Everyone has beef with meat nowadays. One of the hottest trends in food is all about celebrating a lack thereof (a certain something) and puts omnivores in direct opposition with their favorite forbidden protein.
Everyone who’s anyone is going meatless.
But fear not, they’re only asking you to do it one day a week. Say hello, my friends, to Meatless Mondays.
Most trends have historical roots. Voluntary days of meatlessness are no different, although for unrelated, if not equally legitimate, causes.
During their respective presidencies Wilson, Truman and good ole Teddy Roosevelt all called for their own version of the meatless day throughout both World Wars. In those days, though, it was to redirect food supply to troops and to help alleviate worldwide food shortages.
Now, it’s less about people suffering without and more about suffering from too much. Which is why organizations like the Monday Campaigns, in association with John Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, are championing the non-profit initiative of spending our Mondays feasting on something other than animal protein.
It’s no secret that America has long been a glutton for punishment, especially when it comes to our insatiable appetite for meat (and the red variety in particular).
In the last 50 years, U.S. meat consumption has more than doubled and is expected to double again by 2050. Studies show it’s killing us as well as the planet.
Those who ate large amounts of red and processed meats (steak, cold cuts, bacon, sausage) have an increased risk of death from cancer and heart disease, according to a decade-long study published in March by the “Archives of Internal Medicine.” Not a terribly shocking revelation by any stretch of the imagination.
But just how great a risk? "Newsweek" analyzed the study and concluded that men who ate just five ounces of meat a day (putting themselves on the high end of consumption) had a 31 percent higher risk of death over a 10-year period than those who ate less than 1 ounce of meat per day (the lowest end of consumption). Women who ate the same amount had a 36 percent higher risk of death in the same time period, compared to those who ate an ounce or less of meat per day.
So that means choosing a salad or another veggie-friendly option (at least once a week) instead of making that daily lunchtime trip to Burger King could help save your life – reducing your risk for obesity and obesity linked illnesses such a heart disease.
Other studies, such as the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition, also began to correlate instances of prostate and colon cancer with meat consumption. Carcinogens are formed on the surface of meat when cooked at high temperatures and may be harmful when consumed and contribute to cancer.
But eating less meat is not only proving to be healthier for us but also for the planet. It turns out being “green” can be as easy as eating a little less red.
Estimates from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization say 30 percent of Earth’s land is devoted to cattle growing and that meat production makes up nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse emissions.
If we were to reduce meat consumption by 20 percent, it would be as if everyone went from driving a sedan to a hybrid – considerably reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to geophysicists Gidon Eshel and Pamela A. Martin referenced in a "New York Times" article.
The Meatless Mondays movement continues to gain momentum as celebrities, school districts and even entire cities get on board. In September, Baltimore City Public Schools embraced and instituted a Meatless Monday program, offering healthier vegetarian options once a week. Ghent, Belgium, became the first to declare a municipality wide meat-free day on Thursdays. Even Paul McCartney has thrown his weight behind a Meat Free Monday campaign in the UK.
So skip the burger once a week and save yourself, save the planet and maybe a cow, too.
source: newsrecord.org
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