VIRTUES OF VEGETARIANISM Brad Mitchell, MHA

1. To understand the physical/mental/spiritual health and societal benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. 2. To provide tips you can use to reduce/eliminate the consumption of meat. 3. To promote better health, well-being and longevity by adopting healthier eating habits. Objectives

What is Vegetarianism? “Vegetarianism is the practice of following a diet based on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs”

Definitions Lacto-ovo vegetarian Based on grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy products, and eggs No meat, fish or fowl Lacto vegetarian May eat dairy No eggs, meat, fish, or fowl Ovo vegetarian May eat eggs No dairy, meat, fish, or fowl Vegan No eggs, dairy, meat, fish, or fowl

Vegetarian Population Trends According to surveys conducted in 2006, 2.3% of Americans (4.9 million people) consistently ate vegetarian diets About 1.4% vegan More likely to live on the east or west coasts, live in large cities, and be female Higher academic qualifications Higher IQ at age 10 correlated with higher vegetarian status at age 30 Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2009;109: British Cohort Study, BMJ 2007

Why do people choose vegetarianism? Health considerations Philosophical reasons Concern for animals Concern for the environment World hunger issues Religious reasons Food safety Economic reasons

Famous Vegetarians/Vegans Carl Lewis Russell Simons Rosa Parks Jerry Seinfeld Andre 3000 Dr. Dre Dustin Hoffman Prince Albert Einstein Coretta Scott King Angela Bassett Brad Pitt Cicely Tyson Dizzy Gillespie Dick Gregory Paul McCartney Thomas Edison India Arie Jackie Chan Gandhi Sade Samuel L. Jackson Seal Robert Redford Vanessa Williams Erykah Badu Forest Whitaker Edwin Moses Keenan Ivory Wayans Shania Twain

The China Study A survey of death rates in 880 million citizens to study the relationship between various mortality rates and several dietary, lifestyle and environmental characteristics in 65 mostly rural counties in China conducted jointly by Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine over the course of 20 years.Cornell UniversityOxford UniversityChinese Academy of Preventive Medicine This project produced more than 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.

The findings? People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease … People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.

The Benefits of Vegetarianism… Better nutrition Disease prevention Weight loss/lower BMI Reports of more energy Healthier skin Longer life (3 to 6 years) PMS symptoms No concerns about E. coli, mad cow disease, salmonella, hormone consumption, antibiotics, etc.

Challenges of Vegetarianism Greater need to eat multiple times during the day Navigating social events Finding food “on the fly” Home cooking

On Going Vegetarian… Get your mind right; embrace change Learn as much as you can about the vegetarian lifestyle Proceed slowly Experiment with different foods and recipes Reward yourself

Other Considerations… Exercise !!! Drink plenty of water Reduce/manage stress Get plenty of sleep Take supplements Laugh more; enjoy life

Implications for Health Professionals become the example information dissemination tackle head on -- diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer longer life span higher quality of life “You dig your own grave with a fork.”