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Analysis of “Eating Green,” By Margaret Lundberg In the article, “Eating Green,” by Margaret Lundberg, the author states that she believes a vegetarian diet would benefit the health of our bodies as well as the health of our planet. In her thesis, she says, “I believe that our personal and global health is tightly interconnected, and what benefits one will benefit the other” (570). Lundberg’s point in this article is to share her beliefs as to why Americans should become vegetarian. She also explains how pollution, global warming, agriculture and our love for meat is killing our bodies and our future. Lundberg did not provide enough persuasive evidence as to how us becoming vegetarians or vegans would help our planet, she just gives her view …show more content…
Lundberg’s mother and her healthy ways had influenced Lundberg to start eating green. Her mother believed in having two vegetables with every meal and exercising daily. This healthy ritual led Lundberg to do the same for her family by preparing meals from scratch, because she knew that having good health did not just happen on its own (570). As an adult she took this ritual of health further by becoming vegetarian and later a vegan, saying “I look and feel better at fifty two then I did five years ago. For my health and well-being, becoming a vegetarian was the best thing I could have done.” (571) She ties her personal experience with what she expects everyone else to experience by making the same decision of not eating …show more content…
She talks about Americans having a love affair with burgers and fries and how it has its evil side, killing everyone individually with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and many other illnesses that are caused by our unhealthy way of eating. Lundberg continued to state that eating meat is also having a negative effect on our planet, causing forced agricultural practices to feed our intense cravings for meat, causing pollution, global warming and a threatening dependence of fossil fuels (571). This is partially untrue. “Mortality in Vegetarians and Nonvegetarians: Detailed Findings From a Collaborative Analysis of 5 Prospective Studies,” an article of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, states “in comparison with regular meat eaters, mortality from ischemic heart disease was 20% lower in occasional meat eaters, 34% lower in people who ate fish but not meat, 34% lower in lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and 26% lower in vegans”. It also stated that there was “no significant differences between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in mortality from cerebrovascular disease, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, or all other causes combined.” (Am J Clin Nutr) Science disproves her theory that eating meat will kill you and being vegetarian will save you. She states that the production of livestock in our country is affecting the health both of our
The argumentative article “More Pros than Cons in a Meat-Free Life” authored by Marjorie Lee Garretson was published in the student newspaper of the University of Mississippi in April 2010. In Garretson’s article, she said that a vegetarian lifestyle is the healthy life choice and how many people don’t know how the environment is affected by their eating habits. She argues how the animal factory farms mistreat the animals in an inhumane way in order to be sources of food. Although, she did not really achieve the aim she wants it for this article, she did not do a good job in trying to convince most of the readers to become vegetarian because of her writing style and the lack of information of vegetarian
.... People do not have to become vegetarians, but people should consider other meat and food as alternatives. Ultimately, if a majority of people chose organic farms and foods it would put a heavy hit on the meat production business. People will be eating healthier, and they will be doing their healthy part in the ecosystem and that will help to lower greenhouse gas emissions and greatly improve treatment of animals. The prices of organic food just need to come down dramatically for people to buy it. Methane from liquid manure, nitrous oxide from manmade fertilizers, carbon dioxide from machines are why people have put themselves and animals into a dilemma and made it into a never-ending continuous cycle.
“Food as thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating,” is an article written by Mary Maxfield in response or reaction to Michael Pollan’s “Escape from the Western Diet”. Michael Pollan tried to enlighten the readers about what they should eat or not in order to stay healthy by offering and proposing a simple theory: “the elimination of processed foods” (443).
I will first show the lack of validity and soundness to Howard’s claim that A) a vegan lifestyle is a healthier choice and B) his claim that one must switch to that lifestyle to enjoy these said benefits. To the claim made in A, Howard uses his own health problems he endured on his meat diet, and uses it as a constant variable comparing it to his now relative healthy lifestyle as a vegan. On first glance anyone who eats a calorie-laden, unbalanced diet and ends up weighing 300 pounds, as Lyman himself admitted, will have health problems regardless of his orientation to meat or vegetables. With this said his comparing analogy is inertly flawed and must be disregarded from the argument he presents. On march 8 before the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, Mary K Young, MS.,R.D,NCBA Director of Nutrition Research and Information, presented the benefits of eating meat. Using Data from the 1995 USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSI) she confirms that red meat enhances one overall diet quality. Young goes on to point out that red meat is the number one source for protein, B12, and zinc, number 2 source for B6 and third greatest source for iron, niacin and potassium. She also pointed out that red meat alone has the greatest concentrates of iron and zinc together. Also included cited in Young’s report was the research recently published in the Journal of the American...
Throughout “Shattering the Meat Myth”, Freston attempts to convince her audience that eating animal protein is detrimental to the health of humans. While most vegetarian diets (if followed with precision) are very healthy, practicing a diet that involves meat is not necessarily as deteriorating as she implies. Freston quotes Dr. William C. Roberts, editor of American Journal of Cardiology, pertaining to subject of saturated fats and cholesterol. He states, “When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us…” (Freston). This statement however is an example of oversimplification and an appeal to bathos, referencing the power of death. In reality, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the overall health of an individual and consuming animal products, in itself, has not been shown by scientific evidence to cause fatality. Kathy Freston also includes a quotation from Dr. Neal Barnard,
Corliss, Richard. “Should We All Be Vegetarians?” Time. Time Inc., 15 Jul. 2002. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
People are unaware of the harsh effects of meats. They contain toxic fats and hormones not intended for human consumption. Each year seven million people die from cancer internationally. However, a change into a healthier diet, such as veganism, can lengthen people's lifespans. Due to the low-fat, high-fiber diet, the vegan diet has a tendency to prevent cancer. Veganism has been proven to prevent certain cancers, studies show that veganism hinders the development of cancers such as breast, cervical, ovarian, and prostate cancer. Not only does veganism prevent diseases such as cancer, it also improves one's physical and mental health. The elimination of the animal products will cause one's Body Mass Index (BMI) level to change. Fattening food consumptions of meats can cause weight gain. Therefore, the elimination of these unhealthy proteins helps with weight loss. Along with a positive body image, not supporting the inhumane slaughtering of innocent animals could ease one's conscious. However, without meat, vegans aren't able to consume the right amount of nutrients that non- vegans get. For an example, vegans do not get cobalamin (B-12) naturally because it is only in animal by products. Vegans can always take vitamins to fix this problem. Also, they do not receive a lot of calcium, vitamin D, and iron, but just like they take supplements, or eat fortified foods, as a substitute for cobalamin, is the same way they are able to fix these other problems. Not only do they find a way to fix small problems with their diet, but also with the harmful effects for humans, and the environment people live
Rachel K. Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and professor of nutrition and Medicine at the University of Vermont says, “[Your risk of heart disease reduces] because of the fatty red meats and many processed meats that are high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol which increases risk of coronary heart disease.” Being vegetarian doesn’t just help women with heart disease, but it helps with so much more. For one it helps lower your blood pressure, in a research that was done on a group of people it was found that only vegetarians were found with the lowest blood pressure (Alexandra p.1). Secondly it helps lower the risk of death. A 2013 study showed that more than 70,000 people found that vegetarians had a twelve percent lower risk of death compared with non-vegetarians (Alexandra p.2) With the absence of the saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs arteries, vegetarians are at a lower risk for chronic disease overall. Thirdly, when being a vegetarian you are also in a better mood. “ A 2012 study randomly split participants into three diets: all-meat allowed, fish-only and vegetarian no-meat. The researchers found that after two weeks, the people on the vegetarian diet reported more mood improvements than those on the other two diets.”(Alexandra p.3). Being a vegetarian also gives you a less risk of being over weight, which we all know has been one of the biggest problems here in America. Too many people are overweight and are not doing
When we think of our national health we wonder why Americans end up obese, heart disease filled, and diabetic. Michael Pollan’s “ Escape from the Western Diet” suggest that everything we eat has been processed some food to the point where most of could not tell what went into what we ate. Pollan thinks that if America thought more about our “Western diets” of constantly modified foods and begin to shift away from it to a more home grown of mostly plant based diet it could create a more pleasing eating culture. He calls for us to “Eat food, Not too much, Mostly plants.” However, Mary Maxfield’s “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating”, argues differently she has the point of view that people simply eat in the wrong amounts. She recommends for others to “Trust yourself. Trust your body. Meet your needs.” The skewed perception of eating will cause you all kinds of health issues, while not eating at all and going skinny will mean that you will remain healthy rather than be anorexic. Then, as Maxfield points out, “We hear go out and Cram your face with Twinkies!”(Maxfield 446) when all that was said was eating as much as you need.
Walters, Kerry S, and Lisa Portmess. Ethical Vegetarianism: From Pythagoras to Peter Singer. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1999. Print.
The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are hard to ignore. Vegetarians have a lower chance of developing many diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Women who eat meat daily are more likely to develop breast cancer. According to an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, “consumption of well-done meats and, thus, exposures to heterocyclic amines (or other compounds) formed during high-temperature cooking may play an important role in the risk of breast cancer.” Men are also more than almost more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who do not include meat in their everyday diets. “Up to 80 percent of prostate cancer is attributed to dietary practices, and international comparisons show strong positive associations with meat consumption” (Alexander, 2010). Vegetarians have also shown to have lower blood pressure, better digestion, and more energy than humans with a meat based diet. The effects of a vegetarian life style ...
According to Bonnie Beezhold et.al found that vegans and vegetarians, “…report better mood than non-vegetarians, suggesting that even less animal food intake is associated with better mood” (293). Also, Beezhold et.al, “…have found that the risk of major chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes may be reduced by adopting a completely plant-based diet vs. an omnivore diet” (Beezhold et.al 289). Overall, the medical community has agreed that veganism is a healthy option to avoid disease, but their concerns are that vegans will be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals that the regular omnivores are not deficient in. If a vegan is deficit in a certain mineral or vitamin that person can take supplements to combat it. People can say that if I take supplements will that make me healthy even though I consume meat? No, because you are consuming meat and that can clog arteries and increase cholesterol. I think that veganism is probably one of the healthiest options available for everyone. I also think that it is the healthiest because you do not see people become fat off of eating vegetables and fruits. I also agree with Beezhold et.al findings which show that vegans have less stress and anxiety because of the food they ate. Beezhold et.al think this may be because omnivores consume meat and the food the animals were fed where “…higher in certain
Vegetarians tend to be healthier than those who consume meat. This is due to the prevalent unnatural chemicals used in the processing of meats, and eating these are unsuitable for the body. Meats already contain harmful amounts of cholesterol, and over-consumption of red meat can lead to early heart disease. Animals that are raised on farms for their meat are not treated well, and this mistreatment can lead to harm in the meat they are producing. Although one life choice cannot change one’s environmental
...ming I will be willing to contribute in any way that I can, and becoming a vegetarian will help the environment a great deal. Becoming a vegetarian can also lead to becoming a healthier person and living a healthy lifestyle. And lastly, the way animals are killed and treated in factory farms are unethical and they should not be treated the way they are just to create a meal for the next person.Consider that the animal you are eating was a vegetarian and the meat contains all the minerals and vitamins of the plant foods it ate when you eat it. Along with fats yourbody needs in substantial amounts to stay healthy.....more on the fats later. Meat is as close to a complete meal as you can get because of this.
In conclusion, vegetarianism benefits many part of our life. A healthier body, a better environment, and more fair treatment of animals are all requites of becoming vegetarians. It is hard to change eating habits, but it is not impossible. There are many kinds of food that vegetarians can choose today. The taste of the non-meat food is not all bad and some of them maybe much better than imagination. It is not wise to deny being a vegetarian before trying to be. With more and more people adopting the vegetarian diet, the world will be a better place in the future: animals will be treated better; global warming will be alleviated; fewer people will be starving, and ultimately, people will be healthier and be living longer. Therefore, people should start action before it is too late.