Do you believe it? My dog is a vegetarian! Mr. Sargeant
Brennen, the long-haired, good-looking, loving and loveable canine member of the
Brennen family, does love to eat lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, avocado pear,
coconut, peas and rice, corn on the cob, soya milk, watermelon, and much more.
It is true just that eating these things would not make my dog a vegetarian.
Although I don’t feed him any meat, he sometimes gets some when he visits his
friend across the street–-a handsome black Bahamian potcake. They tell us the
dogs do need vegetables to live a healthy life. So give your dog some vegetables
today.
If my dog can eat so much vegetables and enjoy it, what about
me! I am not sure you will believe that I have never tasted any form of meat.
This is why I am called a vegetarian. A vegetarian does not eat fish, red or
white meats. Some people do not think that fish is not meat so they figure a
vegetarian can eat fish. This is not so. Any creature, whether on land or sea
that has flesh and blood is meat. However, some people only use fish for meat.
This is okay. Some vegetarians eat animal products, such as eggs, milk, and
cheese. We call them ovo-lacto vegetarians. I am a complete vegetarian, or a
vegan. A vegan does not eat meat or any animal product.
- I FEEL GOOD
- I was raised a vegetarian and have never been tempted to taste any form
of meat. My parents are vegetarians, and so are my wife and young adult
children. I feel good and have lots of energy. I have no headaches, back
or stomach aches. I sleep well at nights and recover quickly from
illnesses or accidental cuts to my skin. It is important to note the just
avoiding meat is not the only thing that constitutes a healthy diet. Some
vegetarians have very bad diets. They eat lots of sweets, refine foods,
and consume an abundance of fat. On the other hand a healthy vegetarian
diet includes an abundance of whole grains, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and
fruits.
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- GREAT BENEFITS OF THE VEGETARIAN DIET
- There are tremendous benefits to be derived from a healthy vegetarian
diet. Research tells us that vegetarians recover quicker after surgery
because of a higher blood composition that promotes healing. Vegetarians
have lower death rates from cancer, specifically colon and lung cancer.
Vegetarian women have lower blood levels of
estrogen, which may help to protect them from breast cancer.
The risk of heart disease is linked to
diets high in saturated fat, which is found mostly in animal foods and
processed foods. Heart disease is much less common among vegetarian men,
with vegans having the lowest risk of all.
Vegetarian men are at less risk of prostate cancer. This
second leading cause of cancer death among men is not just an inevitable outcome
of getting old; it is the result of a lifetime diet of animal fats. The fats
stimulate the production of male hormones, which in turn spur prostate cancer
cells to grow.
We also know that athletes do extremely better on a
vegetarian diet. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a noted vegetarian, is proud of his
lifestyle and diet. He certainly has lots of power. Many of the world’s top
athlete cease consuming meat during training and performance because they
discovered that they get better results. A research done at Loma Linda
University shows that vegetarian athletes have a much shorter recovering time
after a race than non vegetarian. My athletic son, Gerard, who runs the 100
meters, has proven this. He noticed that it only takes in a few minutes to
recover while the other participants need sometimes ten or fifteen minutes more.
- DISEASE AND THE VEGETARIAN
- Vegetarians are not immune to diseases or illnesses. We do get sick.
Vegetarians also get cancer and other life-threatening illness, but the
risk is greatly reduced. A vegetarian does get the common cold, flue,
headache, etc, but not as frequently as a meat eater. In fact, there are
some diseases that a vegetarian will not get. For example trichinosis, a
terrible disease that comes from pork. Salmonella, E. coli is a serious
deadly bacteria that is only found in meat. In countries were there is a
high consumption of pork, conch, and red meat, there are high incidents of
heart problems, diabetes, and cancers. Pork and conch have deadly levels
of cholesterol. Pork is extremely high on fat which is dangerous to the
heart and arteries.
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- WHAT IN THE WORLD DO VEGETARIANS EAT?
- I am sure you are wondering what do I eat to stay good-looking, healthy,
and sexy? Let me first share with you some facts about fruits, vegetables
and grain. Broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables. It has more
protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals than cow milk. We certainly do not
need cow milk to live. Humans are the only animals to go to another animal
for milk. Soybean is known as a complete food. It is one of the richest
sources of protein. In one hundred pounds of beef, there is only eighteen
pounds of protein. In one hundred pounds of soybean, there are 40 pounds
of protein. What a difference! It is also called a medicinal food because
of its many properties that protect us from illnesses or prevent an onset
of other medical problems. For instance, women who use soy have fewer
problems with menopause and estrogen levels in their bodies. Bahamian
pigeon peas is a rich source of protein. Avocado pear, much loved by
Bahamians and Caribbean folks, is also a very high source of protein.
What then do I eat. I eat an abundance of vegetables, raw and
cooked. Rice (whole grain, sometimes white), grits, potatoes, yams, peas, beans,
whole grain cereals. I use soy for milk. It’s delicious. I love making soups,
especially broccoli/asparagus soup. My soups are so rich my son calls then
nuclear bombs. They often include whole wheat dumplings, hand full of raw
cashews, table spoon of wheat germ, combined with peas, vegetables, broccoli,
asparagus. When you eat my soups you really have power.
- GO FOR IT
- I hope this article stimulates someone to think differently about the
vegetarian lifestyle. Try it, you will like it. Go the Adventist Book and
Nutrition Center on Harold Road and see an abundance of vegetarian cook
books that will make you life easy. Please remember, never stop eating
meat before to intelligently evaluate your current diet. If you lack an
abundance of vegetables of grains then add them before you change your
diet. Eliminate the red meats first and take time to change. Have fun.
Welcome to the vegetarian club. Write P.O. Box N-896, Nassau, Bahamas or
call 393 2818 see this article or more on www.soencouragement.org
