Meatless Mondays…It’s a Healthy Start
As the majority of chiropractors seem to be, I find myself on the leading edge of the health front when it comes to everything from good eating habits to natural supplements and the new fitness regimes. So I have been very enthusiastic about the new nationwide “pro-veggie” effort that is an attempt to persuade carnivores to go meatless at least once a week. The catchy name for this effort is Meatless Monday. Now, I’m not a vegetarian. I eat chicken and fish, which I believe are healthier animal proteins than red meats. But, I am happy to go strictly vegetarian on Mondays to encourage those who do eat red meat to abstain as well. The health dangers of red meat are many; the most serious are the association between red meat and cancer. Diabetes has also been linked to red meat consumption. And, many cardiac rehabilitation units will tell you that 20-30 percent of their patients are “second-homers” because they continue to eat unhealthily, including eating red meat!
I have been encouraged that some public school systems, such as the Aspen School District’s middle and elementary schools, have embraced Meatless Mondays. In fact, in Aspen, school lunches (down to and including ketchup) are made from scratch! They even roast their own beets!!
Some five star restaurants have started offering more than one vegetarian alternative on the menu. The motivation may not be altruistic and even health directed. Let’s face it, vegetables, in addition to having less impact on the planet than meat in energy and water usage, are much cheaper as an ingredient. In any event, I believe that there’s a “change in the air” in the promotion of more vegetable and less meat consumption. If the primary motivation is economic, so be it. In the end, health is the winner!
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