities has also been linked to hormone induced cancers.
Another question that I have is how much protein is enough, and is animal protein necessary?
I know healthy vegetarians and vegans who have raised their children from a very young age without any ill effects and are very happy with their lifestyle choices. I understand that Vit. B-12 is the only supplement that is strongly recommended by almost every expert. The vegetarian/vegan nutritionists unequivocally state that you can easily meet all of your nutritional needs by eating a healthy plant based diet that is full of flavor and variety. Vegan experts further state that on a vegan diet you can eat all that you want and with just a modest amount of exercise you will lose weight, while maintaining your nutritional health. Furthermore, vegetables are the most nutritionally dense foods, whereas animal based foods are all second hand. Just think about it, animals need to eat it first before they can pass it along to you, so why not cut out the middle man?
Over the past year, people have taken notice of my healthy eating habits, and the discussion of becoming a vegetarian would inevitably come up. My standard answer always included the qualifier that if I was to become a vegetarian it would for health reasons, and that I do not have a moral objections to eating meat. I'm not sure if my answer was ment to ensure that I wasn't passing judgement on others or that I needed to convince myself that the sacrifice of giving up the convenience and taste of meat, possibly forever, was necessary to ensure my own health.
Until I started studying about vegetarianism, I had no idea about modern day agriculture, and how our food arrived at our table. The cruelty, harm to the environment, and unhealthy quality of our meat, fish, and poultry has become unbelievable due to factory farming. The fresh turkey that I cooked and was so proud of on Thanksgiving may have been the single most unhealthy thing that my family ate all year. Environmentally, the little that we do to reduce our carbon footprint by driving more efficient cars and turning down the thermostat is so insignificant in comparison to the massive pollution and greenhouse gases released by modern day farming. It was Upton Sinclair's 1906 novel, The Jungle, that brought turn of the century slaughterhouse horrors to light, and now modern day factory farming can best be described as Frankenstein meets The Jungle. There are, however, a few non factory farms and farmers markets where one can purchase animal based products that were obtained in more humane ways and are healthier.
For me, the greatest obstacles to becoming vegetarian or vegan are all logistical. I know that if I go meat or animal/dairy free, I will have to fly solo, while my family continues on their omnivore ways. Even now, there are times that I try to impose my will, yet they prefer that I leave them alone. Lets just say for now, we're not on the same page. For myself, nothing is embedded in stone, and I can always adjust as I try new things. I believe that my greatest chance for success is to ease into the lifestyle by slowly adding vegetarian/vegan meat substitutes and slowly eliminating animal products. To go cold turkey (pardon the pun) seems like a quick fix but a long term recipe for failure.
This morning I was online looking for an unrelated book and was linked to Stand Bookstore, one of the worlds largest independent book retailers, home to 18 miles of books. After my search, I happened to check out their collection of vegetarian and vegan books. I was amazed that 3/4 of their dozens upon dozens of v/v cook books, and how to books, were out of stock. I guess at lot of folks are new vegetarians or getting ready to make the change. I really can't say where this journey will ultimately take me, but I do know that I don't make new years resolutions anymore and will probably change my direction multiple times as the seasons unfold.
Happy New Year,
Don T
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