---

World Vegetarian Day - 1st October 2005 - Touching base

Please visit "Vegetarianism and Beyond"

http://turn.to/Vegetarianism for information, articles, downloads,
books, vegetarian musik samples, and much much more.

World Vegetarian Day

Vegetarian - It's Healthier

Vegetarians are healthier than people who eat meat. It's a fact.
Scientific studies show that vegetarians suffer much less from
illnesses like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and other
common health problems. A major study reported in the British Medical
Journal in 1994 found that, of 5000 meat-eaters and 6000 non-meat
eaters, vegetarians had 40% less risk of cancer and 30% less risk of
heart disease than the meat-eaters and were 20% less likely to die of
any cause (Oxford Vegetarian Study).

A US study of 50,000 vegetarians showed a very low rate of cancer
(Seventh Day Adventist Study, Massachussets). It has been estimated
that by following a low-fat vegetarian diet, the risk of food poisoning
is decreased by 80%. More evidence of the benefits of a vegetarian diet

is being found each year.

>From TIME magazine (July 2002) - A balanced vegetarian diet is better

for humans than one that includes meat:

www.time.com/time/covers/1101020715/index.html

Vegetarian - It's Humane

Billions of animals are killed in slaughterhouses around the world. In
the US, some half a million are killed each hour, while in the UK over
600 million are killed each year. A proportional number are killed in
Australia. It is nothing more than an undercover massacre. Animals
suffer enormously in the process. Quite apart from the terror of being
killed, they undergo pain and fear through routine stock mutilations
and during transportation to saleyards and abattoirs.

Most animals eaten in New Zealand, Australia, UK, USA and similar
countries today are intensively raised in dark, sunless sheds where
they are fed a diet of processed foods. In most cases antibiotics,
growth-promotants and hormones are routinely administered. As
biological entities, these animals are treated as little more than meat
machines. We would be horrified if our pet cat or dog was treated in
this way, so why should we subject other animals to such cruelty? The
fact that the killing is done by someone else makes it easy to eat meat
but, by eating it, we are really condemning the next animal in line.

Have you ever really stopped to think about the cruelty we
systematically inflict on other species simply by eating them?

www.hknet.org.nz/Veg-cruelty-page.htm
www.hknet.org.nz/Veg-equal-respect-page.htm

Vegetarian - It's Economical

Meat is expensive, both economically and agriculturally. With so many
starving people in the world today it is a criminal waste of food to
produce it. Meat-animals are fed perfectly good plant food which could
have been fed directly to starving people. For istance, it takes 17
kilos of corn, beans, grain, etc, to produce one kilo of beef in
feedlot cattle. This is like investing $17.00 in a bank term deposit
and withdrawing $1.00 at maturity! It rquires massive reserves of land
to grow the crops which are used as animal feed. About 70% of crops
grown in the US are fed to animals and not to humans. Meanwhile, a
child dies of starvation somewhere in the world every two seconds. As
the world human population grows, so too does the need for the
dwindling reserves of arable land on which to grow crops to feed it.

See more fact about the cost of meat in different ways HERE:

www.hknet.org.nz/Cost-of-meat-page.htm

Vegetarian - It's Environmentally Friendly

In Central America, entire forests are felled or burnt to provide land
for grazing cattle. Most of these cattle end up as second-quality
hamburger meat for the North American junk food market. Being
hard-hooved, cattle erode the vulnerable topsoil, while each animal
produces over 300 litres of methane (a "greenhouse" gas) per day.

Also, the trees which are felled to clear land for cattle ranching are
left to rot. The termites which then feed on them produce even more
methane than the cattle.

Weight for weight, cattle alone outweigh the entire human population of
our planet. A recent Greenpeace report told how the dairy industry of
California uses enough water to supply a city of 22 million people. The
effluent produced from intensive piggeries, cattle feedlots and broiler

units is polluting our river systems. A NSW government newsletter
pointed out that the late Homebush abattoirs was the single greatest
industrial polluter of Sydney's coastal waters.

www.hknet.org.nz/Veg-environment-page.htm

Vegetarian - Exploding Some Myths

Understandably, people are a bit apprehensive about changing their
diet. Everyone seems to know "someone" who looks as pale as a bleached
potato since giving up meat! The truth is that a well-balanced
vegetarian diet provides all the protein and nutrients needed for a
vigorous and healthy life (American Dietary Association Study). What is
seldom pointed out are the millions of conventional eaters who suffer
from constipation, malnutrition, gout and a host of other problems and
diseases brought on by a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in their
diet, combined with the adverse effects of meat.

A study carried out the by University of Surrey in Britain found that
vegetarians were better nourished than meat eaters, and much closer to
the "ideal" diet recommended by the government's own health advisers.

More information on our Vegetarianism and Beyond site
www.hknet.org.nz/Vege-AdirajIntroVeg.html

Hard Facts www.hknet.org.nz/Cost-of-meat-page.htm

Links to hundreds of Vegetarianism related sites
www.hknet.org.nz/vege-links1.html

Vegetarian - Aren't We Designed To Eat Meat?

Not at all. Many people say that we are meat-eaters because we have
sharp teeth. This is like judging a book by its cover. Look inside and
you will find out what is really going on. Our digestive system
resembles that of the herbivores and the frugivores (fruit-eaters). It
consists of a very long intestine allowing slow digestion of nutrients.
By contrast, carnivores have a short digestive tract designed so that
meat can quickly pass through the body before it putrefies and becomes
toxic. To compensate for this rapid transition, carnivores have a
stomach acid concentration 10 times greater than that of vegetarian
mammals (including humans) to enable them to quickly digest the meat.
When humans eat meat it begins to putrefy before leaving the body,
often resulting in disorders as diverse as constipation and bowel
cancer if eaten persistently over a period of time. Sure, the more
fibre eaten with meat, the quicker it passes through the intestines,
but why eat meat at all?

Only vegetable matter contains fibre and a good vegetarian diet
provides all the fibre the body needs without having to add
extra"artificially".

If you are serious about lowering your cholesterol intake, a vegetarian
diet is the best way to go since only animal products contain
cholesterol.

Health Fact Sheet www.hknet.org.nz/VegeGo.html
Speaking out - www.hknet.org.nz/veg-stubborn-page.htm

Vegetarianism and the Bible - You mean it says that in the Bible

www.hknet.org.nz/Veg-UmeanItsinBible.html

Religion and Vegetarianism -

www.hknet.org.nz/WesternIndologists-page.htm

Random Christian Quotes supporting Vegetarianism

www.hknet.org.nz/Veg-christians-page.htm

Vegetarian - What do I eat then?

Most people imagine vegetarian eating to be meat and two "veg" minus
the meat. To a conventional meat-eater this sounds like someone being
sold a car with the engine missing! Nothing could be further from the
truth. Vegetarian eating is about eating a wide variety offoods
prepared in an abundance of different ways.

Being a good vegetarian means being adventurous and open-minded about
food. It is not simply about eating a predictable menu day-in, day-out.
Many vegetarian staples had their origin in different countries
hundreds of years ago . pasta from China (and later Italy), tofu from
China, and tempeh from Indonesia. Tofu is bean curd made from soya
beans. Tempeh is a sort of nut-flavoured cheese made from fermented soy
beans. It is rich in enzymes and easily digested.

Both can be bought at health food stores and larger supermarkets. These
are not merely substitutes for meat, but nutritious food in themselves
which have proved to be an excellent source of protein for centuries.

Stupid things that vegetarians hear all the time from meat-eaters:

www.hknet.org.nz/veg-friends.html#Stupid

Vegetarian - Where Do I Get My Protein?

Protein is naturally very plentiful. It occurs in every living thing,
plant and animal. Apart from fruit and vegetables, good sources of
protein include pasta, lentils, rice, potatoes, soy beans, chick peas,
nuts, seeds and grains, with or without moderate use of eggs and dairy
products.

The amount you need depends on different personal attributes (weight,
height, etc) and the daily requirement varies considerably from 20 to
90 grams per day. By eating a variety of foods each day you should
easily meet your individual requirements. In fact, the nutritional
attitude to protein has changed dramatically in recent years. The
old-fashioned notion that "you can never get too much protein" has now
been proved wrong. Excess protein not used by the body has to be broken
down and excreted as waste. In fact, a major culprit in many human
degenerative diseases is a protein overdose. For example, calcium loss
in osteoporosis has been linked largely to an excess of high-protein
foods.

This site lists everything that anyone would need to have a balanced
healthy life-style as a vegetarian; vitamins and minerals sources, the
food triangle, check it out:

www.hknet.org.nz/Vege-VitaminSources.html

Vegetarian - What about Minerals like Iron and Calcium?

A sound vegetarian diet should provide all needed nutrients. The
presence of vitamin C with iron in the diet will help iron absorption
by up to 30%.

It is a myth that you have to eat meat to get sufficient iron. It is
readily available in breakfast cereals, whole grain products, soy
products, legumes and leafy green vegetables. Tiredness is not
necessarily caused by iron deficiency. It may also be caused by lack of
sleep, depression, stress and poor eating habits (usually junk food).

Calcium is found in all unprocessed vegetable foods in amounts that are
sufficient to meet the needs of both adults and growing children.

Whatever the calcium intake, the intestine absorbs sufficient calcium
to meet the body's needs. Good sources of calcium are sesame seeds,
tofu, almonds, soy beans, parsley, green vegetables and fortified soy
milk. A recent dietary study on 6,500 Chinese found that even those who
ate no animal products actually consumed twice the amount of iron as
the average North American. In spite of the fact that dairy products
were not eaten, osteoporosis was almost unknown.

It's all here www.hknet.org.nz/Vege-VitaminSources.html

Vegetarian - The change - How Do I Start?

The best place to start going vegetarian is in the kitchen! Buy a
cookbook and start preparing. You will soon get used to the types of
food that are used and how they are prepared. Also, your taste for
vegetarian food will adapt. If you are doubtful about your abilities as
a cook you can enrol in cooking classes. Information about these is
often available in health food shops and some courses are run at TAFE
colleges(in Australia).

See HERE www.hknet.org.nz/vege-links1.htm for some we know of.....
otherwise the Vegetarian Society(ies)

www.hknet.org.nz/vege-links2.htm often has a list of recommended
classes.

Giving up meat might seem strange at first, but so does giving up
tobacco to the cigarette addict! If you feel that you can't drop meat
straight away, try cutting it down bit by bit. Just increase your use
of foods like beans, grains, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, gluten and some

of the many low cholesterol convenience foods (like burgers and
sausages) now available at health food stores and supermarkets.

Some Recommended On-line and Hard-copy Cook books Higher Taste Cookbook


- available from Hare Krishna temples and centres view it on-line

http://www.webcom.com/ara/col/books/VEG/ht/ or
at http://www.webcom.com/ara/col/books/VEG/

Great Vegetarian Dishes by Kurma dasa

www.webcom.com/ara/col/catalog/vd.html

Cooking With Kurma

www.webcom.com/ara/col/catalog/cwk.html

The Hare Krishna Book of vegetarian cooking

www.webcom.com/ara/col/catalog/hkvc.html

www.webcom.com/ara/col/books/VEG/hkvc1.html

Vegetarian and lowfat food recipes (WinHelp)

(FREE Download) http://www.winsite.com/bin/Info?500000010774

Vegetarian - Why Do So Many People Eat Meat?

Meat-eating in the quantity our society eats today really began with
the industrial revolution. Better machines led to more efficient
agriculture. When a surplus of crops was produced, this was fed to
animals and the animals eaten by those who could afford meat. Thus meat
became something of a status symbol. Unfortunately the status symbol
developed into a habit so that most of us in the wealthier countries
think that it is a normal part of our diet. As we approach a new
century, it is high time we turned back to the healthier, less wasteful
diet of our forebears.

Today the meat and dairy industries promote the myth of their products
being necessary through heavy advertising (you only have to count the
times they appear on television to see that!). Close behind them are
the pharmaceutical companies which provide the hormones, antibiotics
and growth promotants to the animal producers.

Altogether there are many vested interests in keeping us eating animal
products! Unfortunately the only interests that are lost in this
expensive advertising jungle are yours.

Individual health and a healthy environment begins with good eating
habits, and a vegetarian lifestyle is the simplest and most effective
way to achieve them.

Living in Harmony with Vegetarians

www.hknet.org.nz/veg-friends.html

Taking a graphic look at Animal slaughter and meat eating:

www.hknet.org.nz/DeadAnimalFleshnFood.html

Download books, musik and video VCd that reveal the truth about the big
business behind keeping you addicted to eating meat with no
consideration for man nor beast:

www.hknet.org.nz/V-meetURmeat.html


Vegetarian - 101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian:

http://www.vivavegie.org/vv101/index.html

Vegetarian - Making the Change

To make any change is not easy, particularly when it involves
explanations to friends and family. However, making a change that you
know will take an enormous burden off the environmental stresses of the
planet, that will improve your health and ultimately save millions of
animals from cruelty makes it easy.

Already in the US and Britain there is a massive change towards a
meat-free diet. Some half a million people are adopting a vegetarian
lifestyle each year in the US while the number of British vegetarians
is now 4 million. The trend is catching in Australia and New Zealand
where many, mainly young people, are realising that they want a healthy
and humane future.

Whether you go vegetarian overnight or over a period of time does not
matter. The important thing is to get on the track. Even cutting down
on meat consumption will make an enormous difference.

TIME magazine ran an 8 page article asking "Should we all be
Vegetarians?" their conclusion was that a healthy balanced vegetarian
diet is better than one that includes meat

www.hknet.org.nz/veg-articles.html

Health and a Meatless Diet

www.hknet.org.nz/veg-health-meatless-diet-page.htm

A Beginners Guide to Vegetarianism:
http://people.qualcomm.com/sriharid/info/vegetarianism/veg.html

How Mary and Frank and Friends Eat - very nice Vegetarian pages:

www.all-creatures.org/recipes.html

The new millenium is the time to make the change. Let's make it a goal
for the whole planet. Remember . You're in good company!

Vegetarian - Famous Vegetarians

Pythagoras, Plutarch, Leonardo Da Vinci, Tolstoy, Shelley, George
Bernard Shaw, Gandhi, Thoreau, Bob Dylan, Joanna Lumley, George
Harrison, Paul and Linda McCartney, Michael Jackson, Madona, Martina
Navratilova, Hayley Mills, William Shatner, Sir Mark Oliphant, Cliff
Young, Peter Singer, Bob Barker, Spike Milligan, Nigel Hawthorne, Annie
Besant, Anthony Robbins, Peter Sumner, Chrissie Hynde, Tim
McCartney-Snape, Peter Brock, Lynda Stoner, Johnny Weissmuller (the
first Tarzan), Julie Christie, Morissey (The Smiths), Marty Feldman,
Murray Rose, Paavo Nurmi (9 Olympic medals), Andreas Cahling (body
building champion), Dave Scott (6-time Ironman Triathlon winner),
k.d.lang, Belinda Carlisle, Edwin Moses, Sean Hughes, Bryan Adams,
Dennis Weaver, Woody Harrelson, Killer Kowalski (champion wrestler),
Alicia Silverstone, Annalise Braakensiek, Vanessa Amorosi, Greg
Chappell, Jerry Seinfeld, Uri Geller, Kim Basinger, Alec Baldwin, James
Cromwell, Radha Mitchell, Daniel Johns silverchair), Susie Porter,
Joaquin Phoenix, Josef Brown, Daniel Jones (Savage Garden).

To see hundreds more visit our page

www.hknet.org.nz/Veg-famouspeople-page.htm

For all this and more see our page at Vegetarianism and Beyond

www.hknet.org.nz/Veges-Beyond5page.htm or http://turn.to/Vegetarianism

This page is also available on-line
www.hknet.org.nz/VegeFacts-links.html and as a
printable Fact-sheet without html links at
www.hknet.org.nz/VegeFacts.html