If trend trackers — who are predicting an increased interest in mock meats, vegan foods for infants and other animal-free options — are correct, 2013 just might be the year of the vegan. Even the Cooking Channel is getting in on the act. The popular cable channel recently aired the first mainstream vegan cooking show, “How to Live to 100.”
The Adventist study found many other benefits from going meat-free. According to the study, men who eat beef more than three times a week more than double their risk of dying of heart disease, and women who eat a lot of meat and cheese more than double their risk of developing ovarian cancer. Vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease, are less prone to developing arthritis and diabetes and weigh less. On average, the study’s vegan participants have a five-point lower body mass index than do the meat-eaters. For the typical 55-year-old, that translates to about 30 pounds.
Eating meat is as harmful to the Earth as it is to our health. According to a United Nations report, the meat industry contributes to land degradation, climate change, air and water pollution, water shortages and loss of biodiversity. And, of course, every vegan prevents the daily suffering and terrifying deaths of more than 100 animals every year.
It’s rare for one simple lifestyle change to have such a profound effect. Now that vegan eating has gone mainstream, it’s never been easier to make the switch. In 2013, why not try eating more vegan meals and seeing how you feel? You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
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