Surprise Yourself!
Sep 19 2012 by
When I meet people for the first time it’s usually only a matter of time before my food choices are discussed. I get asked lots of questions like, where do I get my protein and calcium from and do I eat a lot of salad? I do my best to explain that a whole foods plant-based diet naturally provides me with ALL of my protein and calcium needs. And while I eat a lot of salad, my diet is rich in many other food choices.
During my conversations with people what I usually hear most often is “I could never give up _____ (insert food choice here)”. I usually respond with – “Have you tried?” My kids and I have one rule in our school and it’s that you don’t say you can’t do something until you’ve tried. I never thought I could go 5 days without food, but SURPRISE – I did it!
October is fast approaching and I’m challenging all our readers to ‘go veg’ for 1 week from October 1 – 7th. What does a pledge like this mean? A LOT! Eliminating all animal products from your diet will not only improve many aspects of your health but it will have enormous positive impacts on animals and the environment. Did you know…
- Farmed animals are no less intelligent or capable of feeling pain than are the dogs and cats we love and cherish. 10 BILLION animals are crammed into factory farms each year and they have no legal protection from the horrible cruelty that they will suffer.
- More than half the water used in the US goes to animal agriculture and since farmed animals produce 130 times MORE excrement (that’s poop people!) than the human population does, the run-off from their waste greatly pollutes our waterways.
- By switching to a plant-based diet you can save about 100 animals each year from being tortured and killed in factory farms!
- A completely plant-based diet requires about 300 gallons of water per day. A meat-eating diet requires 4,000 gallons a day. If you skip showers for 1 YEAR you will save 3,650 gallons of water which means that you can save more water by not eating a pound of meat in ONE DAY than by not showering for a year! A completely vegan diet saves 25,971 gallons of water each WEEK!
- Approximately 72% of the cereal grains grown in the US feed livestock, not people, and the world’s livestock eats 80% of the world’s soybean crop and more than half of the world’s corn crop. The world grows enough food to feed 10 BILLION people yet most of that goes to animals so that we can eat meat while 925 MILLION people go hungry each year.
- In a 2006 study published by an international team of 14 scientists, data indicates that the world’s supply of seafood will run out by 2048. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that “over 70% of the world’s fish species are either fully exploited or depleted.”
Are you up for the challenge? Will you pledge to go veg for 1 week? We want to help you succeed in this life altering endeavor. All next week we will be sharing our favorite plant-based recipes with you. We’ll also have meal plans available to help you plan your meals for the week. Want even more support? Go to www.VegSanDiego.com or call 858-202-0147 to sign up (you do NOT need to live in the San Diego area to sign up). You’ll receive emails that will contain health and nutritional tips, recipes, activity updates and more.
This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I have seen first hand, not only in myself but in ALL of my family, the impact that a plant-based diet can have on your health and your life. If you have questions or concerns about taking this pledge PLEASE send us an email or reach out to us on Facebook. We are here to help and support you any way we can!
To all our current plant-based eater we thank you for your continued support. While this pledge may not apply to you we’d love to hear your story about how a plant-based diet has changed your life – send us an email or share your story in the comments.
Are you ready to surprise yourself? Are you ready to improve your health? You’ll never know if you don’t TRY! :)
~Sarah
