The Health Benefits of Vegetarianism

Recently a group of eminent doctors called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), members of the American Medical Association (AMA), have gathered to change the US consciousness on human nutrition. A lot of eminent doctors speak in favour of vegetarian diet.

A vegetarian diet has been advocated by everyone from philosophers, such as Plato and Nietzsche, to political leaders, such as Benjamin Franklin and Gandhi, to modern pop icons, such as Paul McCartney and Bob Marley. Science is also on the side of vegetarian foods. A multitude of studies have proven the health benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarianism is defined as avoiding all animal flesh, including fish and poultry. Vegetarians who avoid flesh, but do eat animal products such as cheese, milk, and eggs are called ovo-lacto-vegetarians (ovo=egg; lacto=milk, cheese, etc.). The ranks of those who eschew all animal products are rapidly growing; these people are referred to as pure vegetarians or vegans.

Hindu scripture speaks clearly and forcefully on non-killing and vegetarianism. In the ancient Veda, we read: “O vegetable, be succulent, wholesome, strengthening; and thus, body, be fully grown.” The Veda dictates: “Do not injure the beings living on the earth, in the air an in the water.”

It should be noted that the Indian Hindu tradition has always been lacto-vegetarian, permitting the consumption of milk products.

Health benefits of a vegetarian diet include the following:

Preventing cancer: numerous epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that vegetarians are nearly 50% less likely to die from cancer than non-vegetarians.

Preventing heart disease and lowering blood pressure.

Preventing and reversing diabetics.

Preventing and alleviating gallstones, kidney stones and osteoporosis.

Preventing and alleviating asthma.

1. Complete the sentences, making use of the words from the box.

Quite a lot of people ___________now the benefits of vegetarian diet.

This medicine does not cure, it only _________ pain.

I eat neither ________ nor _____________.

A vegan diet means __________ all animal products.

___________say that wrong ________ is the cause of quite a lot of diseases.

A vegetarian diet prevents some _________.

A cure of _______ has not been discovered yet.

The physicians recommend people suffering from high blood pressure that the __________ of meat products should be limited.

A lot of eminent scientists insist that people’s _______ on human nutrition should be changed.

The _________situation in many regions of our planet is very dangerous.

Meat: to Eat or not to Eat?

1. Choose from the following sentences the one which best fits each gap:

1. So there is no easy answer to the question.
2. After Mad Cow Disease who has not been tempted to stop eating meat?
3. On the other hand, there are arguments for eating meat.
4. Firstly, there is a lot of evidence now that meat is bad for you.

1) ________However, there is no easy answer to the question. Some people say meat is bad for us, others claim meat is essential for our health. So where does the truth lie?

2) ________Experts say red meat, such as veal, can be harmful: if you eat a lot of it, you may develop heart problems. White meat, such as pork of chicken, id not as bad, according to the experts. Furthermore, it is argued by anti-meal-eating groups that if more people switched to a vegetarian diet, there would be less starvation in the world.

3) ________In the case of children, doctors agree that they need a balance diet to help them grow. Meat provides a range of proteins and vitamins that are essential for a healthy body. Finally, although I personally don’t eat meat very often, many people think it is the most enjoyable and satisfying type of food there is.

4) ________Perhaps a reasonable compromise would be to say, “Yes, eat meat – but don’t overdo it!”

LISTENING COMPREHENSION: Healthy Eating for Diabetics

1. How much do you know about diabetes? Try to answer these T/F statements by guessing, then listen to the text and find out if your guesses were correct.

a). Insulin is produced by the liver.

b). Diabetics can’t lead a normal life.

c). Biscuits contain a lot of fat.

d). Diabetics should weigh themselves weekly.

e). Diabetics should eat plenty of fruit.

f). Food with high amounts of sugar should not be avoided.

2. Name 6 foods diabetics should eat. Name 6 foods they should avoid.

3. Listen again and take notes to expand on the following:

Diabetes is the result of inadequate insulin being produced.

There is no reason why diabetics should not enjoy a normal life.

The British Diabetic Association (BDA) is at the public’s disposal.

Weight control and regular exercise play an important role in a diabetic’s life.

Diabetics should be careful with foods which contain a lot of sugar.

Some foods help to keep blood sugar down.

High-fat foods should be avoided.

1. Imagine you are a doctor. Give advice to a diabetic bearing in mind the information from the text.

1. Listen to the text “Eat Greek and Live Longer”. Answer the following T/F statements.

a). Cretans are healthy and live longer.

b). There is a low level of fat in the Greek diet.

c). Wine should be drunk in moderate amounts.

d). Experts are certain that olive oil is the secret to a long healthy life.

1. Listen again and take notes to talk about which of the foods and habits mentioned are good for you/ bad for you.
2. Render the text.
3. Make sure you know the vocabulary. Explain it in English and expand on its reference to the article given below.

sue, of a frisson through, to feel entitled, a crippling handicap, dorm cafeterias, culinary solace, submarine sandwiches, impecunious student, counterculture, a fad, pot-addled hippies, crunching on leaves, fringe figure, dubiously utopian ideas, rarefied precincts, confined to, fowl, posh, hors d’oeuvres, a sellout, sprouting, to spot, allure, foot-and-mouth, PETA, degenerative diseases, isoflavones, aficionados, veggies, steamed, beef-flavored fries.

9. Ponder on the underlined parts of the text.

Date: 2015-01-12; view: 1204