Start your week off right by taking part in a Meatless Monday! Meatless Monday is a global movement aimed at encouraging others to reduce meat in their diets – not only for our health, but also the health of the planet. Why Monday you ask? Research shows that people are more apt to start healthy behaviors on the first working day of the week as it works as a “reset” from the weekend. Furthermore, ditching meat once a week is a way to save on your grocery bill.

Health Benefits

Converting to a plant-based diet is a low-cost way to manage your risk for chronic disease and cancer. Cutting our daily meat intake just one day a week can help us to maintain a healthy weight and reduce our blood pressure. Skipping meat and swapping it out for plant-based proteins like beans or tofu has also been shown to decrease your chances of developing Diabetes. Plant-based proteins are filled with essential nutrients that meat lacks like fiber, phytochemicals, and essential fatty acids. Choosing plant-based proteins will also help to lower your daily saturated fat and cholesterol intake.

Environmental Effect

Did you know that raising cattle to meet the demands of meat eaters causes a detrimental impact on our planet? The amount of land needed to produce cattle takes up about 75% of the Earth’s dedicated agricultural land. This alone increases greenhouse gas emissions that deplete precious natural resources including water, land, and energy. Reducing our consumption of meat just once a week is a step in the right direction of reversing climate change.

Mind-Blowing Stats!

A boatload of research has been completed to encourage others to take part in one meatless meal a week. And the Meatless Monday website has them all listed to remind us of all the benefits. Check out the stats below to see some of the reasons to NOT have the meats:

  • Livestock production creates more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector – all the cars, trucks, planes, and trains in the world
  • Livestock production uses 75% of the earth’s agricultural land
  • Producing ONE quarter-pound beef burger uses 425 gallons of water – enough water to fill 10 bathtubs
  • Producing ONE quarter-pound beef burger uses up enough energy to power an iPhone for 6 months
  • Skipping one serving of beef every Monday for a year saves the equivalent emissions to driving 348 miles in a car.

Continue reading October 2021 Newsletter: Exercise for Breast Cancer Patients and Survivors