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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