Holistic compassion, for vegan ambassadors, copyright 2017

WILL YOU HELP SAVE THE LIVES OF ANIMALS?

Live a Life of

Compassion

If you love animals… why do you eat them?

We all love cats and dogs, which shows our kindness and compassion for other species. But, why do we demand that cows, pigs, chickens and fish be killed for our food? Why are we so cruel to these animals? Cows care for their calves just as much as dogs care for their puppies. All animals have feelings: they experience companionship, fear and pain.

Every time we eat meat, at least one animal must be killed.

Are you willing to take responsibility for this death?

“Every living being is conscious – feeling – sentient.

Please be continually and universally aware of this.”

Are you true to your own values?

Would you be angry if somebody came to your house and kicked your dog? Would you speak up if somebody broke the neck of your little sister’s pet rabbit? These graphic examples help us to reflect on our true compassion for animals. The question is, “Are you true to your own values?”

Can you save animals by not eating them?

If you stop eating meat, fewer animals will be killed at the slaughterhouse. This profound life change generates authentic compassion every day of your life. Vegetarian Calculator.com estimates that you can save 202 animals per year by being Vegetarian. Being merciful to animals also contributes to excellent personal health.

Being healthy means having a strong body, clear mind and radiant spirit in a loving and sustainable environment.

Do you want to be healthy?

Have you ever met anybody who wanted to be overweight and out of shape? Probably not; but look around and observe how many people are struggling with obesity. Many people eat a lot of unhealthy processed foods. Most people eat animal flesh at nearly every meal that is highly acidic and very fat while very low in vitamins, minerals and fibre. Even though fish and chicken are intensely promoted as being healthy, they are also acidic and fat, while lacking vitamins, minerals and fibre. Meat offers zero nutrition that cannot be found in plants. Eating meat is the enemy of health. Visit PlantBasedResearch.org for extensive research that demonstrates the relationship between the consumption of animal products and nearly every chronic health disorder.

Why do people believe animal products are healthy?

Are milk, cheese and ice cream good for you?

You may love cheese, but milk products are extremely acidic and high in fats. Dairy products can be very difficult to digest; they contribute to digestive disorders and degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis. Milk actually leeches calcium from the human body. What is the true purpose of cow’s milk?

Of course, to make baby calves grow very big very quickly.

It seems rather preposterous that humans are the only species to drink the milk from another species.

Corporations spend billions and billions of dollars every year on advertising to persuade us.

Everywhere we look there is propaganda that encourages us to drink milk, eat beef, love pork and need chicken. Does advertising tell us how these foods contribute to cancer and diabetes? Even schoolbooks indoctrinate children in the ideology of eating animal flesh and their bodily fluids. Do the textbooks mention the toxins and carcinogens in animal products?

“I became a vegetarian three years ago because I was having serious digestion problems. I sought relief from these health problems from modern doctors for more than ten years but the problems never went away. Finally, eating vegetarian empowered me to overcome this illness.

Vegetarianism has also brought me greater peace of mind and nurtured my spiritual development. Finally, I recognize that my love for animals has been greatly enhanced by my vegetarian life style.”

Nacho – Argentina

Deep in your heart, do you want disease?

The nutritional advantages of Veganism greatly contribute to health and strong immunity. One of the leading causes of death and the major factor that threatens human life is heart disease. Heart disease is usually caused by clogged arteries, hardening of the arteries and increased blood pressure. Vegans, especially those who consume primarily whole foods, and avoid dairy and eggs, have much healthier arteries by avoiding the bad fats derived from animal products.

Do you want to improve your quality of life?

Life expectancy and quality of health are linked to numerous factors that are nurtured by a plant-based diet: fewer bad fats, more anti-oxidants, more vitamins and minerals, high fibre consumption and lower weight. A healthy Vegan diet helps maintain or lose weight, which contributes to improved quality of life. Anti-oxidants from plants help your body repair some of the damage caused by aging. Plants provide the essential raw materials to heal your body. Please eat whole foods that have not been processed in a factory and have not been killed in a slaughterhouse.

Where do you get your protein?

Nutritionist Paavo Airolo explains that it’s practically impossible to not get enough protein as long as you eat natural, unrefined foods. You can get plenty of high quality proteins from sunflower and pumpkin seeds, soy and various other beans, plus leafy green vegetables and virtually every vegetable and grain.

Conversely, what happens when you eat too much animal protein?

Overconsumption of animal protein contributes to diseases such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, cancer and kidney disease. 26 percent of meat eaters suffer hypertension compared to only 2 percent of Vegetarians.

Do you actually know the taste of meat?

Everybody claims they love the taste of chicken, beef, pork and fish. Is this true? Do you eat these animal foods raw, without sauces, herbs and spices? The reason people like the taste of meat is because of garlic and onions, tomatoes and spices that make it so delicious. Think about it: Do lions, cats or dogs add barbeque sauce to their meat? No. That’s because true carnivores eat raw flesh, tendons, skin, bones and all.

Are you truly a carnivore?

Do you have teeth like a tiger? Claws like a cat? Talons like an eagle? Can you tear open the body of a living animal with your bare hands and teeth? Can you eat the whole body of an animal, drinking the blood and eating the bones? True carnivores eat the entire corpse of their prey, bones and all. Humans are not true carnivores. Humans are anatomically and biologically herbivores. Have a close look at your fingers and teeth. Do you see the cognitive dissonance between the herbivores that humans truly are and how we have been socially programmed to behave as carnivores? “There is a great deal of chemicals in animal flesh, such as insecticides and weed killers. When I stopped eating meat, my moods became more stable. My depression and anger gradually decreased. Now I can manage my emotions more effectively. Being vegetarian has helped me to mature and enhance the quality of the rest of my life.�

Aki Shudo – Japan

What chemicals and poisons are put into the animals that you eat?

Most commercial food is grown with chemicals, pesticides and herbicides.

These chemicals bio-accumulate in the bodies of animals at a much higher rate than in fruits, grains and vegetables. Farm animals continually ingest herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, hormones, growth stimulants, tranquilizers, and antibiotics. If this is not sufficiently gross, the FDA and CDC report finding that 90 percent of retail meat in the US is contaminated by faecal bacteria.

Would you eat growth hormones for breakfast?

To make animals gain weight more quickly, growth hormones are mixed in with their food. Hormones are used in 80 to 90 percent of cattle, pigs and poultry raised in the United States. The National Toxicology Programme at the National Institute of Health shows that the estradiol and progesterone used in raising livestock are linked with breast cancer, prostate cancer and the growth of tumours. Meat eaters face higher incidence of colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and ten times more lung cancer than Vegetarians.

Do you take drugs for lunch?

Livestock animals are constantly fed antibiotics by the tonne to minimize economic losses due to disease. The drugs are given to all animals, not only those that are sick. Antibiotics are used to protect the livestock corporation’s investment by keeping the animals alive long enough to get them to slaughter. What happens to those chemicals once they are ingested by cows, pigs, fish or chickens? Of course, the chemicals accumulate on your lunch plate.

Who would eat cancer for dinner?

Dr. Virginia Livingston-Wheeler explains that the potential for chickens to have cancer is nearly 100 percent. Do the animals that you eat have cancer? Do you think government inspectors can effectively check billions of corpses per year to be sure they are safe? Would you still eat them if you knew how sick, scared and abused they are?

Where do you get your toxins?

Nutrition expert John Robbins explains that 95 to 99 percent of all toxic chemical residues in the typical diet come from meat, fish, dairy and eggs. It’s true that fruits and vegetables also have pesticides and fertilizers, but the proportion is very tiny compared to the toxins in meat and animal products.

Meat contains approximately fourteen times more pesticides than vegetables.

Do you realize the most serious threat to the environment?

Raising animals for food contributes on a colossal scale to air and water pollution, land degradation, climate change, species extinction and loss of biodiversity. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations explains that the production of meat and animal products is environmentally destructive and unsustainable. Animal faecal matter is a major cause of ocean dead zones.

What is the major cause of deforestation?

Cattle grazing is responsible for 91% of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest and many other parts of the world.

Raising one kilogram of beef requires sixteen times the amount of water and other resources as it does to grow one kilogram of vegetables. This means that growing plants is sixteen times more efficient than raising livestock. About 60% of the agricultural land on earth is used for growing food for livestock. This explains why there is not enough fertile land to grow food for all humans.

Are you environmentally responsible?

The methane produced by raising billions of livestock animals causes even more greenhouse gases than the global transport sector. Water usage by the animal industry exponentially exceeds the volume of domestic water usage. Animal agriculture greatly contributes to water shortages.

Does Veganism contribute to a sustainable environment?

People all over the world are recognizing the necessity of maintaining a sustainable environment. Veganism is the most sustainable life-style and is the best thing for our planet. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. explains that a Vegan diet brings us into ecological harmony with all of creation. It conserves land, water and energy while it enhances the quality of life for both humans and animals. Growing vegetables directly for human nutrition is more efficient than growing plants to feed animals, and then killing the animals, and then eating their dead bodies.

Who is responsible for violence against animals?

To maximize profit, industrial animal factories force animals together in prison-like cages without fresh air or sunshine. This causes intense stress and increases the spread of disease. At factory farms, people mutilate the animals. They cut the beaks off of chickens and the tails and testicles off of pigs. Is this what we mean by advanced civilization?

Why are humans so cruel to chickens?

Factory owners want chickens to grow as quickly as possible, with the least expense, to make the greatest profit. Chickens are tortured every day of their lives until their heads are cut off and the brutality finally stops. Who is responsible for this cruelty?

Do you support this violence by paying for the products of the animal industry?

How many chickens do we kill every year?

Worldwide, human beings slaughter and eat approximately 62,000,000,000 chickens every year (FAO of the UN). This equates to more than eight chickens slain for every single human being on earth. The chickens are only five to seven weeks old when they are slaughtered. That is the same age as a tiny kitten still drinking milk from its mother.

Would you like to liberate yourself from participation in this system?

How many cows do we slaughter every year?

Cows are usually hung upside down by the foot. Their throats are slit and their blood is drained while they are still alive. The bludgeoning of cows takes place approximately 300,000,000 times per year around the world (FAO). This volume of genocidal slaughter is approximately equal to murdering the entire population of the United States every year. Many people claim, “I like steaks.” What if they used more honest language and said, “I like eating the corpses of cows.”

Have you ever slaughtered an animal?

Most people would refuse to kill an animal with their own hands.

Can you even bear to watch an animal massacre on video? Visit PETA.org/videos to see the reality of the killing that produces your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Could you personally chop off the head of a living chicken or slit the throat of a living cow? Why not? Because you know it’s murder. Can you sincerely deny this?

How many pigs do we kill every year?

Here on this beautiful planet earth, full of culture and compassion, we human beings slaughter and consume approximately 1,470,000,000 pigs per year (FAO), which is more than the entire human population of China.

The pigs are butchered when they are less than one year old, the same age as cute little puppies that most of us adore.

Who can decrease violence against animals?

You and your family can decrease this violence. It depends on what you order for your meals. You can order life or order death. It’s up to you.

You can make excuses, challenge the statistics and rationalize your behaviour, or you can change.

How many times have you eaten dead animals in your life?

If you eat bacon for breakfast, fried chicken at lunch and fish for dinner, you have eaten some portion of at least three corpses. Multiply this number by 365 days: Eating three servings of meat per day means that you swallow some section of the dead bodies of approximately 1095 animals per year. Many people defend their behaviour by arguing, “But I don’t eat the whole animal.” That’s true. Estimates show that the average meat eater consumes around 200 whole animals per year, 2000 animals in ten years and 10,000 animals in fifty years.

Challenge and change How can a person justify such behaviour? “It’s my right to eat what I want.”

“I need my protein.” “Humans are superior.” “God made animals for people to eat.” “It’s not convenient to be Vegan.” Are we mature enough to challenge and change such attitudes?

“I became a Vegetarian when I was three”

Jana Hoffrau Germany

“We were all eating chicken while at kindergarten and discussing what food we had on our plates. I suddenly realized that the chicken meat was once an animal who lived and walked on its own.

In that moment of realization, I made a life time decision that I no longer wanted to eat the flesh of animals.”

Is it OK to eat fish?

Please realize that if you and your family sit down and eat one kilogram of fish for dinner, an additional five kilograms of sea animals are caught and killed just to yield one kilogram of fish. 90 percent of the fish in the ocean have already been depleted.

Approximately 90 billion fish are stolen and killed from the seas every year to satisfy the addiction to eating flesh (FAO).

Is it OK to eat eggs?

Egg-laying chickens are forced to live in very crowded crates with thousands of other chickens. Their beaks are painfully sheared off when they are babies.

The males are thrown into garbage bins or grinding machines while they are still alive. The grinder kills them without mercy. Six billion male chicks are killed worldwide every year because they are useless to the egg and meat industries. Are you unconsciously promoting this destruction of life?

Should I go Vegan immediately?

A shift towards Veganism is a gradual transition towards improved health and greater compassion. Your progress depends on how you feel and your commitment to change.

Gradual change of your life style gives your body and mind time to adjust to a healthy and loving eating style. Consider this schedule for pursuing a compassionate and healthy life:

Step 1

Eliminate eating one type of meat, for example, beef. Meanwhile, increase your consumption of brown rice and green vegetables.

Find at least one Vegetarian restaurant near you. Visit HappyCow.net for a worldwide listing of Vegetarian and Vegan restaurants.

Step 2

Completely stop eating one more type of meat such as pork.

Meanwhile, increase consumption of nuts, fruits and mushrooms.

Invite a friend to eat Vegetarian with you at least once a week.

Step 3

Reduce eating a third type of animal, for example, chicken and duck. Increase consumption of tofu, seaweed and more variety of vegetables. Find another Vegetarian restaurant where you and your family can eat.

Step 4

Completely stop eating all land animals. Learn more about cooking your own meals. Get a health check-up and blood test to measure how well your body welcomes this clean and compassionate nutrition.

Step 5

Reduce eating all types of seafood by 50 percent. Also reduce consumption of milk, cheese, yoghurt and eggs by 50 percent.

This brings you one step closer to a pure Vegan life. Increase consumption of sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Invite one family member to join you going Vegan once a week.

Step 6

Go completely Vegan! Evaluate your weight, your emotions, your skin and your strength. Determine how well you feel on this compassionate diet. Seek new foods, try new recipes and find friends that support you on this healthy journey.

What will I eat if I go Vegan?

There are thousands of foods available that do not contain products from animals. We have hundreds of green vegetables such as kale, chard and broccoli; hundreds of fruits such as pineapples, mangoes and bananas; countless seeds, nuts, beans, grains, mushrooms, seaweeds and ethnic foods. The varieties of plant foods are staggering. Visit the “Vegan Outreach” website for great recipes and resources.

Who will support you?

It may be difficult to explain to certain people why you don’t eat animals.

Gently mention that you have researched the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Share how you feel more compassion by not eating animal products. Some people will definitely be against your new life style. Don’t worry, you don’t need their support. All you need is your own commitment.

What are some suggestions for going Vegan?

Replace pork and shrimp with mushrooms or tempeh Consume plenty of vegetables that are rich in iron such as spinach Substitute non-GMO tofu for chicken, beef and eggs Research the nutritional needs of Vegans Enjoy coconut, almond or soy milk instead of cow’s milk Explore ethnic Vegan foods such as Thai, Indian and Egyptian Switch to sorbet from ice cream Go organic as much as possible Exercise and meditate for holistic well-being

Can you recommend some good Vegan dishes?

1. Vegan spring rolls 2. Bean burritos 3. Mixed vegetables fried with garlic and basil 4. Vegan sushi 5. Any Vegan Indian curry 6. Pineapple fried rice 7. Falafel and hummous 8. Mixed mushroom salad 9. Stir-fried tofu with ginger 10. Thai masaman curry

Will I be healthy as a Vegan?

Absolutely! But remember, you also need to minimize junk and processed foods. It will take some time for your body to eliminate the fats and toxins of meat and dairy that have accumulated in your body over the years. Gradually, your ability to digest plant-based foods will be regained and optimized. Every stage of the transition will enhance your energy level, digestion and elimination systems. Monitor your digestion and elimination processes as you determine the diet that brings you optimum energy and radiance. ‘The China Study’ by Dr. T. Colin Campbell presents exceptional evidence of the benefits of a plant-based whole food diet.

Honour the life force Please honour the life force within you, within all people, as it manifests.

Please revere the life force within all beings. Please do not steal the force of life from any sentient being. Please.

The inner secret of being Vegan

Once you become Vegan, your entire life will flourish. Your heart will become more profound than the society around you. Your mind will become wider and more pure than you’ve ever experienced before.

Your spirit will become brighter and more subtle than you can imagine.

Becoming Vegan transforms your whole experience of life. This is the inner secret of being Vegan: It’s far more than just the food you eat; Veganism nurtures the quality of your soul.

Photos provided courtesy of Farm Sanctuary, Animal Equality, Mary Murphy (Woodstock Farm Sanctuary), PETA, and the International Humane Society.

Be an ambassador of peace

Vegan food is much cleaner, contains fewer chemicals and is more compatible with the human digestion system than animal products. A Vegan life style expresses greater compassion for all living things, is less demanding on the earth’s resources and contributes to a more highly sustainable society. It is the only possible future we have.

Please make a commitment to peace for all animals. Create your own vibrant health, holistic compassion and environmental responsibility by going Vegan.

Vegetarian Thailand vegetarianthailand@gmail.com www.sites.google.com/site/vegetarianthailand