World Meat Free Week: Reasons to cut meat from your diet
Do you love meat and are wondering how to survive a week without eating it? Here are easy tips to help you get started.
World Meat Free Week takes place from 24 - 30 September. Choosing to abstain from meat comes with many benefits.
According to Our World in Data, 80 billion animals are slaughtered each year for meat.
Monique Piderit, a registered dietitian at Nutritional Solutions, explains that reducing meat from one's diet goes a long way in helping sustain the environment.
The dietitian says going vegan or vegetarian “helps support the planet’s vulnerable food production systems in an ever-increasing population”.
READ: Expert advice: Can a vegan diet be dangerous?
According to The Vegan Society, ‘In 2016, a study from the University of Oxford found that if the world went vegan, it could save 8 million human lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by two-thirds and lead to healthcare-related savings and avoid climate damages of $1.5 trillion’.
Monique says increasing the intake of vegetables will help your health.
"We know that in general, we eat too little fresh fruit and vegetables. Low intakes of fruit is linked to over 520,000 heart disease deaths and more than 1.2 million stroke deaths globally each year," says Monique.
"Low veggie intake is estimated to cause just under 810, 000 heart disease deaths and over 210, 000 stroke deaths," she adds.
Therefore, eating meat in moderation and increasing your intake of vegetables and fruits can help you live a longer and healthier life.
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