Cut the Crap; Change the World
“We as a society are on the edge of a great precipice—we can either fall to sickness, poverty and degradation, or we can embrace health, longevity and bounty. All it takes is the courage to change.”
~ Dr. T. Colin Campbell, The China Study
It’s time we take a good, hard look at our society. What have we become? We are inflicting unwarranted cruelty on voiceless, beautiful creatures, abusing our technological advances in medicine, unheeding warning labels, protecting the use of toxins and carcinogens in our food, deceiving ourselves on food safety and health, abusing our finite resources, and ravaging our environment. All of this in the name of profit from meat and dairy. Ask yourself: is it really worth it? We don’t think so. Our society is far from the ideals and virtues of a progressive, democratic, and capitalistic country that we so pride ourselves on being. This is the real America we are living in, and the home next generations are inheriting.
This information is not new. Many great minds before us have written about the horrors of factory farming and the problems with our food system. Yet it takes more than just science and facts to create a change. It takes action and leadership. These issues are not at the forefront of America’s young minds and are often corrupted by industry propaganda. For burgeoning young leaders, we need to change our food system for the better. We cannot afford to tip the scales further in favor of evolutionary disaster. The courage to change and demand better food and transparency begins with each one of us. We do not have to accept what is handed to us by companies. Each one of our actions, whether big or small, can have a tremendous ripple effect to create much-needed, positive change. It’s time to show the food corporations that we mean business by using the power of not buying their products.
Luckily, the pressing food, health, and environmental problems facing us today are interconnected and therefore have a combined solution. Who doesn’t love simple solutions? As we have said, never before have we consumed such high volumes of meat and dairy, and we have never been such an unhealthy and disease-ridden society. As our consumption of meat and dairy increases, so have our environmental problems. This is not a coincidence. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Americans ate 120 pounds of meat per year. Now we are eating nearly double that amount.1 Our dairy consumption has quadrupled! It all comes down to rethinking how we eat and cutting through propaganda to realize the truth about our food. We have the power to change not only our own lives, but also industry practices that are wreaking havoc on our health and homes. Already we are implementing the positive changes of renewable energy, recycling, and new technologies. Making dietary and lifestyle changes is the same as changing a lightbulb. It really is that easy.
Life Is About Tasting the Rainbow
The key to a healthier you is healthier food. We understand that learning about our health and food-safety problems can feel overwhelming and, quite frankly, mind-blowing. We also had the experience of sitting back and thinking, “Great, now what?!” Most of us have no idea where to start, how to shop, or what to eat. But friends, don’t despair! We have been in your exact position, and we know how easy it is to make simple, daily changes.
For some, this is a big step and completely life altering. But isn’t that the point? We want a healthier, happier life, which means dropping the food that just doesn’t make the cut. Do yourself (and the animals) a favor by saying goodbye to feces-filled meat, chemical-laced processed foods, and pus-filled dairy products. So now what do we indulge in? The entire rainbow is at our fingertips! From veggies to fruit, legumes, grains, and nuts (as well as soy-based dairy and meat products), the opportunities are endless. We should be experiencing the tastiest (and healthiest flavors) food has to offer. Meat and dairy are not them.
A great place to begin is to familiarize yourself with the vegetable section at the grocery store. As most Americans eat significantly fewer vegetables than they should, it will be a useful and exciting new experience for many of you. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Kale might be one of the newest (and best) fads, but it really does have an enormous amount of benefits to offer. Love kale? Also try chard, bok choy, mustard greens, collard greens, and cauliflower. These cruciferous vegetables are some of the healthiest, cancer-fighting foods around. Try to eat as many different colors as possible. All the colors of fruits and vegetables offer different phytonutrients that restore our DNA, fight off free radicals, and bolster our bodies’ immune systems. One of the most comprehensive studies to date on antioxidants in food found that plant foods have sixty-four times the number of antioxidants than animal-based foods do, including meat, fish, dairy, and eggs.2 Food really is medicine for the mind, body, and soul.
A common misconception is that vegetables are boring. Yet they are some of the tastiest foods around. Giving up meat and dairy does not mean living on salads either; we just don’t realize it, because we don’t focus on cooking vegetables. It’s not complicated. Just like you used to marinate meat to eat it, you can dress up vegetables with an array of herbs and spices that bring out their delicious taste. The best part? Most herbs and spices are an amazing source of antioxidants and phytochemicals that promote health at every meal. For instance, some of our favorite spices, such as cinnamon, can help keep sugar in check for diabetics, and turmeric, a key ingredient in curry, is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent that works to keep cancer at bay. Additionally alliums, such as onions and garlic, are powerful and potent defenses against inflammation and cardiovascular disease. While garlic cloves are great for the heart, we don’t recommend eating them right before a date, especially a first date! First impressions are everything and eating a whole-food, plant-based diet will make you irresistible, radiating health inside and out (Be sure to try our recipes at the end to get you started.).
If cutting meat out cold turkey is a bit challenging, then try participating in Meatless Mondays or reduce your meat and dairy intake by 50 percent. There are amazing meat substitutes such as Beyond Meat, Gardein, and Tofurky that can help during the transition period. While we don’t endorse eating meat because we have your best interests at heart, if you do buy meat, know where it comes from and don’t support factory farms. Don’t be fooled by labels. It might not say “Tyson,” but you have to remember that big agribusiness players like Tyson own smaller companies that appear to be local. If you are not sure if something is grass fed and organic, ask! If your store does not sell organic or locally raised meat and dairy, ask for it. Stores will gladly provide what consumers want to buy, so make a point of speaking up for humanely raised foods and fresh, local products. Again, we have to stress that just because it says cage free does not ensure that the hens did not receive drugs throughout their lives or weren’t bred in crowded conditions. A good indication is to look for the Humane Farm Animal Care label.
If we were to pick one animal product for you to ditch first, it would be dairy. Dairy is one of the most contaminated foods that masquerades as healthy. We understand how hard this can be to eliminate. Dairy is naturally addictive. It actually contains casomorphin, which acts in a similar way to heroin or morphine in our bodies.3 But just as we know heroine and morphine aren’t good for us, our dairy product habit needs to be kicked.
Dairy products are everywhere, and it can be so frustrating how milk fat is snuck into so many of our foods. Even foods we least expect, such as crackers, bread, and salad dressings are tainted with the dairy disaster. Have hope! You can choose delicious, nondairy and soy-product versions over dairy products. There are thousands of recipes for delicious snacks, desserts, and meals that are made without all the crap and are just as creamy. You won’t even know the dairy is missing. If you don’t have time to cook, you can order online or go to your local grocery store to pick up these yummy treats and meals. If nondairy is something to work toward, choose local and organic dairy. This will give you the best chance of limiting the amount of pus you drink, since local and organic dairy cows are not given growth hormones that promote infection.
Old habits die hard, so changing how we eat is a gradual process. Don’t get frustrated or give up in the beginning. Take baby steps, and on the way you will experience how great you feel when you begin to cut out the crap. Choosing to cut out meat and buy more veggies, grains, legumes, and fruit or choosing to only eat organic meat, as well as choosing nondairy products will show the meat and dairy industries that enough is simply enough. Get shopping, make dinner, and have some friends over to enjoy your feces- and pus-free dinner and dessert! We promise you won’t look back.
Cheap Is Expensive
For many of us young professionals or college students, living on a budget means eating the cheapest food possible. Doesn’t it seem ironic that we tend to invest so much time and money into our careers and education but very little into our own bodies? It’s time to learn to invest in our health. It’s very easy to take good health for granted, because we will only experience the repercussions or healthy success years down the line. Yet, just as it takes time to be at the top of our game, our bodies need us to take the time to fuel them properly. We will never be the best if we are operating on sub-optimal fuel. Subsidies have made it so the cheapest food available is also the unhealthiest. The newest research shows that eating healthy costs $1.50 more per day, or $550 per person over the course of a year.4 In the long run, this could be financially prohibitive for some people, especially those with families. At the same time, let’s think about how many three-dollar Starbucks coffees we drink each week. That’s two days of eating healthy. Eating healthy does not have to be expensive. It is actually possible to eat a plant-based diet on four dollars a day. Beans, rice, legumes, and bulk vegetables are nutritious staples. More importantly, this disparity evidences just how important it is that we vote with our dollars so the food that is good for us is more affordable.
In college? There is never a better time to start changing your diet. You will need to be on your A game to get the grade. College students are known for following the CCC diet of carbs, caffeine, and candy. However, after learning about the harmful effects of meat on our health and environment, one in five college students have ditched meat from their dinner plates and are holding the cheese on their pizzas.5 Most colleges these days cater to vegetarians and vegans. If your campus is still living in the past, join the Real Food Challenge. The Real Food Challenge seeks to take the junk off our college campuses and put grains, fruits, and veggies back onto the plates.6 Now on three hundred campuses across the country and growing, the Real Food Challenge shows that young people have a voice that can change food options on campus. College is the best time to explore food options, and you have the most amazing networks and resources at your fingertips. Not to mention, college students hold $300 billion in spending power. Collectively, you are more powerful than you think.7 Use it.
Fast Food No More
We know the feeling of driving down the road with your stomach growling and seeing those golden arches in the distance. Your stomach lurches, and oh what you would do for some French fries or a burger right now. Stay on the road! The fast-food industry is not only extremely unhealthy, but it is also a major supporter and driving force of factory farms.
For those young professionals and parents who have spent an entire day working and just want to reach for the nearest fast-food offering, we’ve been there, done that. Be honest with yourself. Have you ever felt great after eating those greasy nuggets that somewhat resembled chicken? It’s not worth it.
Since fast-food chains are the main buyers of animal products from factory farms, by choosing to pass up the drive-through you are saying no to crappy food and the crappy-food system it perpetuates. A recent Yale study found that less than 1 percent of children’s meals at fast-food restaurants could qualify as healthy.8 Our children deserve so much better, especially as food is critical to development. That ninety-nine-cent dollar menu is a ruse, as you now know that your “cheap” food comes at an untold global, environmental, and health price.
Cut the desire for greasy fast food and throw your own (veggie) sandwich together at home for lunch. It is cheaper, healthier, and won’t leave your car or you smelling like a fast-food dump. Also try cooking big, delicious meals such as veggie lasagna, stew, stir-fry, and soup on Sunday. Then during the week, after a long day all you have to do is thaw, heat, and serve. Not sure what to make? Look at our recipes and resources page.
Down with Pus, Down with Feces!
For those of you who like a more active approach and are burning with the knowledge to make profound impacts on this agribusiness industry, start making the protest signs for the Hill. Along with voting with our forks, we must change the laws and enforcement procedures to ensure our food safety. Unfortunately, unless corporations are forced to amend their ways due to legislative action or public outcry, rarely will any voluntary, positive action take place. This starts with us banding together and bombarding our congressmen and women with the changes we want to see.
We have compiled a list of changes that esteemed bodies such as the Pew Commission, World Health Organization, and the UN have suggested.9 These changes are:
While it might seem like campaigns and letters to Congress go nowhere, think again. Local and national groups challenging the laws are having success! Jerry Nivens and a few supporters successfully pushed New Mexico to enact the most progressive dairy-water regulations laws to date. It all started with a petition.
When your Congressman or woman receives letter after letter and campaign notice after campaign notice asking for healthier food and better regulation of agribusiness, he or she will begin to take notice and maybe even act with vigilance on your behalf. Congress and state legislatures will eventually have to get out of bed with agribusiness leaders and respond to the actions the public is alarmed by.
Without these legislative changes, the agribusiness corporations will continue to pollute our air, soil, and waterways with the animal crap that makes us sick. We cannot afford to waste time. Organize a group in your local community to start protesting this injustice that is levied on each one of us, and demand to know how your food is raised in animal factories.
Ensuring Americans Know Their Sh!t
Poll after poll cites that most Americans have absolutely no clue about where their food comes from, how it is produced, or what’s in it. This lack of knowledge is what factory farms and agribusiness thrive upon, because they understand if the public knew the full truth there would be outrage. Look what happened when we found out about the “lean” beef trimmings or what has come to be known as pink slime in 2012. When Americans learned that this filler wasn’t 100 percent beef and was sprayed with ammonia to kill off the E. coli and other harmful pathogens, there was such a strong backlash that it forced the USDA to allow schools to only serve it by choice. Guess what? Schools, fast-food companies, and grocery-store chains opted out of pink slime because of the public outcry.
Education and awareness are some of the most effective tools to create a better food system. There are so many resources that you can use to educate yourself and others about what is happening. Technology has made it infinitely easier to share information these days and spread awareness in a second. Please look at our resources pages that details organizations helping to change our broken food system and the books and reports that taught us our sh!t.
A Better World Begins with Breakfast
Ever dreamed of making a positive change in the world? You can do it every day, three times a day. It is our decision whether we preserve America the Beautiful or let it disintegrate into a pile of crap. As we approach a new age of climate change and water and food scarcity, the future health of our planet and the health of America’s citizens rests in the hands of individuals taking action to change how their dairy and meat are produced and calling on agribusiness leaders and government to take the feces out of our meat, freshwater sources, ecosystems, land, and air. It is time to take back control and choose action over apathy, voices over silence, and compassion over cruelty. By speaking up, we will show the public officials that we know our sh!t, and we want better for us and our planet. Together we can implement the food system of the future!
Know your Sh!t Solutions:
1) Try one of our delicious, plant-powered recipes. From pancakes to Thai curry to All-American, decadent, chocolate cake, when it comes to starting your plant-powered journey, we’ve got you covered.
2) Vote with your dollar at the grocery store for humane choices. Every item you place into your grocery cart does and can have a ripple effect. Let’s vote for healthy, clean food!
3) Eliminate fast food from your diet—it’s gross anyway.
4) Cook a plant-powered meal at least once a week, and share it with family and friends.