What's wrong with Eating MEAT?

c Ananda Marga Publications 1977 The first thing many eo le as! when they hear about the "egetarian diet is# $What's wrong with eating meat? Millions of eo le do it% why should & sto ?$ There are "ery im ortant reasons why it is referable not to eat meat'not emotional or sentimental# but "ery con"incing and scientific reasons( & f you consider these oints carefully# certainly you will want to try a "egetarian diet from now on(

But our ancestors have always eaten meat, haven't they?

)o* After much recent study and research# scientists ha"e concluded that our early ancestors were "egetarians who ate no meat e+ce t during eriods of e+treme crisis( lt was only during the last &ce Age# when their normal diet of fruits# nuts# and "egetables was una"ailable# that the early humans had to start eating animal flesh in order to sur"i"e( ,nfortunately the custom of eating meat continued after the &ce Age# either by necessity -li!e the Es!imos and tribes who li"e in the far north.# through habit# through conditioning# or through lac! of ro er !nowledge( /owe"er# throughout history there ha"e been many indi"iduals and grou s of eo le who ha"e rallied the im ortance of a ure diet for health# mental clarity# or s iritual reasons and who ha"e thereby remained "egetarians(

But isn't it natural for human beings to eat meat.

)o* 0cientists !now that the diet of any animal corres onds to its hysiological structure( /uman hysiology# bodily functions# and digesti"e system are com letely different from those of carni"orous animals( According to diet we can di"ide "ertebrate animals into three grou s1 meat eaters# grass and leaf eaters# and fruit eaters( 2et us loo! closely at each and see where humanity fits in( MEAT EATERS 3arni"orous animals# including the lion# dog# wolf# cat# etc(# ha"e many uni4ue characteristics which set them a art from all other members of the animal !ingdom( They all ossess a "ery sim le and short digesti"e system only three times the length of their bodies( This is because flesh decays "ery ra idly# and the roducts of this decay 4uic!ly oison the bloodstream if they remain too long in the body( 0o a short digesti"e tract was e"ol"ed for ra id e+ ulsion of utrefacti"e bacteria from decom osing flesh# as well as stomachs with ten times as much hydrochloric acid as

non'carni"orous animals -to digest fribrous tissue and bones.( Meat eating animals that hunt in the cool of the night and slee during the day when it is hot do not need sweat glands to cool their bodies# they therefore do not ers ire through their s!in# but rather# they sweat through their tongues( 5n the other hand# "egetarian animals# such as the cow# horse# 6ebra# deer# etc(# s end much of their time in the sun gathering their food# and they freely ers ire through their s!in to cool their bodies( 7ut the most significant difference between the natural meat eaters and other animals is their teeth( Along with shar claws# all meat eaters# since they ha"e to !ill mainly with their teeth# ossess owerful 8aws and ointed# elongated# $canine$ teeth to ierce tough hide and to s ear and tear flesh( They do )5T ha"e molars -flat# bac! teeth. which "egetarian animals need for grinding their food( ,nli!e grains# flesh does not need to be chewed in the mouth to redigest it% it is digested mostly in the stomach and the intestines( A cat# for e+am le# can hardly chew at all( RASS!A"#!$EA% EATERS 9rass'and'leaf'eating animals -ele hant# cow# shee # &lama# etc(. li"e on grass# herbs# and other lants# much of which is coarse and bul!y( The digestion of this ty e of food starts in the mouth with the en6yme tyalin in the sali"a( These foods must be chewed well and thoroughly mi+ed with tyalin in order to be bro!en down( :or this reason# grass'and'leaf eaters ha"e ;< s ecial $molar$ teeth and a slight side'to'side motion to grind their food# as o osed to the e+clusi"ely u and down motion of carni"ores( They ha"e no claws or shar teeth% they drin! by suc!ing water u into their mouths as o osed to la ing it u with their tongue which all meat eaters do( 0ince they do not eat ra idly decaying foods li!e the meat eaters# and since their food can ta!e a longer time to ass through# they ha"e much longer digesti"e systems ' intestines which are ten times the length of the body( &nterestingly# recent studies ha"e shown that a meat diet has an e+tremely harmful effect on these grass'and'leaf eaters( =r( Wiliam 3ollins# a scientist in the )ew >or! Maimonedes Medical 3enter# found that the meat'eating animals ha"e an $almost unlimited ca acity to handle saturated fats and cholesterol$( lf a half ound of animal fat is added daily o"er a long eriod of time to a rabbit's diet# after two months his blood vessels become ca!ed with fat and the serious disease cal led arteriosclerosis de"elo s( /uman digesti"e systems# li!e the rabbit's# are also not designed to digest meat# and they become diseased the more they eat it# as we will later see( T&E %R'(T EATERS These animals include mainly the anthro oid a es# humanity's immediate animal ancestors( The diet of these a es consists mostly of fruit and nuts( Their s!in has millions of ores for sweating# and they also ha"e molars to grind and chew their food% their sali"a is al!aline# and# li!e the grass and leaf eaters# it contains tyalin for redigestion( Their intestines are e+tremely con"oluted and are twelve times the length of their body# for the slow digestion of fruit and "egetables( &'MA" BE(" S /uman characteristics are in e"ery way li!e the fruit eaters# "ery similar to the grass eaters# and "ery unlike the meat eaters# as is clearly shown in the table below( The human digesti"e system# tooth and 8aw structure# and bodily functions are com letely different from carni"orous animals( As in the case of the anthro oid a e# the human digesti"e system is twelve times the length of the body% our s!in has millions of tiny ores to e"a orate water and cool the body by sweating% we drin! water by suction li!e all other "egetarian animals% ? our tooth and 8aw structure is "egetarian% and our sali"a is al!aline and contains tyalin for redigestion of grains( /uman beings clearly are not carni"ores by hysiology ' our anatomy and digesti"e system show that we must ha"e e"ol"ed for millions of years li"ing on fruits# nuts# grains# and "egetables( :urthermore# it is ob"ious that our natural instincts are non'carni"orous( Most eo le ha"e other eo le !ill their meat for them and would be sic!ened if they had to do the !illing themsel"es( &nstead of eating raw meat as all flesh'eating animals do# humans boil#

ba!e# or fry it and disguise it with all !inds of sauces and s ices so that it bears no resemblance to its raw state( 5ne scientist e+ lains it this way1 $A cat will sali"ate with hungry desire at the smell of a iece of raw flesh but not at all at the smell of fruit( lf man could delight in ouncing u on a bird# tear its still li"ing limbs a art with his teeth# and suc! the warm blood# one might conclude that nature ro"ided him with meat'eating instinct( 5n the other hand# a bunch of luscious gra es ma!es his mouth water# and e"en in the absence of hunger he will eat fruit because it tastes so good( $ 0cientists and naturalists# including the great 3harles =arwin who ga"e the theory of e"olution# agree that early humans were fruit and "egetable eaters and that throughout history our anatomy has not changed( The great 0wedish scientist "on 2inne' states1 $Man's structure# e+ternal and internal# com ared with that of the other animals# shows that fruit and succulent "egetables constitute his natural food($ 0o it is clear from scientific studies that hysiologically# anatomically# and instincti"ely# man is erfectly suited to a diet for fruit# "egetables# nuts# and grains( This is summari6ed in the following table(
MEAT EATE@ EATE@
1 ;. ers ires through tongue to cool body ?. teeth to tear flesh <. in the mouth -not needed to re'digest grains and fruits. A. tyalin to re'digest grains B. teeth to grind food 7. chloric acid in stom' ach to digest tough animal muscle# bone# etc( D. ? times body length so ra idly decaying meat can ass out of body 4uic!ly through the body intestinal tract only much strong hydro' acid sali"a% no en6yme grains no flat bac! molar small sali"ary glands shar # ointed front has claws no ores on s!in% no claws ers ires through mil' lions of ores on s!in no shar # ointed front teeth well'de"elo ed sali' "ary glands# needed to re'digest grains and fruits al!aline sali"a% much tyalin to re'digest grains flat# bac! molar teeth to grind food stomach acid ;C times less strong than meat' eaters no clawsno claws ers ires through mil' ers ires through mil lions of ores on s!inlions of ores on s!in no shar # ointedno shar # ointed front teeth front teeth well'de"elo ed sali'well'de"elo ed sali "ary glands# needed"ary glands# needed to re'digest grainsto re'digest grains and fruits and fruits al!aline sali"a% muchal!aline sali"a% much tyalin to re'digest tyalin to re'digest grains flat# bac! molarflat# bac! molar teeth teeth to grind foodto grind food stomach acid ;C timesstomach acid ;C times less strong than meat'less strong than meat eaters eaters

2EA:'9@A00

:@,&T EATE@/,MA) 7E&)90

intestinal tract 1C times body length# leaf and grains do not decay as 4uic!ly so can ass more slowly

intestinal tract 1; intestinal tract 1; times body length% times bo)y length fruits do not decay as ra idly so can ass more slowly through the body

<

&istory of *egetarianism
:rom the beginnings of recorded history# we find that the "egetarian diet was regarded as the natural diet of humanity( The early 9ree!s# Egy tians# and /ebrews described man as a fruit eater( The wise riests of ancient Egy t ne"er ate meat( Many great 9ree! wise men'including Plato# 0ocrates# and Pythagoras 'were strong ad"ocates of the "egetarian diet( The great ci"ili6ation of the &nca &ndians was based on "egetarian diet( &n &ndia the 7uddha urged his disci les not to eat flesh( The Taoist saints and sages were "egetarians% the early 3hristians and Eews were also "egetarians( The 7ible clearly states1 $And 9od said# '7ehold# 1 ha"e gi"en you e"ery herb'bearing seed# which is u on the face of the earth# and e"ery tree# in which are fruits# for you it shall be as meat(' (Genesis 11;9.( And further# the 7ible forbids the eating of flesh1 $7ut li"ing flesh and blood you shall not eat($ (Genesis 91<.( 0t( Paul# one of the greatest disci les of Eesus# wrote in his letter to the @omans# $&t is good not to eat flesh((($ (Romans 14:21). @ecently historians ha"e disco"ered ancient te+ts similar to the New Testament, describing the life and s eeches of Eesus( &n one of these scri tures Eesus says1 $And the flesh of slain beasts in a erson's body will become his own tomb( :or & tell you truly# he who !ills# !ills himself# and whosoe"er eats the flesh of slain beasts eats the body of death($ (The Essene Gospel of Pea e).
11

The ancient /indus in &ndia always forbade the eating of meat% the holy boo! of &slam -Mohammedanism.# the Foran# rohibits the eating of $dead animals# blood# and flesh((($ 5ne of the first ro hets after Mohammed# his own ne hew# ad"ised the higher disci les# $=o not ma!e your stomachs gra"es for animals($ 0o we see throughout history# many wise and !nowledgeable eo le ha"e ado ted the "egetarian diet and ha"e strongly urged others to do the same(

+hy )o meat eaters get more )iseases an) )ie sooner?

,-(S-"(" . Eust before and during the agony of being slaughtered# the biochemistry of the terrified animal undergoes rofound changes( To+ic by roducts are forced throughout the body# thus ain' oisoning the entire carcass( According to the E! "lope#ia $!ittani a, body oisons# including uric acid and other to+ic wastes# are resent in the blood and tissue1 $Protein obtained from nuts# ulses -lentils# eas# etc(.# grains# and dairy roducts is said to be relati"ely ure as com ared with beef with a ABG im ure water content($

Eust as our bodies become ill during times of intense rage or fear# animals# no less than humans# undergo rofound biochemical changes in dangerous situations( The hormone le"el in the animals' blood 'es ecially the hormone adrenalin ' changes radically as they see other animals dying around them and they struggle futilely for life and freedom( These large amounts of hormones remain in the meat and later oison the human tissue( According to the )utrition &nstitute of America# $The flesh of an animal carcass is loaded with to+ic blood and other waste by roducts($ /A"/ER. A recent study conducted among AC#CCC "egetarians -the 0e"enth =ay Ad"entists. re"ealed results that shoo! the world of cancer B research( The study clearly showed that this grou has an astonishingly low rate of cancer( All ty es of cancer occurred at significantly lower rates as com ared with a grou matched on age and se+( The study showed that life e+ ectancy of the Ad"entists is also significantly longer( A recent study of Mormons in 3alifornia showed that cancer occurs in this grou at a rate of ACG less than in the normal o ulation( Mormons characteristically eat little meat( Why do meat eaters get more cancer? 5ne reason might be the fact that animal flesh which is se"eral days old naturally turns a sic!ly grey'green color( The meat industry tries to mas! this discoloration by adding nitrites# nitrates# and other reser"ati"es( These substances ma!e the meat a ear red# but in recent years many of them ha"e re eatedly been shown to be carcinogenic -cancer'inducing.( 0aid =r( William 2i8ins!y# a cancer researcher al 5a! @idge )ational 2aboratory in Tennessee# $& don't e"en feed nitrate'&aden foods to my cat($ 7ritish and American scientists who ha"e studied intestinal bacteria of meat eaters as com ared to "egetarians ha"e found significant differences( The bacteria in the meat eaters' intestines react with the digesti"e 8uices to roduce chemicals which ha"e been found to cause cancer( This may e+ lain why cancer of the bowel is "ery re"alent in meat'eating areas li!e )orth America and Western Euro e# while it is e+tremely rare in "egetarian countries such as &ndia( &n the ,nited 0tates# for e+am le# bowel cancer is the second most common form of cancer -second only to lung cancer.# and the eo le of 0cotland# who eat ;CG more beef than the English# ha"e one of the world's highest rates of cancer of the bowel( /&EM(/A$ #(ET Eating meat has often been called $eating on to of the food chain($ &n nature there is a long chain of eaters1 lants $eat$ sunlight# air# and water% animals eat lants% larger animals or human beings eat smaller animals( )ow# all o"er the world fields are being treated with oisonous chemicals -fertili6ers and esticides.( These oisons are retained in the bodies of the animals that eat the lants and grasses( :or instance# fields are s rayed with the insect !illing chemical ==T# a "ery owerful oison which scientists say can cause cancer# sterility# and serious li"er disease( ==T and esticides li!e it are retained in animal -and fish. fat and# once stored# are difficult to brea! down( Thus# as cows eat grass or feed# whate"er esticides they eat are mostly retained# so that when you eat meat# you are ta!ing into your body all the concentrations of ==T and other chemicals that ha"e accumulated during the animal's lifetime( Eating at the $to $ -end. of the food chain# humans become the final consumer and thus the reci ient of the highest concentration of oisonous esticides( &n fact# meat contains 1% times as much ==T as "egetables# fruits# and grass( lowa 0tate ,ni"ersity erformed e+ eriments which showed that most of the ==T in human bodies comes from meat( 7ut the oisoning of the meat does not sto here( Meat animals are treated with many more chemicals to increase their growth# falten them 4uic!ly# im ro"e their meat color# etc( &n order to roduce the most meat at the highest rofil# animals are force'fed# in8ected with hormones to stimulate growth# gi"en a etite stimulants# antibiotics# sedati"es# and chemical feed mi+tures( The New &o!k Times re orted1 $7ut of far greater otential danger to the consumer's health are the hidden contaminants bacteria'li!e salmonella and residues from the 7 use of esticides# nitrates# nitrites# hormones# antibiotics# and other chemicals($ -Euly 1D# 1971.( Many of these ha"e been found to be cancer'causing chemicals# and# in fact# many animals die of these drugs e"en before they are led to slaughter( As farms ha"e e"ol"ed into animal factories# many animals ne"er see the light of day ' their li"es are s ent in cram ed and cruel surroundings which culminate in a brutal death( A case in oint is the high'rise chic!en farms( According to an article in the 3hicago T!i'une, eggs are hatched on the to floor% the chic!s are stimulated# drugged# and force'fed% they eat ra"enously in their tiny cages ' ne"er getting e+ercise or fresh air( As they grow they are mo"ed# one floor at a time# to lower le"els( When they arri"e at the bottom floor they are slaughtered( 0uch unnatural ractices not only unbalance the body chemistry of the chic!ens and destroy their natural habits# but# unfortunately# the growth of malignant tumours and other malformations are 4uite common results( A"(MA$S' #(SEASES Another danger facing meat eaters is that animals are fre4uently infected with diseases which are undetected or sim ly ignored by the meat roducers or ins ectors( 5ften# if an animal has cancer or a tumour in a certain art of its body# the cancerous art will be cut away and the rest of the body sold as meat( C r worse yet# the tumours themsel"es will be incor orated into mi+ed meats such as holdogs# and eu hemistically labeled $ arts($ &n one area of America# where there is routine ins ection of slaughtered animals# ;A#CCC cattle with eye cancers were sold as beef* 0cientists ha"e found e+ erimentally that if the li"er of a diseased animal is fed to fish# the fish will get cancer( A famous "egelarian doctor# =r( E( /( Fellogg#once remar!ed when he sat down to a "egetarian dinner# $&t's nice to eat
a meal and not ha"e to worry about what your food may ha"e died of($ &EART #(SEASE Perha s the single most com elling argument for a non'meat diet# howe"er# is the undeniable and well'documented correlation between meat eating and heart disease( &n America -the highest meat consuming nation in the world. one erson out of e"ery two will die of heart or related blood "essel disease# whereas these diseases are ractically unheard of in societies where meat consum tion is low( The (ou!nal of the )me!i an *e#i al )sso iation re orted in 19B1 that $a "egetarian diet can re"ent 9C'97G of heart diseases -thromboembolic

disease and coronary occlusions.($ What is it that ma!es meat so harmful to the circulatory system? The fats of animal flesh# such as cholesterol# do not brea! down well in the human body( These fats begin to 1ine the walls of the meat eater's blood "essels( With the rocess of continual accumulation# the o ening inside the "essels gets smaller and smaller as the years go by# allowing less and less blood to flow through( This dangerous condition is called atheriosclerosis% it laces a tremendous burden on the heart which has to um harder and harder to send the blood through clogged and constricted "essels( As a result# high blood ressure# stro!es# and heart attac!s occur( @ecently# scientists at /ar"ard found that the a"erage blood ressure of "egetarians studied was significantly lower than that of a com arable grou of non'"egetarians( =uring the Forean War# ;CC bodies of young American soldiers# a"eraging about ;; years old# were e+amined after death( )lmost +,- ha# ha!#ene# a!te!ies , lo..e# with waste f!om eating meat( Forean soldiers of the same age grou were e+amined and were found to be free of this damage to their blood "essels( The Foreans were basically "egetarians( &t is now recogni6ed that the nation's number one !iller# heart disease# has reached e idemic ro ortions( More and more hysicians -and the American /eart Association. are shar ly restricting the amount of meat that their heart atients can eat# or they are telling them to sto eating it entirely( 0cientists now recogni6e that the roughage and fibre of "egetarian diets actually lower the le"el of cholesterol( =r( ,( =( @egister# 3hairman of the =e artment of )utrition at 2oma 2inda ,ni"ersity in 3alifornia# describes e+ eriments in which a diet rich in beans# eas# etc(# actually reduced cholesterol# e"en while the sub8ects were eating large amounts of butter( D

,'TRE%A/T(-" As soon as an animal is Filled# roteins in its body coagulate# and self'destruct en6ymes are released -unli!e slow decaying lants which ha"e a rigid cell wall and sim le circulatory system.( 0oon# denatured substances# called tomaines# are formed( =ue to these tomaines that are released immediately after death# animal flesh# fish# and eggs ha"e a common ro erty ' e+tremely ra id decom osition and utrefaction( 7y the time the animal is slaughtered# laced in cold storage# $aged$# trans orted to the butcher's sho # urchased# brought home# stored# re ared# and eaten# one can imagine what stage of decay one's dinner is in( Meat asses "ery slowly through the human digesti"e system# which# as we ha"e seen# is not designed to digest it( lt ta!es meat about fi"e days to ass out of the body -as o osed to "egetarian food# which ta!es only 111; days.# during this time the disease'causing roducts of decaying meat are in constant contact with the digesti"e organs( The habit of eating animal flesh in its characteristic state of decom osition creates a oisonous state in the colon and wears out the intestinal tract rematurely( @aw meat# being always in a state of decay# can contaminate coo!s' hands and e"erything it comes into contact with( 7ritish ublic health officers# after an outbrea! of food oisoning originating in slaughter houses# warned housewi"es to $handle raw meat as if it were hygienically e4ui"alent to cow dung($ 5ften oisonous bacteria are not destroyed e"en by coo!ing# es ecially if the meat is undercoo!ed# barbecued# or roasted on a s it% these are notorious sources of infection( 0 1(#"E2#(SEASE, -'T,ART&R(T(S Among the most rominent wastes that a meat eater loads his body with are urea and uric acid -nitrogen com ounds.( 7eefstea!# for e+am le# contains about 1< grams of uric acid er ound( An American doctor analy6ed the urine of meat eaters and "egetarians and found that the !idneys of meat'eaters ha"e to do th!ee times the amount of wor! to eliminate oisonous nitrogen com ounds in meat than do the !idneys of "egetarians( When eo le are young# they are usually able to bear this e+tra burden so that no e"idence of in8ury or disease a ears# but# as the !idneys age and become worn out rematurely# they become unable to do their wor! efficiently# and !idney disease is the fre4uent result( When !idneys can no longer handle the e+cessi"ely hea"y load of a meat'eating diet# the une+creted uric acid is de osited throughout the body( There it is absorbed by the muscles li!e a s onge# soa!ing u water# and later it can harden and form crystals( When this ha ens in the 8oints# the ainful conditions of gout# arthritis# and rheumatism result% when the uric acid collects in the ner"es# neuritis and sciatica result( )ow many doctors are ad"ising atients suffering from these diseases to sto eating meat com letely or to drastically reduce the amount they eat( POOR ELIMINATION Since our digestive system was not designed for a meat diet, poor elimination is a natural consequence and distressingly common complaint of meat eaters. Meat, being extremely low in fiber, has this major disadvantage-it moves very sluggishly through the human digestive tract (four times slower than grain and vegetable foods ma!ing chronic constipation a common ailment in our society. Much recent research has shown conclusively that a healthy elimination pattern requires the bul! and fiber available only from a proper vegetarian diet. "egetables, grains and fruits, in contrast to meat, retain moisture and bind bul! for easy passage. "egetarians get generous portions of natural food fiber in their diet and benefit tremendously from the disease preventative characteristics of this substance. #ccording to present research, natural fiber may be a significant deterrent of appendicitis, diverticulitis, cancer of the colon, heart disease, and obesity.

Vegetarians are far healthier than meat eaters.

#s we have seen, meat is not the natural or the most healthy dial for human beings. $e can survive on it, of course, but it prematurely wears out the human body and creates many diseases. -# gasoline engine can operate on !erosene, but it will clog frequently, wear out sooner, and brea! down faster than if it were run on gasoline.% #nd our bodies are not just machines, but intricate and beautiful creations which are to serve us our entire lifetime. &t therefore stands to reason that they should be given the food which they were built to consume-a natural diet of fruit, grains, nuts, legumes, vegetables, and dairy products. &t is no wonder, then, that countless studies have proved that vegetarians all over the world are far healthier than those who eat meat. - 'uring the economic crisis of war, when people were forced to live on vegetarian diets, their health dramatically improved. &n 'enmar! during $orld $ar &, there was a danger of an acute food shortage due to the (ritish bloc!ade. )he

'anish government appointed the director of the national vegetarian society to direct the rationing program. *or the duration of the bloc!ade the 'anes were forced to subsist on grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. &n the first year of the rationing, the death rate fell +,-. $hen the people of .orway became vegetarians due to the food shortage of $orld $ar +, there was an immediate drop in the death rate from eirculatory diseases. $hen the people of both .orway and 'enmar! returned to a meat diet after the war their death rate and heart disease rate promptly rose to pre-war levels. )he /un0as, a tribe in north &ndia and 1a!istan, have become internationally !nown for their freedom from disease and long life. 2urious scientists from many lands have floc!ed to their villages to discover the secret of a culture where disease is almost un!nown and natives often reach ages of ++3 or more. )heir diet consists mainly of whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and goat4s mil!. $rote Sir 5ob Mc6arrison, a (ritish general and doctor who wor!ed with the /un0as, %+ never saw a case of appendicitis, colitis, or cancer.% - 5ecently, a group of /arvard doctors and research scientists went to a remote village of 788 people in the mountains of 9cuador. )hey were ama0ed to find that many of the native people lived to extraordinarily old ages. :ne man was +;+ years old, and several were over +88. # thorough examination was given to those over the age of ,3. of these only two showed any evidence of heart disease< )he villagers were pure vegetarians. )he doctors called these findings %extraordinary% and said that %such examination of a similar population in the =nited States would show >3- with heart disease.% - Statistically, vegetarians in the =nited States are thinner and healthier. :ver 38- of #mericans are overweight, while on the average, vegetarians weigh about ;8 pounds less than meat eaters. )he #merican .ational &nstitute of /ealth, in a recent study of 38,888 vegetarians, found that the vegetarians live longer, have significantly lower incidence of heart disease, and have an impressively lower rate of cancer as compared to meat-eating #mericans. - &n 9ngland vegetarians have to pay much less for life insurance than meat eaters because they are less li!ely to get heart disease and so are considered less of a ris! by the insurance companies. #nd vegetarian restaurants pay less for their food poisoning insurance policies since their customers are much less li!ely to be poisoned by the food than restaurants which serve meat. - #t /arvard =niversity a doctor has shown that a vegetarian diet reduces colds and allergies. So it has been scientifically proven again and again that meat eating is positively harmful to the human body, while a well-selected vegetarian diet in harmony with the laws of nature will help us have a dynamically healthy body. -

Vegetarians are more physically fit than meat eaters.

:ne of the greatest misconceptions about the vegetarian diet is that it will produce a wea!, pale, sic!ly person. .othing could be farther from the truth. Many studies, in fact, have shown vegetarians to be stronger, more agile, and to have more endurance than meat eaters. - 'r. /. Schouteden at the =niversity of (elgium conducted tests to compare endurance, strength, and quic!ness of recovery from fatigue in vegetarians and meat eaters. /is findings indicated that vegetarians were substantially superior in all three characteristics. - 'r. &rving *isher of ?ale =niversity conducted endurance tests in +>8@ and +>8,. ?ale athletes, instructors, doctors, and nurses participated in the study. /is surprising evidence revealed that the vegetarians had nearly twice the stamina of meat eaters. Similar tests by A. /. Bellogg at (attle 2ree! Sanitarium in Michigan confirmed *isher4s findings. - # study at (russels =niversity by 'r. A. lotey!o and ". Bipani proved comparable to those of 'r. *isher. &n the endurance tests the vegetarians were able to perform two to three times longer than the meat eaters before complete exhaustion, and they too! only one fifth the time to recover from fatigue after each test than their meat-eating counterparts. )hese stri!ing results show that the vegetarian diet is superior for physical strength, endurance, and efficiency. &ndeed, the world4s most powerful and longest lived animals are all vegetarians. )he horse, oxen, buffalo, and elephant all have the large, healthy bodies, the power of endurance, and the phenomenal strength that enables them to carry massive loads and do arduous wor! for man. .one of the flesh-eating animals have the stamina or endurance to be beasts of burden. &t is also interesting to note how many great athletes who have set world records have been vegetarians. - )he "egetarian 2ycling 2lub in 9ngland has held over 78- of the national cycling records, and all over 9urope the vegetarian cyclists have consistently made up a higher percentage of winners than the meat-eating cyclists. - )he great vegetarian swimmer, Murray 5ose, was the youngest triple gold medal winner in the :lympic games. /e has been hailed as one of the greatest swimmers of all time and has bro!en many records. # (ritish vegetarian swarn across the 9nglish channel faster than anyone in history- in @ hours and ;8 minutes. - Many internationally famous athletes, past and present, changed to a vegetarian diet -for example, the #ustrian weight lifter, #. #nderson, who won many world records, and Aohnny $eismuller, who made 3@ world swimming records. )hey report no decrease in strengthC in fact, their ability seems to increase or stay the same. - (ill $alton, the nationally acclaimed bas!etball star center, is famous for his aggressive, harddriving performance. /is personal experience has so convinced him of the benefits of a vegetarian diet that he has repeatedly advocated this regimen for others. #ll over the world, vegetarians have set many records-in wrestling, boxing, wal!ing, football, cross-country running, etc. "egetarians actually have more endurance and energy because their bodies do not have to waste tremendous amounts of energy trying to counteract the poisons in meat.

ill I get eno!gh n!trition "itho!t eating meat#

8ne of the worries people have when they thin! about adopting a vegetarian diet is, %$ill & get enough nutrition if & don4t eat meatD $ill & get enough proteinD% )hey have nothing to worry about, massive advertisement campaigns notwithstanding. # vegetarian diet can provide all necessary body nutrients. &n fact, many st!$ies ha%e sho"n that a %egetarian diet provides much more nutritional energy than a meat diet. $e have been conditioned to believe that meat eating is necessary for health. &n the +>384s scientists classified meat proteins as %first class% and vegetables as %second class%. /owever, this idea has been completely disproved, because vegetable proteins have been found to be equally as effective and nutritious as meat proteins. )he distinction is no longer made. )here is a tremendous range of protein content in vegetarian food, ranging from E-+;- in cereal grains to the incredibly protein rich soybean which has 78- protein, twice the amount found in meat. (9ven the leanest cut of beefstea! has only ;8- usable protein. Many nuts, seeds, and beans are F8-. )he protein we need actually consists of E %essential% amino acids. Meat has often been purported to be superior because it has all E amino acids. $hat most meat eaters don4t reali0e is that meat is not the only complete protein-soybeans and mil!, for example, are also complete proteins. )hat is, they provide all the E amino acids we need, in the proper proportions. 1erhaps even more noteworthy is the fact that a complete protein is easily available simply by eating two of these (non-meat foods togelher (such as rice and legumes , to ma!e a high quality combination that far surpasses the protein value of either food alone. 1oor people everywhere in the world seem to do this instinctively by mixing rice and tofu or beans (as in 2hina and india , or corn and beans (as in 2entral and South #merica , etc. &n +>,; 'r. *rederic! Stare of /arvard =niversity conducted a comprehensive study of vegetarians (including adult men and women, pregnant women, and adolescent girls and boys . /e found that all groups were consuming over twice their minimum daily protein requirement. &n +>37 scientists conducted a detailed study at /arvard and found that when a variety of vegetable, grain, and dairy products were eaten in #.? combination there was always more than enough proteinC they were unable to find a protein deficiency no matter what combinations were used. )he scientists concluded that it is very difficult to eat a varied vegetarian diet which will not exceed protein requirements for the human body. &n newspapers we often read about the malnourished people in poor countries who are starving and dying from protein deficiency, and we often blame this on their vegetarian diet. (ut scientists have found that these people are undernourished not because they are not eating meat, but because they are not eating enough food. # diet of rice only (and very little of that or sweet potatoes only, naturally leads to malnutrition and early death. (y contrast, anywhere in this world that one can find people living on a vegetarian diet with an adequate caloric inta!e and an adequate variety of vegetables, grains, and legumes, there one will find strong, healthy, and thriving people. &' $e may do well to search for an explanation for the fact that we have been so thoroughly conditioned to believe we cannot possibly be healthy without eating large amounts of meat, when actually just the reverse is true. $ho is perpetrating the %6reat #merican Stea! 5eligion,% and whyD

Is there any connection (et"een o!r meat eating ha(its an$ "orl$ star%ation# ?es<
- lf we conserved our grain supply and gave it to the poor and malnourished, instead of to cattle, we could easily feed nearly all of the chronically underfed people of the world. - lf we ate half as much meat, we could release enough food to feed the entire %developing world.% - # /arvard nutritionist, Aean Mayer, estimates that reducing meat production by just +8- would release enough grain to feed @8 million people. - )he shoc!ing and tragic truth is that E8->8- of all grain grown in #merica is used to feed meat animals. - )wenty years ago, the average #merican ate 38 pounds of meat annuallyC this year he will eat +;> pounds of beef alone. (ecause of #merica4s %fixation on meat,% most eat twice the daily recommended protein allowance. Gearning the real facts behind the %food shortage% is fundamental to an =nderstanding of how we can properly utili0e the world4s resources. More and more scientists and world economists are strongly advocating a vegetarian diet to solve the tremendous food problems of our planet, because, they say, eating meat is one of the main causes of these problems. &) *+T ,O -OE. VE/ETARIANI.M

RELATE TO 0OO- .,ORTA/E# )he answer is simpleH meat is the most uneconomical and inefficient food we can eatC the cost of one pound of meat protein is twenty times higher than equally nutritional plant protein. :nly +8- of the protein and calories we feed to our livestoc! is recovered in the meat we eat, that is, >8- goes %down the drain.%

"ast acres of land are Giased to raise livestoc! for food. )hese acres of land could be utili0ed far more productively if planted with grains, beans, and other legumes for humans to eat directly. *or example, one acre used to raise a steer will provide only about one pound of proteinC but this same land planted with soybeans will produce +, pounds of protein< &n other words, to eat meat, we need to use +, times as much land as the amount needed to plant soybeans. &n addition, soybeans are more nutritious, contain less fat, and are free from the poisons of meat. 5aising animals for food is a tremendous waste of the vvorld4s resources not only of land, but also of water. lt is estimated that raising food for a meat diet uses eight times as much water as growing vegetables and grains. )his means that while millions of people all over the world are starving, a few rich people are wastirig vast amounts of land, water, and grain in order to eat meat, which is slowly destroying their bodies. #mericans consume over a ton of grain per person per year (through feed for meat-producing livestoc! , while the rest of the world averages about 788 pounds of grain. =nited .ations Secretary 6eneral Burt $aldheim has said that the food consumption of the rich countries is the !ey cause of the hunger around the world, and the =nited .ations has strongly recommended that these countries cut down on their meat consumption. )he primary solution to the global food crisis, many scientists are saying, is to gradually convert from a meat diet to a vegetarian diet. %&f we were vegetarians, we could banish hunger from this earth. 2hildren would be born and grow up well-nourished, and they would live happier, healthier lives. #nimals would be free to live as wild, natural creatures, not forced to reproduce in great numbers as slaves to be fattened for the slaughter, with food that hungry people should be eating.% ((. 1in!us, Vegetable Basic Proteins). %)he earth has enough for everyone4s need, but not enough for everyone4s greed.% (Mahatma 6andhi . (ecause many scientists are saying that the bul! of future food needs will be met by plant proteins, several $estern countries are currently financing much research to develop delicious, vegetable-based proteins made from soy flour. (ut the 2hinese people, among others, are way ahead of even this high level of researchC they have been obtaining excellent protein by eating tofu and other soy products for thousands of years. )he vegetarian diet is the diet of the future--the diet which we human beings must adopt once again if we are to save our natural resources and, even more important, the precious lives of human beings all over the world. )he vegetarian today is the human being of the future. )oday4s vegetarian points toward the direction that everyone will eventually follow, as people reali0e more and more the benefits of eating a vegetarian diet and the disastrous results of pursuing our present course. #lthough meat production is surely a major contributor to the global food crisis, it is only a graphic representation of the underlying difficultyH an obscured yet pervasive pattern which permeates every aspect of the struggle to obtain basic needs of everyone on our planet.

The Politics of ,!nger

#ccording to a widely accepted myth about world hunger, the world does not have the capacity to feed its people. 9veryone is doing the best they can, so the story goes. %)here is simply not enough to go around. )he hungry masses are rapidly multiplying, and if we are to avert disaster, a concerted effort to control population must be vigorously pursued.% /owever, a rapidly growing number of renowned scientists, economists, and agricultural experts are expressing their strong disagreement with this. %&t is patently false - a myth,% they say. %#ctually there is enough to go around, and then some. #ny scarcities are due to wasteful utili0ation of resources and their irrational distribution.% #ccording to (uc!minster *uller, there are enough resources at present to feed, clothe, house, and educate every human being on the planet at American middle class standards! 5ecent research by the &nstitute for *ood and 'evelopment 1olicy has shown that there is no country in the world in which the people could not feed themselves from their own resources. )here is no correlation between land density and hunger, they say. &ndia is usually cited as the classic example of what happens +, when over population occurs, and yet 2hina has twice as many peopie per cultivated acre as &ndia, and in 2hina people are not hungry. (angladesh has just one-half the people per cultivated acre that )aiwan has, yet )aiwan has no starvation while (angladesh has one of the highest rates in the world. &n fact, the most densely populated countries in the world today are .:) &ndia and (angladesh, but /olland and Aapan. 2learly, population density is not the reason people starve. :f course the world can reach a limit of being able to support human population, but this limit is estimated to be about 78 billion (we are currently at 7 billion . )oday more than half the world4s people are hungry all the time; neady half are starving. + f there is enough to go around, where is itD Get us ta!e a loo! at who controls food and how it is controlled. )he food industry is the largest in the world - to the tune of I+38 billion a year (larger than auto, steel, or oil industries . # relatively few, giant multinational corporations dominate the industryC concentration of power is in their hands. &t has become generally recogni0ed and been well documented that giant corporations hold extensive political controlC what this means is that a relatively few corporations are in a position to regulate and control the flow of food to billions of people. /ow is this possible - :ne of the ways giant corporations are able to control the mar!et is gradually to ta!e over every phase of the food system. *or example, one giant corporation will produce farm machinery, feed, fertili0ers, fuel, food containersC it will buy chains of supermar!ets, wholesale businesses, and processing plants, and grow the food. # small farmer cannot compete with this because the corporation can artificially lower prices to under cut competition and drive the small farmer out of business, and it then more than recovers its losses by artificially raising the prices in areas where it has !illed out the competition. )hus we see that since $orld $ar ++ the number of farms in the =. S. #. has dropped by

halfC more than +,888 independent farmers are leaving their farms every wee!. #nd yet a =. S. 'epartment of #griculture study has recently shown that small, independent farms can produce food much more cheaply and efficiently than the giant agribusiness farms<

- Sheer economic strengthH in the =. S., for example, less than one-tenth of one percent of all corporations own over 38of all the corporate wealth. *or instance, >8- of all grain mar!eting is controlled by only six companies.

- 1ower of decisionH #gribusiness corporations decide what crops are to be produced, how much, what quality, and what
price they are to be sold for. )hey have the power to hold bac! production or to store huge supplies of food, thereby creating artificial scarcities (which are notorious for raising prices .

- 6overnmental agencies that are supposed to regulate such matters are themselves dominated by agribusiness policy.
)op governmental positions (Secretary of #griculture, etc. are regularly held by agribusiness4 top corporation executives.

- Multinational giants have been extremely successful in achieving their goal of maximi0ing profits and amassing wealth.
)he rule of thumb is to increase prices as much as possible, while !eeping production at the minimum necessary to sell the goods, so that in the short run prices fluctuate, but on a long range basis they only rise fairly rapidly. - Multinationals are buying more and more land. # study of EF countries revealed that just over F- of land holders control about E8- of the farmland. #lthough this pattern has meant great profits for a few, it has been a great detriment to many. )here is no %land scarcity% or %food shortage% actually. lf the goal were to utili0e the resources of the world to meet humanity4s needs, the goal could and would be easily met. /owever, with a goal of maximum profits for a few, we have the tragic story of a planet with half its people hungry. 5eally spea!ing, the aspiration to become rich by exploiting others is a sort of mental malady - an ailment that leads to all sorts of distortions on our earthH

- &n 2entral #merica, where over ,8%Jo of the children are hungry, 38- of the land is used for %cash crops% (crops, such as
lilies, which yield fast, big profits but are of little use for human survival . $hile multinational corporations use the best land to grow their cash crops (coffee, tea, tobacco, exotic foods , the domestic people are forced to use slopes and eroded land on which it is difficult to grow food.

- 'evelopment funds have irrigated the desert in Senegal so that multinational firms can grow eggplant and mangos for
air-freighting to 9urope4s best tables.

- &n /aiti the majority of (utterly impoverished peasants struggle for survival by trying to grow food on mountain slopes of
a 738 inched or more. )hey say they are exiles from their birthright - some of the world4s richest agricultural land. )hese lands now belong to a handful of eliteC cattle are flown in by =. S. firms for gra0ing and re-exported to franchised hamburger restaurants. +>

- &n Mexico, land that was once used for growing corn for Mexicans is now used for the production of fancy vegetables for
=. S. citi0ensC the profit is ;8 times greater. /undreds of thousands of former farmers have found themselves landiess. =nable to compete with large landowners, they first lease their land to ma!e at least some money from itC the next step is to wor! for the big firmsC finally they find themselves migrant wor!ers, roaming in search of wor! so their families can survive, Such conditions have led to repeated waves of rebellion.

- &n +>,3, 2olombia4s best soil was used to produce +E million dollars of flowers. 2arnations brought E8 times greater
profit than did the former crop, wheat. .ot enough to go aroundD /ardly. )he good land, the best resource, is being used to produce luxury crops for profit. )hroughout must of the world we find a consistent, pervasive pattern. #griculture, once the livelihood of millions of self-supporting farmers, is being turned into the production sites of high-profit nonessentials for the (well-fed minority who can pay. 2ontrary to widespread myths, our food security is not being threatened by the prolific, hungry masses but by elites that profit by the concentration and internationali0ation of control of food resources. %$hen the whole property of this universe has been inherited by all creatures, how then can there be any justification for a systern in which someone receives a flow of huge excess, while others die for lac! of a handful of grains.% 1. 5. Sar!ar Meat production is the epitome of this pervasive system. %)he poor man4s grain is being siphoned to feed the rich man4s cow,% says the director of the =nited .ations 1rotein #dvisory group. #s the demand for meat increases, rich nations are buying more and more grain to feed pigs and cattle. 6rain supplies, once used to feed people, are sold to the highest bidder, and countless human beings are effectively condemned to starvation. %)he wealthy can compete for the poor man4s foodC the poor cannot compete at all.% &n a 4)inal .ote to 2onsumers,% Aohn 1owell of *ood 9ducation for #ction writesH %)he price of food will probably go up this summer, despite the fact that the price of grain has dropped 38- since +>,F, which you r food bill has not yet reflected. (ut, in loo!ing for the reasons for this increase, don4t just loo! at #rabs and the price of oil and booming population in the )hird $orld. Goo! to the multinational corporations that control food industry with a little help from their friends in government. #nd remember, they are in the business of ma!ing money, not feeding people. #nd while we are trying to explode myths, let4s remember, we are not helpless.%

&ndeed we are not helpless. #nd even though the difficulties facing humanity may seen almost insurmountable, many people feel that we are at the threshold of a new era, when human beings everywhere will recogni0e the simple truth that human society is :ne and indivisible,- thus the suffering of one implies the suffering of all. &n discussing how a society based on universalism can be established, 1. 5. Sar!ar explainsH %# harmonious society can be achieved by immobili!ing the living spirit of those who desire to establish one human society ((( those at the forefront of such a moral movement will be leaders of moral integrity, leaders whose goal is not fame or wealth or power but the interests of the whole human society.%Aust as the advent of the crimson dawn is inevitable at the end of the 2immerian dar!ness of
the interlunar night, exactly in the same way & !now that a gloriously brilliant chapter will also come after the endless reproach and humiliation of the neglected humanity of today. )hose who love humanity, those who desire the welfare of all living beings, should be vigorously active from this very moment, after sha!ing off all lethargy and sloth, so that the most auspicious hour arrives at the earliest. ...)his endeavour, the well-being of the human race, concerns everyone-it is yours, mine, and ours. $e may afford to ignore our rights, but we must not forget our responsibilities. *orgetting our responsibilities implies the humiliation of the human race.% (aba

1Ahimsa12 Non-in3!ry to li%ing (eings

#ll the aforementioned practical considerations (health, economy, etc. are not the only reasons for not eating meat. :ne of the most important reasons is that we should not ta!e life, even animal life, unnecessarily. Many religious and spiritual groups have advocated a vegetarian diet, because of the sacredness of all life and the need to live without causing suffering. #ccording to their view, a true human being views animals not as slaves and food, but as younger brothers and sisters, and feels we have no right to cause them agony and brutally ta!e their lives unless our survival absolutely depends upon it. Since it is possible for us to live more healthy lives without ever eating meat, it is appropriate to as! whether meat eating is a moral and humane habit. 2learly animals do not give up their lives willingly so that we can have the luxury of eating their flesh. #nyone who has visiled a slaughter house can testify to the fact that animals suffer greatly before and during their slaughter. &n the =nited States alone nearly > million creatures are slaughtered daily for our supposed dietary needs. )hose of us who would weep if our dog or cat were !illed go on silently condoning the needless slaughter of millions of animals each day. # great contemporary spiritual leader, Shri #nandamurti, explains %ahimsa% in this wayH %#s far as possible, articles of food are to be selected from amongst the sets of items where development of consciousness is comparatively little, i.e., if vegetables are available, animals should not be slaughtered. Secondly, before !illing any animal having developed or underdeveloped consciousness, consider over and over whether it is possible to live in a healthy body without ta!ing such lives.% Many other great saints have shared this view. 'uring the early days of the 2hristian movement, for example, a large humber of 2hristian and Aewish sects opposed eat eating as a costly and cruel luxury. )hroughout history wise peopie and spiritual leaders have counseled that we will never be able to evolve to higher states of consciousness or create a human society based on love, until we give up the brutal habit of eating meatH %)rulyman is the !ing of beasts, for his brutality exceeds them. $e live by the death of others. $e are burial places< i have since an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men will loo! upon the murder of animals as they now loo! upon the murder of men.% Geonardo da "inci %$hile we ourselves are the living graves of murdered animals, how can we expect any ideal conditions on the earthD% Leo Tolstoy %#nimals are my friends . . . and & don4t eat my friends.% %)his is dreadful< .ot only the suffering and death of animals, but man suppresses in himself, unnecessarily, the highest spiritual capacity - that of sympathy and pity towards living creatures li!e himself and by violating his own feelings, becomes cruel.% 6eorge (ernard Shaw %$orld peace, or any other !ind of peace, depends greatly on the attitude of the mind. "egetarianism can bring about the right mental attitude for peace... it holds forth a better way of life, which, it practiced universally, can lead to a better, more just, and more peaceful community of nations.% =no, former 1rime Minister of (urma %&t is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, vvould most beneficially influence the lot of man!ind.% #lbert 9instein

hat is the 1 %ital life principle#1

)he %"ital Gife% principle states that certain foods contain more life force (prana than others. )he importance of vitality in foods was appreciated ;388 years ago by 1ythagoras, who said, %:nly living, fresh foods can enable man to apprehend the truth.% )he 5ussian novelist )olstoy said, %*eeding upon the carcass of a slain animal has something of a bad taste about it. % $e !now that all life lives on energy from the sun, and this energy is stored inside green plants, fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables. $hen we eat these, we consume the solar energy directly. &n other words, we feed on %live% food with almost all the vital energy still intact. Many plants retain their life-giving energy for many days after they are pic!ed,- in fact, they remain still capable of sprouting and growing. Meat, on the other hand, has been in process of decay for several days. *or thousands of years yogis and sages have taught that both mind and body ate profoundly influenced ;F by what we eat. -?ou are what you eat% is a saying that applies to both body and mind. #ccording to one yogi, %)he human body is constituted of innumerable living cells ... )he nature of your living cells will be formed in accordance with the type of food you ta!e. =ltimately these together will affect your mind to some extent. lf the ceils of the human body grow on food, rotten and bad smelling from the flesh of animals in which mean tendencies predominate, it is but natural that the mind will lean more towards meanness.% #ctually, the word %vegetarian% does not come from 4vegetable4 but rather from the Gatin word ve.eta!e, which means %to enliven.% $hen the 5omans used the term homo-vegetus, they referred to a vigorous and dynamically healthy personC yet people today thin! of a vegetarian as a vegetable eater.

.ome farno!s %egetarians...

#lbert 9instein, 1lato, Geo )olstoy, (ob 'ylan, Gouisa May #lcott, Susan St. Aames, /enry 'avid )horeau, 5alph $aldo 9merson, (enjamin *ran!lin, 5ichard $agner, Socrates, #lexander 1ope, :vid, Sir &saac .ewton, /. 6. $eils, 1ythagoras, 2andice (ergen, Mahatma 6andhi, 5abindranath )agore, /orace 6reeley, Geonardo da "inci, 2lement of #lexandria, (uddha, 'ic! 6regory, Aohn $esley, "oltaire, Aean Aacques 5ousseau, Aohn Milton, 2harles 'arwin, 6eneral $illiam (ooth, 1lutarch, 1aul .ewman, Seneca, #lbert Schweit0er, 1ercy (ysshe Shelley, 'r. A. /. Bellogg, St. *rancis, 2lint $al!er, =pton Sinclair, Aames 2oburn, 6eorge (ernard Shaw, 'alai Gama. ;7

I still li4e the taste of meat hat shall I $o#

#n ancient yogic principle suggests that the best way to change a deeply embedded habit is .:) to %pull it out by the roots% (a nearly impossible tas! , but rather to plant, nurture and cultivate an opposing habit next to the old one-and to give the new habit a lot of care, love and attention (li!e cultivating a mental rose bush . "ery soon this new habit will grow strong and beautiful, and, with hardly an effort, the old weed, i.e., the flesh eating habit, will wither and drop out of sight. /ere are some suggestions for cultivating your new %rose bushH% ;3 - (uy two or three vegetarian coo!boo!sK and !eep them where you will see them often (this is a great money saving strategy-an imaginative, delicious, high protein vegetarian diet can cut the average food bill by 38- .

- Gearn one or two easily prepared vegetarian dishes and substitute them occasionally for a meat dinner. - "isit a natural foods store, your local food cooperative, or food buying club. Goo! around and as! questions. 2all your local #nanda Marga 2enter and tell them you would li!e to visit and observe during coo!ing hours. (#nanda Marga is an international social service and meditation organi0ation. )he tas! of changing from a carnivorous diet to a diet of living, fresh, nutritious foods is much easier than it might initially seem.)here are literally thousands of highly nutritious, tasty dishes we non-vegetarians have never had the opportunity to sample due
to habit, conditioning, and lac! of information. Most people are astonished to discover so many high protein dishes made from ingredients they are totally unfamiliar with-millet, buc!wheat, groats, garban0o beans, lentils, brown rice, and tofu, to name a few. 5emember, learning vegetarian coo!ing is probably far, far easier than you may imagine. Many beginners report enjoying coo!ing for the first time in their lives. #n unexpected delight of vegetarian coo!ing is the fact that after limiting a few basic principles (with a good coo!boo! as a guide one can easily apply them to a seemingly endless number of grains, legumies, vegetables, and nuts. &f all else fails in your efforts to become a vegetarian, ta!e an afternoon off and visit a Slaughterhouse - this will be all the encour agement you need.

?:= can expect some difficulty in ma!ing the transition in the beginning, but not nearly as much as quitting smo!ing, for instance. Most people find the immediate rewards (higher energy level, cleaner digestive system, increased mental clarity, sweeter body odor so gratifying that the process of change becomes an exhilarating experience. )he radiant health that comes is not only physical,- you $ill feel the joy of putting humanitarian ideals into action and the happiness that
comes from performing a service of love to all the creatures (human and non-human of this planet. 9ating a vegetarian diet, the natural diet for human beings, does the least harm to living creatures on our planet, and it helps us become more and more aware of the unity of life and reali0e the :ne &nfinite 2onsciousness that underlies everything. K2oo!ing for 2onsciousness is the most complete and practical vegetarian coo!boo! on the mar!et in this author4s opinion. 'esigned for the beginner, it provides literally everything one needs to !now in order to ma!e the transitionH what to buy, where to buy it, how to start. )he recipes, whether exotic and international, hearty main dishes or easy-to-ma!e pastries, are unmatched on the mar!et of natural foods coo!boo!s for flavor and reliability. &t is available at your local boo!store or natural food store, or send S3.88 plus .38 postage and handling toH #nanda Marga 1u blications, (ox M E37 1earl Street

'enver, 2olorado E8;8F (F8F EF;-@7@3