CyleGoneWild.com LiveJournal - Cyle Zezotarski　-　ヨル/カイルの日記

It seems like more people than every are giving up meat this year, lol...

I realize today is Fat Tuesday, and tomorrow many people will be giving something up for Lent. If you will be giving something up, I'd just like to remind you that, in the US alone, more than half a million animals die (every hour), most of the deaths involving cruelty that is both unbearable and unnecessary to produce the resulting product (meat, clothes, medical, etc).

So, if you're going to give something up for Lent, I recommend giving up meat (including birds and fish) if you are able to do so.

If you are worried about supplementing the nutrients you get from meat, here is an excerpt from a presentation I did a little more than a year ago that might help:

"We all know that milk provides calcium and meat is an excellent source of protein. Protein is necessary to build and maintain structural components of the body. Fish, poultry, and meat also provide B Vitamins, iron, and zinc.

What many people don’t know is that all of these things can be located elsewhere. Calcium can be found in nuts and seeds – such as almonds and sesame – beans, oranges, broccoli, and in many fortified drinks. B Vitamins come from potatoes, bananas, and chili peppers. Iron is common in beans and leaf vegetables, as well as tofu, chickpeas, and black-eyed peas. Zinc is in beans, nuts, almonds, whole grains, and some seeds.

[Calcium, Iron, and Zinc can all be found in beans. Calcium is also in beans, oranges, and broccoli, as well as many fortified drinks, and B Vitamins are common in potatoes, bananas, and chili peppers.]

When it comes to protein, it turns out that soybeans are a complete protein, and come with the added bonus of potentially being able to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

Meat-based diets, on the other hand, do not reduce risks, but are directly linked to many fatal problems with American health today, including heart disease, cancer, obesity, and strokes."

Also, flax is rich in Omega-3, lignans (natural antioxidant and member of the family of plant estrogens), and fiber. Flax can be substituted for eggs (this is if you were to decide to go full vegan, or if you were to just want more of these nutrients) by simmering 1 Tbsp flax in 3-4 Tbsp water. This equates to one egg, and is probably best in baking (there are other methods/ingredients you would use depending on texture of what you're making--pudding, jello, etc).

Thanks guys! Have a happy Fat Tuesday =P.

Cyle