Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” - Albert Einstein
Protein
When I ditched animal products, when I was asked, “Where do you get your protein?", the truth is that back then, I was just as confused about nutrition as most everyone else. I didn’t know. The marketing by the meat, dairy, and egg industry is so successful that they have led the public to believe that not only are animals a source of the best protein, but that they need to consume as much protein as possible, which in fact is not true at all. How many of us even consider where the animals are getting their protein from? After all humans are eating herbivores. When we cut out the middleman and go straight to the source, we thrive. Plants have all the nutrients we need. We not only get all the protein we need from plants, but unlike animal ‘foods,’ they don’t promote the common diseases we see today which are linked to eating animal foods. According to the research done by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, to date, there isn’t a healthier way to eat than a whole food plant-based diet. It is the only diet known to halt and reverse heart disease. Unfortunately, the public is so misinformed and there are many misconceptions about eating a plant-based diet.
Calcium
Like protein, dairy has been marketed as the best source for calcium. This too is a myth. Not only is it completely unnatural for us to consume another species’ milk, but dairy is linked to a slew of chronic health issues from ear infections, allergies, acne, chronic health conditions, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers most particularly Breast and prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity and many autoimmune conditions. The purpose of cow’s milk is to feed her baby and to grow her calf from 86 pounds to between 1,600 for a female and 2,400 for a male. Cow’s milk or goat milk is not for feeding us but like all mammals made to feed their own babies. Calcium is an essential nutrient and is readily available from healthful sources such as leafy greens, broccoli, bok choy, butternut squash, avocado, almonds, Brazil nuts, beans, tomato, and tofu.
Soy
This little bean has been eaten by certain cultures for years and is recognized as a protein- dense food and nutritional powerhouse by respected dietitians and clinical nutritionists. has phytoestrogens, not estrogen which is not the same thing. Cow’s milk is naturally loaded with hormones after having given birth as well as all the other nasty stuff, to make them produce more milk, which has cholesterol, saturated fat, antibiotics, pesticides, and more. It’s far more risky to your health to consume dairy products which are filled with hormones. All mammals produce milk. after having given birth to their young. Milk not only has casein which is a known carcinogen but is naturally filled with hormones. “Tofu, soymilk, miso, tempeh, edamame—these and other soy products, including the soybeans themselves, are high in nutrients you tend to associate with other legumes, including fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, protein, and zinc. Soybeans naturally contain a class of phytoestrogens called isoflavones. People hear the word “estrogen” in the word “phytoestrogens” and assume that means soy has estrogen-like effects. Not necessarily. Estrogen has positive effects in some tissues and potentially negative effects in others. For example, high levels of estrogen can be good for the bones but can increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer. Ideally, you’d like what’s called a “selective estrogen receptor modulator” in your body that would have proestrogenic effects in some tissues and antiestrogenic effects in others. Well, that’s what soy phytoestrogens appear to be. Soy seems to lower breast cancer risk, an antiestrogenic effect, but can also help reduce menopausal hot-flash symptoms, a proestrogenic effect. So, you may be able to enjoy the best of both worlds.
What about women with breast cancer? Overall, researchers have found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who ate the most soy lived significantly longer and had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer recurrence than those who ate less. The quantity of phytoestrogens found in just a single cup of soymilk may reduce the risk of breast cancer returning by 25 percent. The improvement in survival for those eating more soy foods was found both in women whose tumors were responsive to estrogen (estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer) and those whose tumors were not (estrogen-receptor negative breast cancer). This also held true for both young women and older women. In one study, for example, 90 percent of breast cancer patients who ate the most soy phytoestrogens after diagnosis were still alive five years later, while half of those who ate little to no soy were dead.” Via @nutrition_facts_org
Fiber
Fiber is essential to our health and has a plethora of health benefits. It aids in our digestion Animal foods have no fiber. There isn’t a healthier way to eat than a whole food, low fat, plant-based diet which excludes all animal products, processed food, and oils. It is a diet based on whole plants, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds, and legumes. One of the most powerful steps you can take for your own health to avoid all the common diet-related diseases which include heart disease, Type II diabetes, certain cancers, obesity, and autoimmune conditions, is to choose to eat this way. There is substantial and solid scientific evidence that many chronic diet-related diseases can be reversed, reduced and prevented by choosing a plant-based diet. There are over 20,000 edible plants to choose from and with these plants, we can make delectable meals. Many innovative companies are turning plants into eggs, meat, fish, and dairy.