Opinions vary on this subject.
However, more individuals are seeking refuge from becoming victims of the onslaught of diseases plaguing the world.
Health activists believe food is the major common denominator by which disease is transmitted.
1. Many vegetarians believe humans who want to live long and healthy lives must eat bloodless food i.e. fruits and vegetables.
Health conscious individuals claim that it's difficult to think of a person as being alive and vibrant when they're always eating dead things.
They also believe "dead" meat represents something that is void of life and unfit to serve the living, which is why dead things are buried.
Whether you agree with this position or not, you have to at least admit the logic of the concern.
In some cultures, eating meats are allowed only as a last resort for survival. And even then they must slaughter the animal they're going to eat.
2. They don't permit eating animals that died of sickness or dead animals that they happen upon--"roadkill".
Health advocates argue that meats sold in today's western culture are unsafe for human consumption for many reasons, one of them being "sold by deceit".
Mega cattle breeders don't eat the beef they raise in a hurry to get it to market because of what they do to grow them on a tight schedule.
If they are meat eaters at all, they are sure to buy from an organic farm. The same is true for their fruit and vegetable selections.
However, activists accuse animal ranchers of unsanitary and dangerous business ethics in their sale of dead, rotting and diseased meat to markets around the world.
3. In other words, they believe, for your health's sake, you shouldn't eat it if you didn't raise, feed and slaughter the beef or chicken on your own farm. Moreover, humans should eat foods that are alive and colorful.
Everyone remembers the beef scandal of 1998 in Amarillo, Texas, during which Oprah Winfrey was sued by cattle ranchers over issues regarding the mad cow disease outbreak in Britain.
It's important to note that controversy around the Texas showdown suggested that the ranchers fought Winfrey over her stand on beef because they were afraid the public would follow her lead and stop eating red meat.
Allegedly, the cattle ranchers were motivated by greed and not interested in human safety. As noted by the University of Georgia, "making a profit is the only thing that will keep you in business." Profit amount depends on the ability to sell the product.
4. Some of the strange diseases plaguing humans can probably be traced back to diseased meats they consume.
Somehow, when there's an outbreak or meat recall of some sort, there is always an announcement assuring the public that it's "not a threat to human health"--which begs the question "who's health does it threaten?"
Let's face it. Many--if not all--beef, pork, and chicken producers probably don't properly dispose of their dead animals. Allegations suggest they dress and sell diseased cows, chickens and pigs that die and their diseased carcasses end up on family dinner tables.
5. Some believe humans should not eat meat except as a means to survive extreme circumstances. Humans would experience fewer diseases if they begin by not eating meat three times a day.
This opinion is naturally up for debate, as meat has become such a large part of human diets. For example, animal rights proponents believe "cattle ranching is as odious as slavery".
If we use that argument as proof of why humans should not eat meat, then it would suggest that cows suffer inhuman treatment at the hands of humans, who have the capacity for compassion, but refuse it in the treatment of its food handling.
Animals that endure horrible treatment and die horrendous deaths embody unsettling chemical releases, which reside inside each cut of tortured meat, which is transferred to the eater.
Of course, these theories have strong opposition among the religious community who believe all food is cleansed by saying a prayer over it.
On the other hand, others point out how sickness and disease is a growing phenomenon inside the religious sector of society.
Science has made strides in the maintenance of the human anatomy with organ transplants and such. However, the argument made by certain health advocates is to avoid the need to discard any of your organs by taking better care of your body.
The human body is not like a Ford or Chevy. People cannot go to the nearest retailer and buy new body parts. We're stuck with the body we are born into.
All that said, each individual is responsible for how he or she respects their body...their temple. It's the only physical house they will have to dwell in during their time on earth.
Keeping the body in optimal living condition is worth the effort, whatever one's beliefs.
Before we go, I found this amazing book that you might find helpful. I have no ties to the author nor will I receive any proceeds from a sale. The book is relevant because it corresponds with the subject of this blog post.
Recommended reading:
"MAD COWBOY: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won't Eat Meat"
by Howard Lyman (with Glen Merzer)
by Howard Lyman (with Glen Merzer)
"I can honestly say that there is not a man on this planet I respect more than Howard Lyman. I cannot speak highly enough of the man, his work, or his book." - John Robbins
Information on how to order books is found on Lyman's page. Get other books with first-hand information from cattle rancher, Howard Lyman.
These books are sure to help us understand the cattle (beef) market and help us to make more informed choices regarding the foods we eat and prepare for our families.
Article was written by Peggy Hatchet James
Copyright © 2015
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