Britney Spears said:
Are you claiming that a "vegan" diet is superior to a normal, healthy, balanced diet composed of all major food groups?
Exactly, I'm glad you understand what I'm saying.
Allow me to explain, because maybe you think I'm kidding.
Since early childhood we have been bombarded with incorrect nutritional dietary advice, and
unfortunately the scandal continues today.
Lets look at the role of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The role of the USDA was
originally to promote the products of the animal agriculture industry.
Over fifty years ago the USDA began promoting the so-called four basic food groups
with meat and dairy in the number one and number two spots on the list.
Financed by the meat and dairy industry, and backed by nutritional scientists on the payroll
of the meat and dairy industry, this promotion ignored science that was known
even back at that time.
The program could be more accurately labeled "the four food myths." It was taught
in every classroom in American, and by extension also in Canada, with posters
advocating a diet loaded with animal protein, fat, and cholesterol. The results
have been most dramatic -- in more ways than one. North America began eating
more and more animal foods. The campaign sparked the beginning of the fastest-growing
cancer epidemic in history and heart attack and stroke rates have soared ever since
to previously unheard levels. These figure are consistant in every country that has
since adopted the North American style of diet.
Now with all the scientific data available today, including massive investigational studies
on human health and diet, you would think that people today would know which
foods are best to eat and why -- but most people are still confused, and some are
more confused than ever (Atkins Diet).
Why? For starters, the American Government spends $20 billion a year on price supports
that benefit the beef, dairy, and veal industrys. This money is given to farmers to artificially
reduce the cost of crops used to feed cows, thereby helping to reduce the prices we pay
for dairy foods, fowl, and meat. The meat and dairy industry is huge and powerful, they
don't exactly like the idea of being renamed "the cancer and stroke industry"
In 1998 the National Cancer Institute budgeted one million dollars to promote the virtues of
fruits and vegetables. Compare that with McDonalds and the 500 million dollars they spent on
T.V. ads alone that year. The major cause of all diseases afflicting people in the west today
is produce-deficient diet.
Based on an exhaustive look at research data from around the world over the past 15 years,
the recommendation is that your diet should contain over 90% of its calories from unrefined plant
foods.
This high percentage of nutrient-dense plant foods in the diet allows us to empirically predict
freedom from cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, and excess body weight. Fruits, vegetables,
and beans must be the *base* of the food pyramid; otherwise, you will be in a heap of trouble
down the road. Guaranteed.
The diseases that afflict, and eventually kill, almost all North Americans can be avoided. You can
live a high-quality, disease free life and remain physically active and healthy. You can die
peacefully and uneventfully at a ripe old age, as nature intended, but in order to do so you
must throw-out the incorrect notion of "a diet balanced in the four major food groups" unless
by "balance" you mean only 10% of calories coming from things other than plant-foods.
For example if you consume 2500 calories per day, 10% of that would be 250 calories, 250 calories
equals about 2.5 oz. of steak. The rest of your daily calories would have to come from plant-foods.
Hope that clears it up.
Nutrients Present in 100-Calorie portions of selected foods
| Broccoli | Sirloin | Romain Lettuce |
| Protein | 11.2g | 5.4g | 11.6g |
| Calcium | 182mg | 2.4mg | 257mg |
| Iron | 2.2mg | 0.7mg | 7.9mg |
| Magnesium | 71.5 mg | 5 mg | 43mg |
| Potassium | 643mg | 88mg | 2,071mg |
| Fiber | 10.7g | 0 | 12g |
| Phytochemicals | very high | 0 | very high |
| Antioxidants | very high | 0 | very high |
| Folate | 107mcg | 3mcg | 971mcg |
| B2 | 0.29mcg | 0.04mcg | 0.71mcg |
| Niacin | 1.64mg | 1.1mg | 3.6mg |
| Zinc | 1.1mg | 1.2mg | 1.8mg |
| Vitamin C | 143mg | 0 | 171mg |
| Vitamin A | 6,757 IU | 24 IU | 18,571 IU |
| Vitamin E | 5mg | 0 | 3.2mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 | 55mg | 0 |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | 1.7g | 0 |
| Weight | 357g | 25g | 714g |
Notice how much more vegetable matter you must consume by weight
as compared to meat products? This allows your stomach to feel full while
not having to gorge yourself with thousands of excess calories and fat
which end leading to obesity, and disease.
