I've been studying nutrition and the body's physiology(the way things affect the system, cause and effect,etc.), for several years. This was something that was easy for me to understand from the get-go.
I'm sure you all have heard the expression "you are what you eat". Have you ever really thought about what it means? And do you ever think about it when you are making your food choices?
In some ways we really do become what we eat! Have you ever seen someones sample of blood plasma after they've eaten a fast-food hamburger? What was once a clear liquid has now become cloudy with the fat and cholesterol that's absorbed into your bloodstream from eating a highly fat, highly salted burger! And that's not to mention the growth hormones and antibiotics that are given to the animals to enable them to 'fatten' up quickly, and survive long enough to get them to (and here's that ugly word) slaughter!!
When you think about it, we also become "what we don't eat". When we switch from eating a meat-based diet to a vegetarian one, we become less fat, less prone to may types of cancer and heart disease. Our cholesterol can improve. When we're leaner and eating fewer animal products, then many other health and fitness issues will be reduced. The incidence of Type II diabetes is reduced. Blood pressure becomes more normal. When you are healthier, you take less medications, if not totally unnecessary. Why, I'm almost.... %!? years old and do not take any medications at all!! No more expensive monthly prescriptions. Can you think of anything else that you could use that extra cash for in today's economy? Or you can keep paying for the doctor's shiny new BMW.
Especially if you have a family history of high blood pressure or heart disease, the it is important for you to CHANGE your eating habits! Going to a more vegetarian diet has been shown to reduce the incidence of so many diseases in industrialized nations.Vegetarians are statistically more healthy than meat eating people and they're leaner and live longer. They also tend to be less tired after eating because THE MOST energy that your body uses all day long is the digestive process. Vegetables and fruit are more easily digested than meat and therefore are less tiring after meals. Ever feel like taking a good nap around 9AM or after lunch?
DUH!!
But don't get me wrong. You don't have to go completely 'veg', because most people won't or don't think they can, but just cutting down can make a drastic difference in the way you feel both physically AND mentally.
Isn't it time to think about what you want to be and eat accordingly? Do you want to be sluggish and fat? Do you want the risk that goes along with eating animal products and their high-fat content? Or do you want to look and feel better with a longer anticipated life span? It's never too late to change and remember, you didn't get to this point overnight and you aren't going to get it back overnight. Try it, you can do it. Do it with someone else, challenge yourself and one another!!! Oh yeah, go to the grocery store and compare the price of a pound of steak with the price of a pound of beans. OUCH.
"IF YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, YOU'RE GONNA KEEP GETTING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN GETTING"
See Ya'
