As plant-based diets become more popular, the public is rapidly becoming aware of the dangers of eating animal products such a meat, dairy and eggs and their by-products. Here are plenty of terrifying tales about what goes into the raising and processing of livestock and poultry. It will not ruin your appetite now, since that would sort have defeated my purpose here, but suffice it to say that steroids, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and tranquilizers, commonly used in raising beef and poultry, have found their way onto dinner plates across the country. Many people consider the way animals are raised and slaughtered inhumane. It is not so important as to why you stop eating flesh, it is important that you do.

The emergence and growth of products such as free range chicken and chemical-free beef reflects both Americans’ growing awareness of these new dangers as well as a demand for healthy substitutes. However even those “healthy” substitutes do not digest well and can cause a number of serious and deadly health problems.

People everywhere are choosing to fill their dinner plates with vegetarian foods instead of the traditional elements of the food chain. Yet some health practitioners still feel that this healthy lifestyle is unsafe or unwise for children. Yet, it would seem logical that children, whose immune systems are generally not as strong as adults, would benefit from a non-animal product containing diet.

According to the American Dietetic Association, “Infants, children and adolescents who consume well balanced vegetarian diets can generally meet all their nutritional requirements for growth. ”The ADA endorses a vegetarian diet, concluding that the nutrients found in animal products can also be found in a plant based diet. Imagine that.

And to stay on my soapbox for a little bit longer, when it comes to nutrition in this country, we seem to have lost our common sense and our better judgment. In fact, all we’ve gained are unhealthy eating habits and a lot of weight! For over 2 decades I have been teaching the same lesson in every seminar taught all over the world. Good nutrition is simple….stay away from the “7 Deadly Sins of Nutrition”, those being alcohol, meat, sugar, dairy, coffee, soda and artificial sweetener. Make your diet consist of fruits, vegetables, some whole grains, nuts and seeds. (Note: there are over 120,000 fruits, vegetables, some whole grains, nuts and seeds to choose from, so you cannot eat all of them in a lifetime even if you tried!). Be sure you have proper structure. What I mean by that is, your spine must be in proper alignment and if you have symptoms, such as pain, your body is telling you that something is wrong and you need to get it fixed. Don’t just cover up the problem with medications that might have dangerous side effects, see a qualified holistic health care provider who knows how to treat the cause, not cover up the symptoms, and get yourself back on the road to good health!