Why should we eat a Plant-Based Diet?
I got this idea from looking at Tal Ronnen’s book “The Conscious Cook”. Tal is the VEGAN chef that OPRAH had on her show last year. He was the one that put OPRAH on a vegan cleanse.
I absolutely LOVE his book! Most of the recipes aren’t “nutritarian”- but he has some really fun ways to prepare yummy Vegan meals. I can’t wait to try some of them!
At the beginning of his book – he asks the question…WHY VEGAN?
I took a few of his answers and added to them. He makes a great point:
“You don’t have to go all the way…even a step toward it- say, going meatless 3 days a week- lets you in on a lot of the benefits.”
HEALTH Because cutting out animal products means virtually eliminating the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease (the #1 killer in this country), and several types of cancer. Your energy shoots up and your weight is likely to drop.
We know that the protein found in milk (casein) promotes every stage of cancer in laboratory studies. (All known carcinogens are determined this same way).
ETHICS Because most of us question the morality of eating animals, and many people who feel it’s absolutely wrong, do it anyway out of habit. Eating with a clear conscience- feeling good about everything you put in your mouth- lightens up your life.
PLANET Because factory farming of animals consumes and pollutes insane quantities of water and demands so much feed that it threatens forests. And because greenhouse gases from animal emissions are destroying the atmosphere. More than half of all greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to our desire to eat chicken, pigs, and other farmed animals. See LINK) “Refusing meat is the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.” Al Gore
HELPING OTHERS Because the grain fed to livestock could feed at least twice as many hungry people in third-world countries. Weakening the livestock industry by buying less or no meat is a step toward using resources to save lives.
BECAUSE ALBERT EINSTEIN SAID SO: “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of live on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
Reasons why WHOLE FOOD MOMMIES think Vegetarian type diets are catching on:
1. Tal Ronnen’s vegan cookbook “The Conscious Cook” and Alicia Silverstone book “The Kind Diet” are on the New York Times bestseller list.
2. A movie like FOOD, INC. being featured on OPRAH. And Martha Stewart promotes the film along with a vegetarian Thanksgiving. (Check it out HERE and HERE)
3. Dr. Oz promoting VEGAN diets to people battling heart disease and obesity. (Check it out HERE and HERE)
4. Carl’s Junior has to put a sign in their window stating that the food (chicken) they serve may cause major issues. Check out NEWBIE mommie’s blog here.
5. T. Colin Campbell on Larry King Live this past year- Staunchly promoting a plant based diet.
6. Organizations like PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) financially backing many programs promoting HEALTH for our country through a VEGAN diet.
…and we plan to add many more! 
Source: WFM Blog 16