42214806742430

Naim Jones
ENG 101
Mr. Jones
2 December 20164000020000
Naim Jones
ENG 101
Mr. Jones
2 December 201614782803059430
You Are What You Eat4000020000
You Are What You Eat
Obesity, heart disease, cancer, parasite infestation, mad cow disease, and numerous diseases all stem from consuming meat. Americans face these diseases on a daily basis due to the availability of animal products such as meat. Americans are unaware of the risks of a carnivorous lifestyle, and the threat it has on general health and well-being. Many Americans are also blind to the fact that this lifestyle results in harmful changes on our environment. Due to the popularity of eating meat, animal farming has become its own monstrous industry that conserves and destroys ecosystems for the use of animal farming. The meat industry is also responsible for being one of the top contributors of producing greenhouse gasses. Being vegetarian comes with many advantages such as dieting, the difference in costs, and saving the lives of any animals.

Strangely enough, Americans ignorantly continue to ingest these animal products and assist the growth of the meat industry. Obesity is on the rise, and many look to the fast food industry to blame, because of its widespread availability to the public and heavy advertising. Each year the fast food industry spends billions of dollars on advertisements, so it is no surprise that various fast food restaurants are common household names. Not only is it heavily advertised but the cost of fast food is cheaper than healthy alternative options and seen as more convenient. The Americans that consume the most fast food are a part of the lower or middle working class. Many working class Americans consume fast food because they see it as saving time and money but the money Americans think they are saving is being spent on visits to the hospitals and various medications. Obesity is one of those reasons why Americans take such frequent visits to the hospitals and seek better dieting. However, not many are aware of the benefits of a vegetarian diet.

A vegetarian diet is a solution to Americans prolonging life and preventing a long list of diseases. The vegetarian lifestyle can strengthen the immune system, reduce levels of stress, and significantly lower the risk of running into America’s number one killer; heart disease. A well balanced diet consists of, fruits, grains, natural unsaturated fats and nutrient rich vegetables. A few examples would; be pomegranates, lentils, avocado, and kale. Whole grain bread, peanut butter and a choice of fruit or vegetable would be a good selection for a breakfast meal. Another great alternative is making natural juices from fruits at home instead consuming processed beverages. For lunch, a healthy meal would consist of, a salad or maybe a sandwich that is made up of the same produce. Soup is always a tasty side for either entrees. To conclude, for dinner there is the option of a plant based protein, such as tofu, again the best option for a drink would be water or a homemade juice. Snacking in between meals is as important as the meals, because it results in the speeding of the metabolism which gives energy to carry out on daily tasks. Considerable snacks are; granola bars, fruits rich in vitamins and fiber, yogurt or any type of nuts.
In contrast there are Americans that are partially aware of the vegetarian lifestyle and some of the benefits. However, many believe that a healthy lifestyle is more expensive and time consuming as mentioned above. Yet, the cost of a plant based protein meat is roughly four dollars as opposed to paying about eight dollars for the equivalent amount of beef. That pound of beef is filled with saturated fats that clog the arteries of the heart. Certain meats carry cancer causing agents and preservatives that are very harmful to the human body and cause the human lifespan to be reduced significantly. So why live the illusion of paying for cheaper food when in reality, are spending more to fight and live with the diseases associated with it? The cost of buying fruits and juicing them at home may seem a bit more expensive and less efficient thangrabbing a three dollar two liter bottle of soda, but once again factor in the true cost of that soda; your health! Various juices and sodas are riddled with artificial sugars, dyes, and chemicals that can essentially poison the body. Juicing natural fruits and vegetables allows Americans to reap the benefits of receiving an abundance of vitamins and minerals that boosts the immune system, reduces the chances of heart disease, and numerous cancers. A meat-free diet results in cheaper meals, lower calorie intake and contribution toward bettering the environment. In the end, people who commit to the vegetarian lifestyle will save both time and money.
Americans are concerned about being able to fulfill their hunger, and receive the proper amounts of iron and protein with the absence of meat. Some people find it hard to believe that they can still satisfy their hunger and nutritional needs of protein, iron, and essential amino acids through a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian diet consists of iron and protein sources such as; kidney beans, quinoa, brown rice, soy beans, pistachios, tofu and lima beans. Each of these plant based sources are plentiful in protein and iron, but others will dispute that these are incomplete sources of protein. There are twenty essential amino acids that the human body needs to create proteins, and there are nine of them that the human body cannot create on its own. Humans get those other essential amino acids through consuming them. According to professor Joe Millard of Cambridge University, a plant based diet contains some of the essential amino acids needed to build protein within the body, but not all of them. This is a big reason why some people refuse to be dedicated to a vegetarian cuisine. When in fact, many dietitians believe that there are so many varieties of amino acids that vegetarians and vegans consume that there is a guarantee that the requirements for building protein will be met with very minimal effort.
Living a proper vegetarian lifestyle can save the lives of both animals and humanity. Vegetarians commit to a healthy lifestyle not just to be health conscious but take action inreducing the slaughtering of animals and deterioration of the environment. People are highly unaware of the traumatic experiences animals encounter in slaughterhouses. Animals are life forms like humans but many refuse to feel mutual towards an animal life because of the higher intellect humans possess. People who are consumers of meat think little to nothing of the value of an animal’s life, because they believe that animals serve one purpose which is to feed them. Though animals serve a deeper purpose in life than being a possible source of food, they are what keeps chains of ecosystems in balance that in turn gives back to the earth that we wholesomely rely on for resources.
In other words, the best way to maintain a healthier lifestyle is by consuming the appropriate plant based foods and knowing how to manage income the proper way. In addition to the benefits listed above, numerous animal lives are saved as well as the ecosystem. When Americans continue to eat meat they are blind to thethesnowball effect of consequences that the omnivorous lifestyle entails. Years can be added to Americans’ lives by following a discipline vegetarian diet that will lower and dismiss the possibilities of heart disease, obesity, and various cancers. Why not develop the journey of a vegetarian lifestyle that has an abundance of benefits for multiple existences on this Earth we share?