A recent report by the Cornucopia Institute shows that many non-organic vegetarian products which are currently available in our supermarkets contain Hexane, a dangerous neurotoxin. Hexane is used by these soy-based food comapnies in order to seperate the soy oil from the soy protein as well as eliminate fat from the soy.
Vegetarian foods containing soy protein isolates, soy protein concentrates, or texturized veggie proteins are created with Hexane products. You WILL find these specific toxins in veggie-soy products from the following companies:
· Amy’s Kitchen
· Trader Joe’s
· Boca Burger, conventional
· Franklin Farms
· Garden Burger
· It’s All Good Lightlife
· Morningstar Farms
· President’s Choice
· Taste Above
· Yves Veggie Cuisine
Even though "organic" prodcuts are not supposed to contain any hexane-derived products, soy-foods that are given the label "made with organic ingredients" follow NO SUCH GUIDELINES.
'If you use such vegan products, you ARE harming your health and the environment in ways you are unaware. Consider the vast amount of products that consumers demand which are necessary for the vegan lifestyle - foods containing grains, corn, and soy such as well as ingredients in personal care products, and household items - and you begin to get an idea of just how widespread the use and consumption of vegan foods and products really is. Proponents of the vegan diet claim these studies are invalid and that vegans are often healthier than meat eaters, but these suppositions FAIL to take into account the following factors:
1. The majority of soy eaten in developed countries such as the U.S. is
processed, altered, and highly toxic to our bodies and the earth. The same is
true for many grains and corn.
Claims are continually made that Asian people
have consumed soy for centuries and enjoy robust health. What is seldom
mentioned is the fact that Asian people consume fermented soy (miso and tempeh,
for example), and in much smaller quantities than people in developed countries
(such as the U.S.).
2. The fact that most meat consumed by citizens in
developed societies is the conventional, factory-farmed variety - the very type
of meat which directly contributes to poor state of health in humans. Animals
from these operations are given feed that promotes disease - grains, corn, and
soy (and much of this feed is also genetically-altered). Then, farmers
administer antibiotics to counteract illness. These animals are also given
hormones to speed up growth and maximize profits. All of these substances are in
the meat you eat - and cause your health to decline. Not only does
conventionally meat wreak havoc directly on human health, but the methods used
in farming are also exceedingly damaging to the environment
3. Human beings
need healthy meat to obtain proper nutrition from a clean source -
sustainable-raised, pasture and grass-fed meat from animals that are allowed to
roam and eat proper types of feed - not commercially-produced meat coming from
abused animals in the worst possible conditions. Unfortunately, the
factory-farmed meat represents the bulk of what is available on the market, is
consumed by the majority of meat eaters, and is the culprit of those very
illnesses and diseases which vegans blame on eating meat in the first place.
Traditionally, vegans rely heavily on soy foods to supplement protein in their diet. Research reveals that soy consumption has a negative impact both on human health and the ecosystem. The majority of soy produced is grown with farming methods which use genetic modification, chemical fertilizers, and toxic pesticides. Soy farming is also responsible for the destruction of important pristine lands such as rainforest area in the Amazon. Another commonly used food in vegan diets is grains. Like soy, the majority of grains produced use farming methods which have a negative impact on the environment. Since the market explosion over the last several decades of vegan and vegetarian foods in food stores, a proliferation of processed soy and grain products requiring packaging materials are now available which also contribute to more garbage and toxins in the environment. Corn is in the same category, and is found in many vegan foods as well as thousands and thousands of other food, household, and personal care products on the market. It could even be construed that anyone not supporting sustainable farming agriculture for production of food, INCLUDING THOSE WHO DON’T EAT MEAT, are directly contributing to the INCREASE of more pollution and destruction to our environment. Diets void of meat proteins and replete with plant variety proteins are lacking in many nutrients necessary for optimal health. Soy can inhibit absorption of vital nutrients in the body, and can cause or contribute to deficiencies such as Vitamin B. Parents who impose a vegan diet on their growing children are also believed to commit a gross disservice to the health of their offspring. Professor Lindsay Allen of the U.S. Agricultural Research Service stated, "There have been sufficient studies clearly showing that when women avoid all animal foods, there are increasing results of babies who are born small, they grow very slowly, and they are developmentally retarded - possibly permanently." Lindsay is particularly pointed toward those who eliminate fats from children's diets such as meat and dairy foods. "If you are talking about feeding young children, pregnant women, and lactating women, I would go so far as to say it is unethical to withhold these foods [animal source foods] during that period of life. There's absolutely no question that it's unethical for parents to bring up their children as strict vegan.'
Try growing your own herbs, fruits and vegetables! Chemical agriculture on a large scale depends on very few chemicals: mainly nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Though important, they aren't the only elements that plants need to grow and produce healthy fruits and vegetables. One study I read shows that a naturally grown vegetable (with homemade fertilizer and organic potting soil) had 84 identified minerals and elements as compared to only 8-10 in the same vegetable (using seeds from the same seed packet) grown conventionally. IE: with the standard chemical fertilizers and pesticides/herbicides.
