Protein is a major fuel source for your body. It can be provided from animal sources that are expensive and, sadly, environmentally damaging. Or it can be obtained in the form of plant-based proteins that are completely friendly to the environment. In the past, scientists in America were concerned about whether vegetarians could get enough protein without eating meat.
This notion has been dismissed. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), "protein needs can easily be met by eating a variety of plant-based foods."
It is also not necessary to combine different protein sources in the same meal. As long as your diet includes tofu, beans, tempeh, nuts or nut butters, plant-based protein can easily meet your protein requirements. The health of your body and mind favor plant-based proteins.
There are also global economic and environmental benefits to a plant-based diet. Sustaining the resources of the planet is an investment in your life and in mine. Your dietary choices can help feed others and preserve the health of the planet. Americans account for only 4 percent of the world population, but consume 23 percent of the world's beef.
This trend comes at a price. Using meat as a major source of food is neither an efficient nor a sustainable way to support our ever-growing global population. Processing meat uses large amounts of water, oil and gas, land and grains. These resources are conserved when diets are plant-based instead of animal-based.
Today, global warming is a reality. The burning of large amounts of oil in the production of meat contributes to this problem. The impact of the cattle industry on our tropical rainforests is even more significant. At a time when we need our rainforests to help reverse global warming, ranchers are cutting the rainforests down for the production of beef.
More than half of the deforestation in the Amazon rainforest from 2000 to 2005 was for the purpose of livestock grazing.
Driving a typical American car for one day releases about 3 kilograms of gases that cause global warming. Compare this amount of gases with the 75 kilograms of gases released by deforesting and burning the Costa Rican rainforest to produce the beef needed for a single hamburger.
Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle is a powerful way to help end world hunger and preserve precious lands and water resources. By consuming a fresh and nutritious plant-based diet , you can help to secure a healthier, sustainable environment for this and future generations.
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