Avis continues reading Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism – Chapter 5 Medical Men and Food Reform (Are Doctors prejudiced against vegetarians?) “The commonest obstacle to Food Reform, as indeed to every other Reform, is prejudice…The influence of medical men, both on public and private opinion, is unquestionably very great, and at present nearly the whole weight of this influence is thrown into the scale against us. What answer are we to make to the question, so often asked—'Why are so few doctors Vegetarians ?’” (H.S. Salt 1886) Music: Dalai Llama Rides a Bike by Javier “Peke” Rodriguez. Bandcamp: https://javierpekerodriguez.bandcamp.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QuyqfXEKzrpUl6b12I3KW Get the Books The Pedro the Water Dog Saves the Planet book series can be found at AvisKalfsbeek.com or at your favorite online bookseller. Support the Peace and Planet messages by contributing to my Patreon for as little as $1 per month: www.Patreon.com/PedrotheWaterDog Get the Audio Book https://www.audible.com/pd/B09M8Z8DFY/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-286720&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_286720_rh_us (One More Year, Book 1 on Audio, other books coming soon on audio) Digital book Henry Stephen Salt’s A Plea for Vegetarianism (there are others, easily searchable): https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/plea-for-vegetarianism.pdf Earthling Ed’s book How to Argue With a Meat Eater (I am not an affiliate): https://www.amazon.com/s?k=how+to+argue+with+a+meat+eater&crid=DKR5MXWZSDOK&sprefix=how+to+argue+with+a+%2Caps%2C278&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_20 National Library of Medicine Article: “Vegetarian and Vegan Diets: Beliefs and Attitudes of General Practitioners and Pediatricians in France” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9370229/ Science Direct Article: “Removing barriers to plant-based diets: Assisting doctors with vegan patients” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214804324000156 Retire There Podcast Episode with Janet Christian (moving to Spain cures her pancreatitis at Minute 12:30): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/retire-there-with-gil-gene/id1538684576?i=1000540228466 Meatless Mondays Benefits – Johns Hopkins University https://meatlessmonday.publichealth.jhu.edu/resources/benefits-eating-less-meat-and-more-plants Reduces risk of heart disease One study demonstrated that daily consumption of processed meats was associated with a 42 percent higher incidence of coronary heart disease. Helps reduce cholesterol Nearly 25 million U.S. adults have high cholesterol, but many of them are unaware of this, as high cholesterol has no symptoms. Animal products are the only source of dietary cholesterol; they are also the primary source of saturated fat in our diet, which is associated with higher blood cholesterol levels. Helps prevent type 2 diabetes Approximately one in three American adults has prediabetes—a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. Kidney health In the United States, about 30 million adults have chronic kidney disease—and most aren’t aware of it. One in three American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. Boosts immune system function A healthy plant-based diet can help strengthen your immune system to aid in fighting viruses and help you recover more quickly from illness. Supports a healthy weight Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the risk of serious health problems. Substituting more plant-based foods in place of meat can help contribute to a healthier body weight. Lowers greenhouse gas emissions Nearly 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the production of meat, dairy, and eggs—more greenhouse gases than the world’s entire transportation sector—cars, trucks, planes, trains—combined. Eating more plant-based foods can help reduce emissions associated with meat production. Saves water Meat, particularly beef, has the highest water footprint of all foods. Eating a more plant-based diet has the potential to decrease agricultural water use by 50%. Prevents deforestation Livestock production uses 75% of the Earth’s agricultural land. Shifting to a more plant-based diet reduces deforestation while decreasing agricultural land use by 80%. Reduces species loss Livestock production is the biggest human contributor to species decline and has led to an over 60% decline in species populations since 1970. Meatless Mondays Helps build healthy habits Research suggests that people are more open to trying healthy behaviors at the start of the week. Monday offers a weekly opportunity to “reset” and get back on track. Studies show that people who restart a healthy habit at the beginning of the week are better able to maintain progress over time. Fosters discovery of new foods Use Meatless Monday as an ...
