As I have continued researching the subject of protein, I have come to realize that the availability of protein is very extensive. It is possible to get your daily quota without ever biting into a piece of meat, poultry, fish, or dairy. As I added this realization to the information that I have been reading concerning the impact of factory farms on what we refer to as “climate change” along with the horrible way that animals on these farms are treated, I came to a decision concerning the direction of this post. I decided that we will not be including a discussion about the nutrition in meat, poultry, or fish in any future blog posts. If this is upsetting to anyone, I do apologize, but I believe that the health of all of us, the health of the animals that share this planet with us, and the health of our planet itself is far too important to do otherwise. For this reason, I have included a link to a list of plants where we can get the protein that we need to stay healthy. I have also included a link to our Protein board on Pinterest.
5 Reasons to Eat a Plant-Based Diet
1. It’s Cheaper
As I compared prices at the grocery stores where I live, I found that extra lean meat was about $2. a serving. Grains and legumes, which are also fat-free and full of protein, was about $ .25 a serving. At least for me that seems like a significant savings. Additionally, I have been aware of people, who have either stopped or cut back on eating meat, saying that they have been able to stop or cut back on medications they were taking. This also turns into more cash in someone’s pocket.
2. Feel Better
This I have experienced first hand. I stopped eating meat eleven months ago and can honestly say that I feel better than I have in about 15 years. I have, also, heard other people report similar stories.
3. People Might Suffer Less
Whether you believe that people are contributing or not, I believe that most people would agree that something is changing with our climate. Icebergs are melting, ocean levels are rising, storms are getting more severe, rain averages are going up or areas are turning into deserts, and forest fires are getting much more common. Because of all of this, many people are suffering and even dying.
4. Animals Will Suffer Less
Having grown up on a farm and still living there, I have spent many hours living with and interacting with animals both domesticated and wild. The one thing that I have learned through all of this is that animals (all animals) are very smart and caring. Over and over I have seen acts of love on the part of animals and reasoning skills that many people do not want to believe animals are capable of.
At one time in his life, my dad suffered from inner ear problems. It was January with temperatures in the teens and about 10 inches of snow on the ground. He was at the barn feeding his cows when he had an attack, blacked out and fell unconscious in the snow. When he came to after 15-20 minutes, he found himself surrounded by his cows and they were simply breathing on him. This one act saved his life. No one had taught these cows what to do. They simply figured it out and did it. Animals are smart and loving and they are suffering severely because of factory farms and the changes that are occurring with our climate.
For further reading, I have included a link to an ASPCA article about “factory farms”.
5. Save Our Planet
Scientists tell us that if our planet keeps moving in the direction it is going, it will become impossible for life to exist on planet Earth. They also tell us that this could happen soon enough that people who are living today will see it happen. I have also included a link to the UN 2019 article on climate change for those who would like to read it.
In Conclusion
I am not saying that people are or aren’t contributing to the changes that we are experiencing. I do; however, believe that we must listen to the scientists and do everything we can to hopefully turn this situation around. Since the focus of S C Schmitz Farms is nutrition, we will keep our focus on nutrition. As I said at the beginning of this post, we can get all the nutrition we need from plants. We never have to take one bite of meat, poultry, or fish and since scientists tell us that the factory farm raising of animals is contributing a huge amount to our “climate change” problem, we will remain focused on plant-based foods. I will in the future be adding some additional thoughts about the dairy industry, but I am not prepared to do so at this time.
A Reminder
Again I must remind everyone that the content of this blog is strictly for information purposes. If you want to make a change in your diet or exercise routine, it is very important that you contact a health care professional.