Eating our way into extinction? Maybe it’s time we re-evaluate our habits

ACCORDING to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegans are less likely than meat eaters to develop heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Vegans get all of the nutrients they need to stay healthy, including plant protein, fibre and minerals.

The Earth is a self sustaining entity that provides us with fresh water to drink, clean air to breathe, and fertile soils to grow nourishing food.

But our hyper-consumption generates a great deal of waste, which poses a major threat to the environment.

Every piece of food we eat has its own impact on the environment, but some foods make much more of an impact than others.

Every year, 70 trillion gallons of fresh water are used for animal production. It takes 660 gallons of fresh water to make a single quarter-pounder burger, which is the equivalent of taking two months' worth of showers.

Most of the time, water use exceeds natural renewal rates, and there is presently a significant water shortage in many regions of the world.

This reinforces the need to re-evaluate our eating habits, which are destroying the planet at a far faster rate than it can be restored, but may also be linked to many non-communicable diseases.

The world is entering an extreme drought, destroying thousands of crops as millions of farmers struggle to find enough water for their fields. The food supply is on the verge of collapsing. Rivers that supply people with clean water are drying up, and deserts are spreading inland.

To preserve the planet and provide clean water for future generations, we must shift our diet away from meat and dairy products and toward plant-based diets.

The world is shifting toward animal-free foods; in 2021, a record 580 000 people signed up for the UK's Veganuary campaign.

It is estimated that over 400 million people in the United Kingdom identify as vegans. In Canada, 10% of the population is vegan or vegetarian, and in the United States, over 50% of chefs have vegan meals on their menu.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegans are less likely than meat eaters to develop heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Vegans get all of the nutrients they need to stay healthy, including plant protein, fibre, and minerals.

The health benefits of changing our diets are numerous; in many situations, by adopting a vegan diet we can prevent or even reverse common diseases. Research supports that humans can be absolutely healthy on an all plant based diet.

Sentinels are persons that live up to at least 100 years and are found in specific populations all over the world with health longevity.

The five areas dubbed "blue zones" around the world are Buckanawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Nicoya in Costa Rica, Icaya in Greece, and Loma Linda in California. These areas are all influenced by a diet that is primarily plant-based.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lentils is one that is full of all these nutrients.

Moving away from animal products and toward plant-based foods ensures a plethora of health advantages, but also means we have a sustainable planet for future generations.