Meatless Monday

OK, so we all "lived large" in our family this weekend. Carnival food on Friday night. Snacks from the lacrosse tent all day Saturday (mini muffins, cookies, chips, a little protein here and there, but nothing great), chicken wings at a birthday party Saturday night, and pizza delivery on Sunday. We've all been there and it's fine, as long as you get back to "normal" on Monday.

Our gluttonous weekend reminded me of an article I researched on "Meatless Monday". If your weekend was like ours, please take note. The facts go WAY beyond eating healthy, there's our planet to think about. Read on...

Meatless Mondays

Going meatless one day each week has become quite trendy. The concept gained notoriety thanks to The Monday Campaigns (in association with the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Maxwell School at Syracuse). Their initiative encourages people to reduce their overall meat consumption by 15% in order to improve both personal health and the health of the planet.

Why Monday?

For most Americans, Sunday ends the weekend and the work week begins Monday morning. A new week often inspires a few resolutions and the desire to start fresh. In fact, more people search the internet for “healthy” options (recipes, weight loss, etc.) on Monday than any other day of the week.

How does Meatless Monday improve personal health?

Simply put, dodging a meat-based meal once/week motivates you to plan meals that incorporate incredibly healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Skipping meat once per week can also help reduce your risk of several, preventable, conditions, such as:

Cardiovascular Disease: Diets high in meat (especially processed meat like deli meats, sausage, salami, and bacon) are linked to an increase risk of heart disease and mortality. Research at the Harvard School of Public Health reveals that people who eat the most processed meats have a higher overall risk of death. For more information, check out www.health.harvard.edu.

Cancer: Red meat and processed meats have been associated with colon cancer while countless studies indicate that diets high in fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risk. Even the American Institute for Cancer Research says, “To reduce your cancer risk, eat no more than 18 oz. (cooked weight) per week of red meats, like beef, pork and lamb, and avoid processed meat such as ham, bacon, salami, hot dogs and sausages”. www.aicr.org.

Obesity: A study out of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed a positive association between meat consumption and obesity. Those who consumed more meat had a much higher calorie intake (about 700 more calories/day). They also had higher BMI (body mass index) and waist circumference. That’s not surprising when you consider that 1 pound of ground beef has nearly 1200 calories while 1 pound of cooked sweet potatoes has just 345 calories. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Diabetes: A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that consuming a 3-ounce serving of unprocessed red meat (such as a medium hamburger or a small pork chop), per day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 12% (when consumed for a decade or two). If the meat was processed (hot dog or two slices of bacon), the risk increased to 32% percent, even though the portion size was smaller. www.scientificamerican.com

How do Meatless Mondays improve the health of the planet?

By reducing our carbon footprint and conserving valuable resources like fresh water.

Carbon Footprint: Agriculture is responsible for an estimated 14% of the world’s greenhouse gases, gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Methane makes up significant portion of these emissions and is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Cows and other grazing livestock emit a tremendous amount of methane during their normal digestive process (passing gas and belching). According to the EPA, cattle in the U.S. emit about 5.5 million metric tons of methane per year, which accounts for 20% of all U.S. methane emissions. For more stats, check out www.epa.gov.

Reduction in Water Usage: Livestock needs significantly more water than what is required for fruits, vegetables and grains. It’s estimated that 2,500-5,000 gallons of water are used for just one pound of beef. Compare that to just 15 gallons for lettuce and 22 gallons for tomatoes. For more of those numbers, check out www.waterfootprint.org.

Improvement in Land and Air Quality: Without the need for exorbitant amounts of land for livestock, pastures could transition into forests and trees could soak up carbon dioxide.

Clearly there are valuable nutrients in lean, unprocessed meat and it can be a welcome addition to your healthy diet. Going meatless once/week is simply an opportunity to balance your weekly menu and make fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds the star of the plate. To learn more about Meatless Mondays, check out MondayCampaigns.org.