Official Trailer for “Forks Over Knives” Documentary Uploaded by ForksOverKnives on Youtube.com
Never in a million years did I think I would be able to give up mouth-watering bacon, savory ham or any other delicious meat products. After taking a course in nutrition during my first semester in college, I realized the health risks do not outweigh the satisfying tastes of my favorite meat dishes.
In the third month of the nutrition course, my class watched a documentary called “Forks over Knives” that discussed the health risks and diseases accompanying animal-based and processed-food diets. As discussed in the film, many studies have proven that the elimination or drastic reduction of meat intake can significantly prevent health risks. Whole-food and plant-based diets have been proven to prevent heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. The following day after watching the documentary, I made a life-changing decision to become a vegetarian.
After making the decision to cut meat out of my diet, my friends, family and teammates interrogated me on my decision. A supportive friend of my decision purchased two cookbooks called “College Cooking” and “The Eat Clean Diet: Vegetarian Cookbook.” Not only did the cookbooks contain yummy and affordable vegetarian recipes, but they were annotated with valuable information about vegetarianism and the dismissal of the many myths surrounding meat-less diets. I was able to use the information found in these recipe books to answer questions and concerns I was faced with.
My favorite finding in the “College Cooking” cookbook was the vegetarian food pyramid. The vegetarian pyramid suggests six to eleven servings of whole grain bread, cereal, pasta and rice. Three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit are recommended. Two to three servings of nuts, legumes or meat alternatives and two to three servings of milk, yogurt or cheese are urged for ample amounts of daily protein. Similar to the United States Department of Agriculture’s “My Plate” servings suggestions, limited amounts of vegetable oil, sugar and salt are strongly recommended.
Of the plethora of myths surrounding vegetarianism, one of the widest spread is that vegetarians do not consume enough complete proteins in their diets. In reality, the average person eats way over their suggested grams of protein in a day. Vegetarians can get protein from other sources including legumes, beans, mushrooms, leafy greens, avocado, nuts, fruit, vegetables, humus, tofu, peanut butter and eggs. These foods provide ample amounts of protein, therefore, vegetarians do in fact consume enough protein. Vegetarians actually eat a healthier amount of protein than those who include meat in their diet.
Not only do vegetarians consume a healthier amount of protein, but they are also forced to eliminate many unhealthy foods out of their diets. For example, vegetarians are less likely to frequent fast food restaurants due to the fact they serve greasy hamburgers, chicken strips and other fried and greasy meats that can lead to heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. As a victim of a family history with heart disease, I feel like vegetarianism has been the best decision I have ever made.
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