Explanation

This November some of the Blue Whale team will be taking part in the Veg Pledge for Cancer Research. The aim of this is to raise as much money as we can to help beat the unforgiving disease that is cancer. Cancer research is recommending a vegetarian and a vegan diet, both diets can have various advantages to health and the environment. I will discuss the benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Health benefits

By taking the first step into becoming a vegetarian will not only help charities such as Cancer Research but will also provide a healthier lifestyle. Red meats such as beef and lamb are continuously linked colorectal cancer whereas keeping a diet consisting of lots of fruit and vegetables is strongly associated with a reduced risk of some cancers.

Maintaining a plant-based diet can be very beneficial for preventing cardiovascular disease by as much as 40% compared to individuals that consume meat regularly. This can be due to blocked arteries becoming partially or fully unblocked by 91% allowing better blood flow throughout the body.

Studies have proven that a vegetarian diet is linked to causing the ageing process to slow down, thus allowing vegetarians to live longer. Plant-based diets generally contain fibre, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals which all help strengthen one’s metabolism.

Other reasons

Climate change is becoming a very serious and real problem that our planet is currently facing, there are many factors that contribute to this and one them is the methane produced by livestock. The United Nations said in its 2006 report that livestock generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined which is a worrying statement considering it is rarely discussed in the media.

As there are currently no laws to protect animals being treated cruelty on Factory Farms, they can suffer a relentless amount of pain and brutality. Many are kept in squalor conditions in confined spaces which we can all agree is not how any living animal should be treated. We would not abuse our pets in this manner so why should we treat farm animals in the same way? We should all at least turn towards verified organic meat products to eliminate the harsh conditions animals go through.

Help your bank accounts by cutting out those expensive meat products from your shopping. Buying meat and fish for a family of 4 each week can increase the price of the weekly shop by as much as 35%. There are many cheaper alternatives out there which still provides the same nutritional benefits as meat and fish.