To Carne or Not To Carne

By Hillary Branoff • June 29th, 2007 • 4130 Views

Do you have any vegetarian options?

More and more this is what you will hear at restaurants. People are cutting the meat out of their diet in the name of health, animal welfare and a happy planet. Is this the healthier choice? Are there important nutrients in meat that you just can't get in a plant based diet?

According to Sam Graci, a pioneer in the supplement and health industry and a former vegan of 25 years, there are certain people that need at least a small portion of animal protein in their diet.

(1) He feels that the Blood Type diet has some validity to it. Consuming meat seems to benefit most North Americans with blood type O. With the animal husbandry that we have in place today he feels that not only is it detrimental to the environment but it is also wreaking havoc on the human body. Changing the animals original diet from growing grass to soy and corn meal causes the animals to become chronically ill. According to Sam, “It's not what we eat it's what our food eats.”

Hormones, nitrates and pesticides are present in commercially raised animal products (as well as commercially raised fruits, grains and vegetables) and are definitely things to be concerned about. However, one can avoid these chemicals by taking care to consume range-fed, organic meats, eggs and dairy products which do not contain harmful, man-made toxins. (2)

It is clear which type of animal protein should be eaten but do we bother at all to search out these consciously raised animals for consumption? According to Sally Fallon,
Not only is it difficult to obtain adequate protein on a diet devoid of animal products, but such a diet often leads to deficiencies in many important minerals as well. This is because a largely vegetarian diet lacks the fat-soluble catalysts needed for mineral absorption. (3)

True vitamin A, or retinol and its associated esters, is only found in animal fats and organs like liver (4). As with vitamin D, Dr. Price found that the diets of healthy primitive peoples supplied substantial amounts of vitamin A, again emphasizing the great need humans have for this nutrient in maintaining optimal health now and for future generations. (2)...

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Location:  Vancouver, CA

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