Kennesaw Meatless Mondays

All semester we have discussed how our actions impact our environment and what we can do to limit this impact, or to make our impact more “green.” From smart green homes, to rain barrels, to smart cars, there are many different ways that we can improve our environment and lessen our ecological footprint. One of the biggest ways to do this is by reducing the amount of meat that we consume.

Food plays an important role in our lives, especially in college. Food affects people financially, nutritionally, and educationally. The dining halls at Virginia State University are a major source of meals and food for students. Needless to say, it is important that those students can eat at these dining halls. The problem with this is that the cost of campus dining is way too expensive for the limited options we have.

For ages people thought meat was a necessity for humans to stay healthy, This was actually scientifically disproved long ago. Over the past decades very many epidemiological studies have been conducted demonstrating that eating meat is correlated with many diseases.

The author suggests that in order to eliminate this big problem we should all start consuming vegetarian foods and eliminate foods that contain meat. But how is this even possible to achieve? We all need meat and protein in our bodies in order to survive and stay healthy. Although consuming meat has negative effects it also has positive effects that are necessary for our bodies. Meat is healthy and the saturated fat in meat helps reduce blood cholesterol. Many doctors recommend consuming

. . 30 to 40 percent of all cancers are caused by diet”(Davis and Melina 32). The consumption of meat has also been liked to Osteoporosis; “When you eat meat, your blood becomes acidic . . .In order to balance all the acidity, your bones come to the rescue by releasing some of their minerals”(Silverstone 17). “Diets”, in America revolve heavily around meat and dairy products; no wonder cancer is the second leading cause of death.

Research shows that in countries where people eat a pound or more of fruit and vegetables a day , the rate of cancer is half what it is in the United States. Pollan argues that vegetarians are less susceptible to most of the western diseases, and as a consequence live longer than the rest of us(164). Apparently, we can’t live without plants, but we don’t need to eat meat in order to obtain the nutrients we need for growth because they can be found elsewhere (Pollan 165). Since plants are less energy dense than other foods, by eating a plant-based diet one will likely consume fewer calories which is itself protective against many chronic disease (Pollan 165).I agree with Pollan that a plant-based diet can help reduce the risk of obesity, Diabetes, and Heart Disease.

Thesis statement: There should be meat free alternatives and more awareness of the benefits of choosing a vegetarian lifestyle as eating less meat is better for an individual’s health and the environmental.

Cancer has been declining over the years in the United States. Even so, it remains the number 2 ranked cause of death, according to the Center for Disease Control. Certain diets have long been associated with cancer. Actually many links have been made in association with some cancers and a person's diet. A vegetarian diet is quite possibly in lowest risk group when it comes to cancer. Whether you are looking out for your future and you have never had cancer or you are recovering from cancer, a vegetarian diet may be a wise choice for you.

Some individuals may have chosen to be Vegetarian for health purposes, or out of respect for animals. The health benefits of not eating meat may reduce the risk of a Heart Attack, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. Meat contains saturated fat. Consuming excessive amounts of meat may cause clogged arteries. Clogged arteries force your heart to beat faster, in order to pump blood through the arteries, resulting in high blood pressure. Compounds broken down in meat produce fatty build up causing clogged arteries, and in some cases resulting in a heart attack. Preservatives, such as nitrate, are used to prevent bacteria in processed meat, and are known to cause cancer. Red meat is high in iron and may diminish insulin’s effectiveness of converting sugar into energy causing diabetes.

Did you know the average American eats 209 pounds of meat per year. Americans need to drastically cut down on the amount of meat we eat because the animal agriculture industry is not sustainable, livestock have created more than 500 nitrogen flooded dead zones around the world in our oceans, and it's responsible for up to 80% of destruction done to the Amazon rain forest.

t’s such a simple concept. It doesn’t make you feel bad about eating meat, because yes – you can eat meat when you’re a weekday vegetarian. So there’s no ‘I feel guilty now’ moment if you have a burger on Saturday. And in some way it eases your transformation into a full vegetarian (if you choose so). Your routine changes as you replace most meals with veg- or fruit-based options, which are now the new norm in your

Diets that focus on animal products, like meat, dairy, and eggs, require disproportionate high amounts of resources like water and land. Additionally, animals produce huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions that are responsible for climate change. Such diets are not great for the environment that surrounds us, but more and more studies also link them to chronic diseases and early deaths. If the way we eat is bad for us and for the environment, we should inform ourselves about the potential impact of changing our diets.

Numerous studies have shown meat-free diets have a plethora of health benefits such as helping reduce risk of heart disease and cancer and controlling diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of deaths in the United States, one which could be prevented with a low cholesterol diet such as vegetarianism or veganism. The website for American Heart Association says that in order to reduce risk of heart disease people should, “Use up as many calories as you take in.” Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin, two reporters for the University of Chicago News Office, conducted a study in an article titled "A Vegetarian Diet Is More Energy Efficient Than a Meat Diet"that showed that the vegetarian diet is the most energy efficient

Having a healthy dietary method can reduce the chances of receiving many health diseases. These health diseases include obesity, heart disease, and cancer. By consuming certain foods and nutrients in one’s diet the risk factors for these health diseases can be reduced. A healthy dietary method that is beneficial to reducing and/or improving these health diseases is the vegetarian diet. The vegetarian diet follows a dietary pattern that is characterized by the consumption of plant-like foods and the avoidance of flesh foods (meat, poultry, and fish). The foods in this diet provide the body with many essential nutrients. This is why many health benefits have been associated with the vegetarian

To many, Northeastern’s dining halls rank fairly well in comparison with other schools. Although there have been many complaints that the menu is rarely changed, Northeastern does tend to offer a varied selection of food. In a recent survey, students were asked to rate Northeastern’s dining halls on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best. About 36 percent surveyed ranked the food a “3” and about 57 percent ranked it a “4.” In general, Northeastern students think decent things about the dining halls. Some of the complaints however, included that there are a lot of fried and fattening foods, repetitive menus, and that vegetarian food is not always readily available; you sometimes have to wait for it to be cooked for you (e.g., veggie burgers).