Since 1986, November 25th of each year has been designated as World Vegetarian Day, also known as International Meatless Day. Many people won’t eat meat on this day, some restaurants will only serve vegetarian meals that day, and slaughterhouses will be closed for a day without slaughtering animals. More than ten million people respond to this event every year.
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Taipei, TAIWAN (Merxwire) – November 25 this year is not only Thanksgiving but also the annual “World Vegetarian Day”, also known as “International Meatless Day”. This event originated from a festival in India in 1986, which promoted the appeal of caring for animals. Therefore, meat is replaced with a plant-based diet on that day. Many people respond to the event by not eating meat for the whole day. Some restaurants only provide vegetarian meals on the day, and the slaughterhouses will be closed for a day without slaughtering animals. More than 9.5 million people responded when the event was launched.
Vegetarian food is good for the environment
What are the benefits of eating a vegetarian diet for a day? Why are there so many people participating in this event? In recent years, due to the rising awareness of environmental protection, more people have begun to care about issues related to environmental protection. World Vegetarian Day is one of the events that has attracted attention. The study found that every person in the world can reduce 4.5 million tons of animal manure and 7 tons of ammonia nitrogen emissions if they are vegetarians for one day. Therefore, there is an increasing number of vegetarians in Europe and the United States. In addition to specific health considerations, they also have environmental protection appeals.
About 1/4 to 1/3 of global greenhouse gases are emitted by the food industry, most of which come from animal husbandry. According to statistics from The Food and Agriculture Organization, producing 1 kg of beef emits the same amount of greenhouse gas as driving 71 kilometers, and making 1 kg of pork talks as much as driving 26 kilometers. The waste and gases emitted by this livestock exacerbate the global warming crisis. Therefore, if meat consumption can be reduced, it will be beneficial to environmental protection and the reduction of global warming.
Moreover, 16 kilograms of grains are needed to produce 1 kilogram of beef, and it can only feed 2 people. If the 16 kilograms of grain needed for production can be saved, 20 people can be provided with food. Producing meat also uses more energy. It takes about 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat, but 2,500 gallons to produce the same weight of meat. Therefore, the more people eat meat, the greater the water consumption. Taking the United States as an example, if the meat production can be reduced by 10%, the saved food can supply 60 million people, which will have a positive effect on world food distribution and hunger.
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Vegetarian food is good for health
Proper vegetable eating has many benefits for the body. Even if it is only for one day, it can also give the stomach a rest, reduce the time that meat stays in the intestine, avoid the production of toxins, and reduce the burden on the liver, kidneys, and cardiovascular system. If you can adjust your eating habits and increase the proportion of vegetarian food, it will be more beneficial to your health.
According to a 5-year large-scale study, the average BMI of vegetarians is usually lower than that of non-vegetarians, and the incidence of obesity is 9.4%, which is much lower than that of meat eaters (33.3%). Vegetarians usually look more well-shaped and healthier because they consume less fat. However, nutritionists remind us that not eating meat will not necessarily make you lose weight. You still need to pay attention to balanced nutrition, take in good unsaturated fatty acids, such as Omega3, Omega6, Omega9, and supplement high-quality vegetable oil and fish oil in an appropriate amount, so as to increase the content of good cholesterol. At the same time, avoid excessive carbohydrates and sugars in order to achieve healthy weight loss results.
Eating more vegetables and supplementing soy protein can help reduce the total cholesterol content in the body. According to research, a daily intake of 47 grams of soybean protein can reduce cholesterol levels by an average of 9.3% in one month. The Mayo Clinic, which is often listed as the best hospital in the world, mentions that eating more vegetables and reducing red meat and processed foods can indeed help prevent high blood pressure, high blood fat, and high blood sugar, and can also reduce heart disease, stroke, and diabetes risk.
If you accidentally miss World Vegetarian Day, you can also respond to the weekly Meatless Monday. This activity was initiated by a group of American scholars in 2003. After referring to the research of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Syracuse University, and Columbia University in the City of New York, they found that eating too much meat can damage health and cause disease. So began to promote Monday no meat activities to reduce excessive intake of animal fat.
Through the activities of eating more vegetables and less meat, we could reduce excessive meat intake and daily food waste, make ourselves healthier, and at the same time respond to environmental protection. The saved food can also be distributed to more people in need, choosing and cherishing food, to make the future of the earth better.