Now is the Most Important Time to Go Plant Based

Now is the most important time to go plant based.

Three Top Reasons

-Health
-Animals
-Environment

Health

More every day, people are succumbing to illnesses, diseases and ailments that are costing inordinate amounts of money and could have been prevented. These are the very things that are literally crippling our healthcare system. The financial costs are out of control. The lack of care is shocking, and the minimal coverage of most healthcare plans is beyond ridiculous.

In the United States, those who are in the process of deciding which healthcare plan to choose for the coming year are likely more frustrated than ever with the choices (or lack of choices) they have.

The United States spends $3.5 trillion — or 18 percent of the national economy — on healthcare. On a per capita basis, our healthcare system is the most expensive among advanced nations.

Much of the cost is directly related to preventable diseases. The very diseases that many people on plant-based diets have reversed and gotten completely under control.

Diseases that are directly related to obesity caused by the foods people insist on consuming. Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, some cancers, stroke and osteoarthritis can all be linked to what’s on our plate, our weight and our activity level.

To pretend there is not a connection to what we eat, and our health, is to bury one’s head in the ground. The sooner people take responsibility for their health through their food choices, the sooner they are not at the mercy of a very broken healthcare system.

Can all diseases be prevented? No, but many can be prevented, or at least minimized. Would you rather give up your power to a system that is more concerned with profits than your health or would you rather do what you can to take responsibility for your own well-being and the well-being of your loved ones by what you consume?

Animals

The number of animals being slaughtered to satisfy the taste buds of men, women and children is shocking. More than 200 million animals are killed for food around the world every day – just on land. That comes out to 72 billion land animals killed for food around the world every year. Including wild caught and farmed fishes, the daily total is closer to 3 billion animals killed.

It’s Beyond Cruel… It’s Inhumane

The inhumane treatment of animals in factory farming cannot be denied. The meat, dairy, fish and poultry manufacturers would love for us to believe that land animals are raised in loving environments, roaming freely on green pastures. They also want us to believe that fish are swimming joyfully in clean water, but the reality is shockingly different.

Cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys are bred specifically for the purpose of human consumption and raised in cramped, dirty, disease ridden environments. They are pumped full of antibiotics, left to sleep in their own feces, all to satisfy our desire for animal and dairy based products on our plates.

Personally, I don’t want to contribute these cruel practices. Nor am I willing to stay quiet about what is going on. The more I learn, the deeper I dig, the more committed I am to do what I can to raise awareness.

It may seem like one person cannot do much but imagine what can happen if the number of people who don’t eat animal based produced increased by the day. We could literally begin to reverse these devastating numbers.

And when you look at the direct correlation between healthcare costs and animal consumption, the reality is even more shocking.

It’s amazing how many people will quote great philosophers when it’s convenient to do so, but make no changes other than in the quotes they post on social media. Unless one makes dramatic changes, they are simply playing lip service to what these men and women have brought into our consciousness.

On the site, https://animalclock.org/, there is outstanding information about the reality of animal death stats. There are also some of the most common questions listed. For example, the one about awareness animals have about their own death.

Do animals fear their death?

Yes. Many of the animals we eat are highly intelligent creatures capable of feeling fear and empathy.

Numerous scientific studies demonstrate that the animals we eat fear for their own well-being. Animals including fish, rats, and mice defend and even mourn the loss of their family and friends.

Until recently, most people were unaware that pigs are as smart as dogs. Pigs use tools, understand symbolic language and mirrors, can be house trained, wag their tails when happy, control their environment, and are empathetic. Even less intelligent animals like chickens, rats and mice demonstrate empathy.

Environment

Another direct correlation to what we have on our plate and a direct result is the environment. There are plenty of people who will argue that what we are seeing happening with massive fires, floods, heat waves, colder than usual winters, and incredible destruction to the environment is not unusual, but the fact remains, we are on a near reversible road to collapse.

The most important greenhouse gases from animal agriculture are methane and nitrous oxide. Methane, mainly produced by enteric fermentation and manure storage, is a gas which influences global warming 28 times higher than carbon dioxide.

“According to Global GHG emissions from the livestock sector increased by 51% between 1961 and 2010, spurred by a 54 percent increase in methane and nitrous oxide emissions from livestock manure.

Moreover, approximately one gigaton of carbon dioxide equivalent worth of animal-based foods is wasted globally every year.” https://climatenexus.org/climate-issues/food/animal-agricultures-impact-...

These gases have a direct impact on our environment and our health.

Breathe Deep… If You Can!

Does it seem like more and more people are being afflicted with respiratory problems? It’s not your imagination. People of all ages are experiencing an increase in respiratory issues, adding to the increase in healthcare costs.

Amazingly, there’s a direct correlation between the increase of various respiratory problems and the consumption of animal products specifically due to the methane and nitrous oxide emissions from livestock manure.

“Changes in climate constitute a reality that, according to recent projections, is going to worsen in the coming years. Climate change represents a massive threat to respiratory health: 1) by directly promoting or aggravating respiratory diseases; or 2) by increasing exposure to risk factors for respiratory diseases. Climate change increases the amount of pollen and allergen produced by each plant, mold proliferation and the concentrations of outdoor ozone and particulate matter at ground level. The main diseases of concern are asthma, rhinosinusitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory tract infections. Groups at higher risk of climate change effects include individuals with pre-existing cardiopulmonary diseases or disadvantaged individuals. Adaptation and
mitigation measures are strongly needed.” https://err.ersjournals.com/content/23/132/161

Conclusion

The more you know, the less likely you are to have any desire to consume animal and dairy products.

“I don’t want to know,” is often the answer one will give when they are made aware of what is really happening.