Vegetarianism – Healthy Option?

For some people, this might be a little uncomfortable, but I absolutely love it! This city is filled with people who strive to live healthier, cleaner lives, reduce their carbon footprint and all the while have a great time. This recipe has made Austin one of the fastest growing cities in Texas, and certainly one of the more vibrant places in the country to live. 

Philosophies on health vary as much as the people who try to live them out. It is safe to say that confusion abounds in America, but we are also blessed with more resources and research than anybody in human history. Within the content of this website, I believe you will find one of the strongest and best tested philosophies on health; Doug’s books and the the diet therein have helped many people overcome serious health problems, and as one of the lucky people who can call Doug a friend, I can tell you he’s the embodiment of the message he preaches. 

One of the more popular philosophies that I’ve come across in Austin specifically is the philosophy that excludes all animal flesh from the diet – vegetarianism. Vegetarians differ in the degree to which they practice this philosophy – some might eat cheese or drink beverages with milk products, while some will go as far as to exclude even honey, since it is a product manufactured by bees (I’m still confused about this, as I consider bees insects and not animals. Those two classifications of creatures will always remain exclusive in my mind, but I must admit that since I’m a carnivore by nature, I don’t often devote much thought to the question). I’m lucky enough to have some dear friends who call themselves vegetarians, and I always enjoy talking to them about their thoughts on health.

In the context of what most Americans eat on a daily basis, vegetarianism is undoubtedly and improvement in both the realms of health and environmental impact. The Standard American Diet (oft referred to on this website as SAD!) isn’t complete without a healthy serving of processed meat products, milk from cows fed antibiotics and eggs from chickens pumped with growth hormones. Excluding all of these products in favor of fruits and vegetable rich in phytonutrients and fiber is undoubtedly an improvement, and, as I’ve learned from the many testimonials from my dear friends, the health benefits are many and palpable. 

However, in my opinion, here are the dangers associated with a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians run the risk of consuming high amounts of grain and corn products. After all, these plants fit within the vegetarian’s diet restrictions. But remember, according to Dr. Ruth Etzel, virtually all corn is contaminated with mycotoxins, and grains are commonly contaminated. In other words, if you are eating any products that contain these ingredients, you are running the risk of being exposed to mycotoxins. These mycotoxins have been implicated in serious diseases, including cancer. This is the foundation of Dou’g work; this is common knowledge to anyone who has read his books. 

So is vegetarianism healthy? My experience with vegetarians leads me to declare a resounding yes. However, if this is something you have thought about implementing, be careful about which vegetarian products you include in your diet. You don’t want to undo all the healthy benefits that eating only plants could provide.