"Food can affect the way our brains work—and thus our behaviour. The brain is an active machine: It only accounts for two percent of our body weight, but uses a whopping 20 percent of our energy. In order to generate that energy, we need a broad range of nutrients—vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids—that we get from nutritious meals.The question is: What are the consequences when we increasingly shovel junk food into our
bodies?"

 "We humans remain only one species in what has always been a global ecosystem -- an interlinked web of life where the health of one species depends on the health of others. Whether through reckless factory farming, the pollution of waters and the poisoning of the species within them, or the continued rampant destruction of forests and nonhuman habitat, our blatant mistreatment of other species for the benefit of our own is not inviting disaster, it's guaranteeing it. It is time to end the treatment of God's living creatures as products and to begin treating all life forms with respect and reverence beforethe health repercussions to the human species are irreparable."                

 The Consequences of Eating Meat
Number of people worldwide who will die of starvation this year: 60 million. Number of people who could be adequately fed with the grain saved if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10 perc.: 60 million. Human beings in America: 243 million. Number of people who could be fed with grain and soybeans now eaten by U.S. livestock: 1.3 billion. How frequently a child starves to death: every 2 seconds. Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20. Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80. Percentage of oats  grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95. Percentage of protein waste by cycling grain through livestock: 99.Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 20.OOO. Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 165. Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56. Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of beef: 16. Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 50 times more. Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75. Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85. Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million. Amount of meat U.S. imports annually from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama: 200 million pounds. Average per capita meat consumption in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama: less than eaten by average U.S. housecat. Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every 1/4 pound hamburger: 55 sq.ft. Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1.000 per year. Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat 4 times a week vs. less than once a week: 4 times. For women who eat eggs daily vs. less than once a week: 3 times. Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times. Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who eat meat daily vs. sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times. Use of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.: livestock portion. Amount of water used in production of the average steer: sufficient to float a destroyer. Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of wheat: 25. Gallons of water needed to produce a pound of meat: 2.500. Cost of common hamburger if water used by meat industry was not subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer: 35 dollars a pound. Current cost of pound of protein from beefsteak, if water was no longer subsidized: 89 dollars. Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13. Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260. Barrels of oil imported into U.S. daily: 6.8 million. Percentage of fossil fuel returned as food energy by most efficient factory farming of meat: 34.5. Percentage returned from least efficient plant food: 32.8. Percentage of raw materials consumed by U.S. to produce present meat-centered diet: 33. Number of U.S. medical schools: 125. Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30. Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four years in medical school: 25 hours. 20, 1989) Most common cause of death in U.S.: heart attack. How frequently a heart attack kills in U.S.: every 45 seconds. Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 perc. Risk for average U.S. man who avoids the meat-centered diet: 15 perc.  Meat industry claims you should not be concerned about your blood cholesterol if it is: normal. Your risk of dying of a disease caused by clogged arteries if your blood cholesterol is 'normal': over 50 perc. Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55. Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13. Percentage resistant in 1988: 91. Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: ban. Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support. Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by grains: 1. Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by  fruits: 4. Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet suppl. by dairy products: 23. Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by meat: 55. Pesticide contamination of breast milk from meat-eating mothers vs. non meat-eating: 35 times higher. What USDA tells us: meat is inspected. Percentage of slaughtered animals inspected for residues of toxin chemicals including dioxin and DDT: less than 0.00004. Number of animals killed for meat per hour in U.S.: 500.000. Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker. Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job injury in U.S: slaughterhouse worker. Cost to render animal unconscious with captive bolt pistol before slaughter.: 1 cent. Reason given by meat industry for non using that pistol: too expensive.
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Of the 10 billion land animals killed annually in the United States, 95 percent are birds, and the overwhelming majority are "broiler" chickens raised for meat, 1 million killed each hour. Additionally, nearly 300 million laying hens(6) are raised for eggs, and more than 250 million turkeys(7) are slaughtered for meat.Pigs are intelligent, highly social animals, yet factory farmers treat the more than 100 million pigs(44) slaughtered annually in the United States as meat- or piglet-producing units. Every year in the United States, approximately 35 million cattle are raised for beef,(53) 9 million cows for milk,(54) and 1 million calves for veal.(55) Most beef cattle are castrated, de-horned, and branded,(56) painful procedures performed without any anesthesia.( 57) For seven months, calves graze on the range(58) before they are transported to feedlots,(59) where they are fattened on unnatural diets. Within six months, they reach market weight of 1,200 pounds(60) and are trucked to slaughter. As with other animals to be killed for food, cattle are not given any food, water, or protection from the elements during the journey. Dairy cows endure annual cycles of artificial insemination, mechanized milking for 10 out of 12 months(61) (including 7 months of their 9-month pregnancies) , and giving birth. The cows are routinely given hormones to get the highest milk yield possible. According to Dr. John Webster, "The amount of work done by the [dairy] cow in peak lactation is immense. To achieve a comparable high work rate a human would have to jog for about 6 hours a day, every day."(62) This rigorous cycle overburdens the cows, who are considered "productive" for only two years(63) and are slaughtered when four years old.

(64) A byproduct of the dairy industry is a calf per year per cow. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture fact sheet, "Male dairy calves are used in the veal industry. Dairy cows must give birth to continue producing milk, but male dairy calves are of little or no value to the dairy farmer."(65) As a result, within their first few days of life, the calves are taken from their mothers.(66, 67) Females will likely join the dairy line, while some males are sold to veal farmers. Indeed, the veal industry would not exist without the dairy industry. Calves raised for veal are intensively confined and tethered by the neck in individual stalls so small they can't turn around during their entire 16- to 18-week lives before slaughter.(68) Veal crates are widely known for their inherent cruelty. As with conventional battery cages and gestation crates, veal crates are being phased out in Europe, yet are still in use in the United States. Cattle suffer the same mistreatment as pigs during both their transport and slaughter. Although the number of aquatic animals killed for food in the United States goes unreported, annual estimates are more than 10 billion.

Animal agribusiness representatives often claim that it is in their own interest to treat animals well, and a common defense of factory farming is that "only happy animals produce." While there are some instances where improving animal welfare would also improve the bottom line, unfortunately, this is not always the case.  According to poultry welfare expert Dr. Joy Mench: "It is now generally agreed that good productivity and health are not necessarily indicators of good welfare….Productivit y…is often measured at the level of the unit (e.g. number of eggs or egg mass per hen-housed), and individual animals may be in a comparatively poor state of welfare even though productivity within the unit may be high."(74)  Farm animal welfare expert Dr. Donald Broom states: "[E]fforts to achieve earlier and faster growth, greater production per individual,  efficient feed conversion and partitioning, and increased prolificacy are the causes of some of the worst animal welfare problems."(75) And agricultural ethicist Dr. Bernard Rollin asserts: "[I]n industrial agriculture, this link between productivity and well-being is severed. When productivity as an economic metric is applied to the whole operation, the welfare of the individual animal is ignored."(76)

Conclusion

There are no federal animal welfare laws regulating the treatment of the billions of animals raised for meat, eggs, and milk, while they're on the farm. Further, while all 50 states have cruelty statutes, most explicitly exempt common farming practices, no matter how abusive. As a result, farm animals suffer immensely as, within much of animal agribusiness, the welfare of the animals is severely compromised by customary factory farming practices, as the economic interests of the producer often conflict with—and generally take priority over—the animals' well-being.

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        [What's a vegan anyway?] Vegans are against using (buying, cooking, eating) meat - from any animal, fish, chicken or other living creature. The reason a vegan sometimes also is called a 'pure vegetarian', is that he or she also avoids egg, dairy and other animal products (ie. gelatin) whenever possible. [But isn't it only natural to drink milk?] No animals drink milk from other species. There is no doubt that human milk is healthy for babies, but other animals are breastfed throughout their lives. [Isn't it boring to eat only plant based food?] Europe and USA both have had a relatively poor vegan/vegetarian food tradition. This is changing rapidly. Many parts of the world have long traditions with plant based food – it's not at all difficult to eat gourmet food every day and still be a vegan. [Don't we need meat and milk to become strong and healthy?] Elephants, horses and lots of other strong animals are live on a plant based diet. (Almost?) all animals that humans eat are plant eaters. A varied vegan diet is rich in proteins and other nutritients. Health problems is more of an issue for non-vegans - some of them actually choose to switch to a vegan diet for a while only to improve their health. But there is one nutrient vegans pay extra attention to - vitatmin B12. 'Omnis' often get their daily quota of B12 by eating animal products. Even if you can buy vegan B12 supplements or B12 fortified food (many vegans do), plant based food contains a lot less B12 than animal products. Humans and animals store B12 mainly in their liver, and if you eat an animal who have stored a lot B12 in his body, you'll get the B12 too. We are all 'B12 banks'. If you rob a bank, you'll probably find more money than if you work and earn the money yourself. The same is true about eating living 'B12 banks'.... But does this mean that 'robbing' is the way to go? We don't think so. Our drinking water, soil and food is so filtered, exposed to chemicals and processed (read: free from natural, good microorganisms and bacteria) that the a lot of the B12 is gone; that's why vegans are concerned about B12... as opposed to 'B12 exists only in animal products, which is a proof that we're meant to eat them'. "The diets of about 100 vegans were recorded for a week and were found deficient in calcium, iodine and vitamin B12. Using the same standards, though, the standard American diet are deficient in 7 nutrients! The diet of your average American is not only also deficient in calcium and iodine, it's deficient in vitamin C, vitamin E, fiber, folate, and magnesium as well" (from a link posted in our board). [Is it difficult to switch to a vegan diet?] That depends on your habits, and how good you are at breaking your own patterns. Some of us even enjoy variation and challenge, and like to experiment with food. [But you are saying that vegans have to pay attention to what they eat - if they want to make sure they get the nutritients they need?] Yes. Just like people on other diets. [I don't know if I'm able to live such a restrictive life...] The planet is full of delicious, plant based food (that even looks tempting!). Think about it: onions and garlic, nuts and coconut (milk), pumkin and sesame seeds, bean stew, refried beans, chana masala, lentils, green peas and chick peas, orange and apple juice, avocado and other fruits, olive and sesame oils, ratatouille, tomatoe sauce, tahini sauce, basmati rice, all kinds of vegetables, basil, coriander and all the other herbs, chili, ginger, bay and curry leaves and all the spices you've ever heard of... Don't forget soy sauce, tofu or seitan. Veggieburgers. Spaghetti. Rasperry sorbet, baked apples, blueberry pie and strawberry jam. Porridge and cereals and corn flakes. Chocolate and peanut butter. Nachos. Then there's all the recipes with mushrooms. And mid-Eastern food: Hummus, falafel, tabulleh and baba ganoush. Mexican food: Guacamole, salsa, corn and tortilla chips. Thai food. Indian curries. Chop suey. Even pop corn and potatoes are vegan. Plus a billion soups, pates and casseroles that haven't even been invented yet. After a relatively short period you'll probably wonder how you could consume all that other stuff. A vegan is not an ascetic. [OK... but what are your main reasons for becoming vegans?] People go vegan for all kinds of reasons; respect for animals and their right to live, health, spiritual reasons, care for our environment or most likely for a combination of different reasons.                          

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                      There is essentially no difference between the fanatics who embrace and use the Talmud, the Koran , the New and Old Testament, or Hindu scriptures to substantiate their pillage, plunder and murder - all in the name of being the "favored Chosen Ones" of Yahweh, Allah or Jesus Christ. They are all ignorant and divisive; deviants who seek an "advantage" over others in their desperate struggle for temporary survival in this world.  "WE ARE THE ONLY CHOSEN ONES and claim the authority to disregard at best and if need be - kill - at the worst - all those who would intervene in our affairs or attempt to deal with us as anything but master" is the very consciousness that compelled our arrival in this world in the first place. There is little to be gained by exposing the lunacy of imagined Supremacy in the eyes of God - that one mundane religion purports to hold and/or use to inflict unimagined horror upon all those who differ or compete with them - if it is not acknowledged that ALL religions are equally guilty of this basic flaw to one degree or the other. History is replete with an endless succession of war and plunder by all religious form in this world will feel threatened by the apathy or rejection of all others towards it. This then facilitates a natural state of competition between them - in as much as the modes of nature themselves exist in a state of competition.The use of ideology - religious or otherwise - is merely the way to generate a sense of communal loyalty, for the expressed purpose of enhancing their numbers and providing numerical strength and the more mystical element of "conviction" in the cause. The cause of course is really just survival. A basic animal drive. There is nothing to be gained by highlighting the defects Nor by arguing amongst each other over the relative superiority of one group's religious notion over any other. the adherents of all religious, political and social ideologies. Consciousness is one!

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                                      Top 10 anti cancer Foods!     

   Carrots= CARROTENE   

                                      
     Tomatoes.  Besides loads of vitamin C, tomatoes are one of the
richest sources of the flavenoid lycopene - which gives them their red
colour - which has shown to defend, in study after study, against
cancers of the lungs, cervix, prostate and mouth. Tomatoes are also
one of the chief ingredients of "the Mediterranean diet", now well
known for the many important health benefits it conveys.



     Blueberries.  In addition to plenty of flavenoids - the rich
pigment of the berries - which has repeatedly shown to protect against
several cancers, blueberries may also hold "the secret of youth". In a
study published in Journal of Neuroscience, investigators found that
elderly rats fed the human equivalent of at least 1/2 cup of
blueberries per day, improved in balance, coordination and short term
memory. A normal serving consists of one cup. Like other fruits and
vegetables - and particularly so the 'dark' ones - blueberries contain
chemicals that act as antioxidants, now believed by scientists to
protect the body against "oxidative stress," one of several biological
processes that cause aging.



     Red Cabbage, Red Beets.  All cabbages - including their kin
broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts bok choy, and so forth -
are not only rich in calcium, but recent research has shown that they
are also extremely rich in anti-cancer flavenoids, the source of the
purple colour of the red cabbages. But the red cabbage tops them all;
it is the richest source of flavenoids among all vegetables, besides
red beets, of course. Red beets have so much of these flavenoids that
it can alarm people who are not used to them, because it turns urine
red. But there is no reason to panic, it's just the abundance of the
potent flavenoids in red beets.



     Spinach.  Also one of the "dark" vegetables, spinach is also a
rich source of vitamin C, beta-carotene - both are potent antioxidants
- as well as folic acid, now discovered to be so vital to our health
that the US Dept. of Health has mandated that it is added to flour. In
several studies (University of Minnesota, Environmental Health
Services, and others), it has been found that people who include two
or more servings of spinach per week in their nutrition have
considerably lower lung and breast cancer rates.



     Garlic.  Studies focused on garlic have shown, again and again,
that this pungent onion kin lives up to its age-old reputation of
being a powerful all-around health promoting food. The sulphur
compounds that give it its strong flavour have now been shown to
protect against cancer by neutralizing carcinogens and slowing tumor
growth. In a recent Iowa Women's Health study, investigators found
that women who consume garlic at least once a week also have a 32%
lower incidence of breast cancer. Garlic is, of course, also a major
ingredient in the now well known "Mediterranean diet".



     Whole Wheat.  In a recent study at the University of Iowa,
scientist found that the more whole grain there is in a woman's diet,
the lower her risk of breast cancer, as well as heart disease. In this
study, as well as an analysis of 40 other studies on 20 kinds of
cancer, investigators established that consumers of whole wheat
products (bread, pasta, cereals) have a 33% lower risk of these
diseases than those who do not eat whole wheat products.



     Oranges.  Already well known for their high vitamin C content,
much recent research in the food sciences has shown that oranges are
also rich in many other potent anti-cancer compounds. Investigators
have now found that oranges contain more than 170 photochemicals,
including more than 20 from the potent carotenoid family alone. In
addition, compounds called limonoids - which give citrus fruit their
slightly bitter taste - appear to be highly active anti-cancer agents
as well. Regular consumption of oranges is associated with
significantly lower lung and stomach cancers.



     Strawberries.  In a study tracking the diet and health of 1.271
people, researchers at the Harvard School of Health found that people
who love strawberries have a 70% lower incidence of cancer. But, and
as many other studies have shown, the same holds true for all other
colourful and deeply coloured berries, such as cranberries,
raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red and purple grapes, and so
forth.



     Beans.  Much recent research in the food sciences has
established that all kinds of beans are loaded with protease
inhibitors, compounds that make it hard for cancer cells to invade
adjacent tissue. Fava beans contain much herein, which has shown to
block carcinogens in the digestive tract. And soy beans are especially
rich in isoflavones, which appears to reduce the risk of breast cancer
by blocking the tumor-growing influence of estrogen. Lentils also
belong to the bean family, and are one of the tastiest, most
versatile, and easiest to prepare beans.



General Remarks.  In addition to the above, all 'colorful' and deeply
coloured fruit and vegetables - and the deeper the colour the better -
including carrots, strawberries, red and purple grapes, and so forth -
are rich in anti-cancer flavenoids and anti-oxidants. And if you can
get them as organically grown - without agricultural poisons - that
much the better. This will also eliminate these poison residues from
your nutrition. As the example of the whole grains demonstrates, try
to stay as close to natural food - as Nature has made it - as possible
in your choice of foods. Much that is important, even vital to our
health is lost in the 'refining' of food.

Despite dozens of ice-ages, large scale continental changes, massive
climate changes, and the total absence of any hygiene of any kind,
Life has managed to survive and thrive on this beautiful Earth for the
staggering immensity of 4 billion years. And it has done so entirely
on natural foods. It is only 150 years ago - a mere blink of an
evolutionary eye - that our rather simplistic N-P-K modern agriculture
was invented - with, as it now turns out, the disastrous consequences
of many cancers and many other 'incurable' deadly physiological and
mental diseases. Meanwhile, in all those 'undeveloped' nations which
still practice a traditional 72 trace element agriculture , cancer and all the other terrrible and macabre physiological and mental diseases which plague us now are
either extremely rare, or practically unknown. And this despite the
absence of refrigeration and hygiene. The rate of dementia including
Alzheimer's, for instance, stands at 1% of the population in Japan
whereas it is 11% here, and some say 14% because of the as yet
unrecognized portion of the incidence of dementia. Meanwhile, breast
cancer rates continue to rise here - including a 24% increase in male
breast cancer, which once was unheard of, within the last two decades.

The truth is, and if one comes right down to it, we are being murdered
by the millions (deaths due to breast, colon, prostate, thyroid, lung
and many other cancers, leukemia, ALS, MS, Alzheimer's, Parkinsons,
cardiovascular and many other degenerative diseases), and physically
and mentally disabled and tortured (bi-polar disorder, ADD, ADHD,
arthritis, osteoporosis, ect. ect.) by our daily food.