If you’re
reading this today it's because you care about what you eat and about what's
happening to our climate. Many
people do too. That's why Meat Free Monday was started.
The principle is that by giving up
meat for one day each week you can save money, reduce your environmental impact
and live a healthier life.
Celebrities have joined the cause
including – Oprah, Sir Richard Branson, James Cameron and Paul Mccartney.
Meatless Monday is all about helping
people cut their meat consumption by 15 percent. This percentage equals one day
a week and by slightly changing eating habits, people can reduce their risks of
preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and
obesity. Heart
disease continues to be the leading cause of
death for both men and women in America. A recent Harvard University
study found that replacing saturated fat-rich foods (meat and full
fat dairy) with foods rich in polyunsaturated fat (vegetable oils, nuts and
seeds) reduces the risk of heart disease by 19 percent. Hundreds of studies suggest that diets
high in fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risk, particularly colon
cancer. Research also suggests
that lower consumption of red and processed meat reduces the risk of type 2
diabetes. Likewise people on
low-meat or vegetarian diets have significantly lower body weights and body
mass indices. Finally regarding
diet, consuming beans or peas results in higher intakes of fiber, protein,
folate, zinc, iron and magnesium with lower intakes of saturated fat and total
fat.
In 2006, a United Nations Food and
Agricultural Organization report, Livestock’s
Long Shadow, highlighted the environmental impact of meat-eating and the
importance of making more environmentally and socially conscious food choices. The campaign is to encourage people to think about the
environmental consequences of what you eat. To think about the energy, water and chemicals used to
produce food, as well as the fuel it takes to get it to your plate. Meat is also
one of the most resource intensive foods to produce.
The campaign is not asking you to
give up meat completely; it’s encouraging you to do your bit to help protect
our planet. B y joining together in having one meat-free day each week we’ll be
making great steps towards reducing the environmental problems associated with
the meat industry. You’ll also be
giving your own health a boost, and with the added benefit that vegetables cost
less than meat, having one meat-free day each week means it’s good for your
pocket too.
So join us
and see how one day a week can make a world of difference because it’s holistic changes which can
improve our society, as well as our environment.
