Reasons to become a Flexitarian

I like this idea very much :D

Ten points to Gryfindor!

I cut out most dairy last year and i’m really trying to limit the red meat that I eat; haven’t felt better.
Another good reason to at least limit your intake is the deforestation caused by cattle ranching, we’re eating our way through the rainforest one cow at a time.

@ Makenzie Kane & Mathias Iversen and to everyone else concerned: Not only is the majority of our meat slaughtered inhumanely, but the processes by which it is raised, fed, and “treated” (chemically) are grotesque. There are multitudes of information on this topic available at the click of a mouse.

However, I believe the issue isn’t with eating meat but with the kind of meat you eat. There are tons of options for organic, sustainable, local, pasture fed beef, as well as organic pork and poultry. Get involved with your communities! Support local farmers. If either one of you or anyone else lives on the west coast, check out fullcirclefarm.com, I recieve bi-weekly deliveries of 100% USDA certified organic produce as well as local grass fed beef and local poultry and dairy from them. Fullcirclefarm.com also has some very informative blogs, my favorite is called Good Food Health. The Cheeseslave blog also has some great information about raw (unpasteurized) dairy. I encourage everyone to research their area and be pleasantly surprised at all the resources like this near you!

The good news for those of you who are concerned, as am I, about eating beef and other meat for environmental reasons is that you can avoid the insanity and destruction of the environment that large industrial dairys and cattle ranches wreak if you buy local. Pasture fed cattle don’t destroy topsoil! They help the environment! They maintain the pasture by grazing and fertilizing, eliminating the need for all that water to clean their waste and the destruction of all that land to grow their grain (though a lot of grass fed beef is still grain finished).

Concerning the statement Mackenzie makes about people limiting their intake on meat for the reasons she lists, I think it may be too generalized of a statement. I tend to think people’s bodies vary quite substantially in their nutritional needs. I just found this great website, Mercola.com, that has some really interesting ideas about individual dietary needs. There is a little test you can take if you are so inclined that may shed some light on your nutritional type. If you struggle with finding food that makes you feel good, this might be worth a try! Based upon extensive research, Dr. Mercola suggests that some people may need more veggies, some may need more protein, and some may need fairly equal amounts. Go to Mercola.com and search “Nutritional Typing” and the free assesment should be right there, along with an informational video by the Dr. himself. This site is also great for other reliable, well-researched information about anything from supplementation to fitness to nutrition.