plant-based wellness
The Cost of Meat and Other Animal Products by Karoline Mueller, PhD, of Karlina’s Plant Kitchen
Increases in meat, dairy, and egg prices are making headlines.
Now is a good time to consider the cost of animal products, often thought absolutely necessary for survival. People accept, ignore or justify higher prices, health and life risk to workers, and contribution to climate change. Does human health really require consumption of animal products? Looking at dietary advice, the spectrum is broad, ranging from an all-meat diet, everything in moderation, to completely plant-based. Every faction cites some authority. Broad conservative scientific consensus tells us what the majority of scientists agree upon. The American Dietetic Association stated in a 2009 position paper: “. . . appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.” In other words, omitting animal products while including fruit, vegetables, beans (legumes), whole grains, nuts and seeds creates a health-promoting diet that benefits everyone. For many decades, studies have shown that disease progression can be stopped and often even reversed. Response to a diet change from the Standard American to a wholefoods plant-based diet is so rapid that doctors often need to lower prescription dosage within days to avoid over-medication. If this healthy way to eat is so great then why isn’t it common knowledge? Because ingrained preferences about what is the “norm” or “beneficial” need to be overcome. Medical doctors often have no more nutrition knowledge than the average person. Additionally, we are numbed to the constant high burden of chronic diseases, hospitalizations and early death caused by heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders. Speaking of cost, in 2019, U.S. health expenditure reached nearly 18% of the GDP. Unfortunately, the system is set up for disease management instead of tackling all major underlying causes including food. Enter the Covid-19 pandemic. Outcome worsens significantly when those infected already suffer from a comorbidity. The most common conditions are high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. The recent appearance of the pandemic means that we don’t have a study yet to prove that reversing these diseases will avoid the most severe outcome to Covid-19. But I think that making the switch to a plantbased diet will, at the very least, reduce the cost and the pain associated with chronic diseases. Under the looming threat of Covid-19, we still have the power to proactively make changes to benefit us.
Plant-Based Wellness Section sponsored by CBD Depot of Texas
Sometimes caring for others increases my motivation for action. One of the worst jobs I can imagine is in a slaughterhouse or meat packing plant. Stated on www.osha.gov, workers are exposed: “. . . to high noise levels, dangerous equipment, slippery floors, musculoskeletal disorders, hazardous chemicals . . . [, and] biological hazards associated with handling live animals or exposures to feces and blood which can increase their risk for many diseases.” For example in the poultry industry, the speed of the processing line forces workers to repeat the same motions on more than 2,000 chickens per hour. Crowded working conditions now include a heightened risk of contracting Covid-19 as well as having a higher severity of the disease. I think the argument “any job is better than none” falls dreadfully short when worker turnover in this industry is about 100% a year and workers often leave with lifelong injuries. Lastly, it’s important to mention the environmental cost of animal agriculture. Animals require food. Roughly 90% of consumed calories are needed for living and 10% are stored in the body. It’s more efficient to feed humans directly than to feed animals for slaughter and human consumption. Legumes, grains, seeds, nuts, and starchy vegetables can cover all human calorie, protein, and nutrient requirements. Cutting out the “middle cow” reduces land and water usage, fertilizers, pesticides, water run-off, air and water pollution, and production of greenhouse gases. It is difficult to establish an absolute number for the real cost of animal husbandry yet a better world is possible through changing our long-held attitudes. To help you make the transition to a healthier diet, visit www.pcrm.org and find lifestyle medicine professionals locally. Karoline obtained a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Houston. During that time her struggle with obesity and depression worsened. In 2011, she learned about Dr. McDougall and Dr. Ornish and changed her diet to dominantly whole-foods plant-based. This was a turning point in her life and she wanted to share her new knowledge. She became a Food For Life instructor, trained by the Physicians Committee to deliver nutrition and cooking classes. Before Covid-19, she enjoyed teaching classes at LifestyleDocs, Drs B. and M. Chawla’s clinic. Now her courses are online. facebook.com/karlinasplantkitchen/ pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/ffl/instructors/ karoline-mueller embeelifestyledocs.com/food-for-life-cooking-class/
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