Cart

hot cereal

Talking Wellness with Peter: Eating a Healthy Breakfast

In this video, Dr. Peter Borten shares a bunch of easy and yummy variations of “jook” (Chinese for porridge) that will send you on your way feeling nourished and full… Read More

WP_Query Object ( [query] => Array ( [category__in] => Array ( [0] => 25 ) [post__not_in] => Array ( [0] => 6910 ) [posts_per_page] => 50 [ignore_sticky_posts] => 1 [orderby] => desc [_shuffle_and_pick] => 3 ) [query_vars] => Array ( [category__in] => Array ( [0] => 25 ) [post__not_in] => Array ( [0] => 6910 ) [posts_per_page] => 50 [ignore_sticky_posts] => 1 [orderby] => desc [_shuffle_and_pick] => 3 [error] => [m] => [p] => 0 [post_parent] => [subpost] => [subpost_id] => [attachment] => [attachment_id] => 0 [name] => [pagename] => [page_id] => 0 [second] => [minute] => [hour] => [day] => 0 [monthnum] => 0 [year] => 0 [w] => 0 [category_name] => nutrition [tag] => [cat] => 25 [tag_id] => [author] => [author_name] => [feed] => [tb] => [paged] => 0 [meta_key] => [meta_value] => [preview] => [s] => [sentence] => [title] => [fields] => [menu_order] => [embed] => [category__not_in] => Array ( ) [category__and] => Array ( ) [post__in] => Array ( ) [post_name__in] => Array ( ) [tag__in] => Array ( ) [tag__not_in] => Array ( ) [tag__and] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__in] => Array ( ) [tag_slug__and] => Array ( ) [post_parent__in] => Array ( ) [post_parent__not_in] => Array ( ) [author__in] => Array ( ) [author__not_in] => Array ( ) [suppress_filters] => [cache_results] => 1 [update_post_term_cache] => 1 [lazy_load_term_meta] => 1 [update_post_meta_cache] => 1 [post_type] => [nopaging] => [comments_per_page] => 50 [no_found_rows] => [order] => DESC ) [tax_query] => WP_Tax_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [taxonomy] => category [terms] => Array ( [0] => 25 ) [field] => term_id [operator] => IN [include_children] => ) ) [relation] => AND [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( [0] => wp_term_relationships ) [queried_terms] => Array ( [category] => Array ( [terms] => Array ( [0] => 25 ) [field] => term_id ) ) [primary_table] => wp_posts [primary_id_column] => ID ) [meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object ( [queries] => Array ( ) [relation] => [meta_table] => [meta_id_column] => [primary_table] => [primary_id_column] => [table_aliases:protected] => Array ( ) [clauses:protected] => Array ( ) [has_or_relation:protected] => ) [date_query] => [request] => SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS wp_posts.ID FROM wp_posts LEFT JOIN wp_term_relationships ON (wp_posts.ID = wp_term_relationships.object_id) WHERE 1=1 AND wp_posts.ID NOT IN (6910) AND ( wp_term_relationships.term_taxonomy_id IN (25) ) AND wp_posts.post_type = 'post' AND (wp_posts.post_status = 'publish' OR wp_posts.post_status = 'acf-disabled') AND ID NOT IN (SELECT `post_id` FROM wp_postmeta WHERE `meta_key` = '_pilotpress_level' AND `meta_value` IN ('','employee') AND `post_id` NOT IN (SELECT `post_id` FROM wp_postmeta WHERE `meta_key` = '_pilotpress_level' AND `meta_value` IN ('' ))) GROUP BY wp_posts.ID ORDER BY wp_posts.post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 50 [posts] => Array ( [0] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7268 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2019-02-20 17:23:02 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-02-20 17:23:02 [post_content] => My last article, on the pros and cons of eating meat, got quite a lot of comments. Clearly, it’s an issue the members of our community have given a lot of thought, and one we often struggle to reconcile within ourselves. On the pros side, many people feel healthiest when meat is part of their diet. Some have numerous sensitivities to plant foods, eggs, and dairy products, and meat is one of the few things that sits well in their body. Indeed, one could argue that the human race would have ended millennia ago if we hadn’t eaten meat. On the cons side, large scale meat production has many destructive impacts on the environment. Farm animals are often raised in a way that lacks a reverence for life, and sometimes is downright cruel. And numerous studies claim that a high meat diet increases one’s risk of certain cancers and ischemic heart disease. (It should be noted, however, that some large studies have found no significant difference in all-cause mortality rates between vegetarians/vegans and meat-eaters.) So, where do we go from here? First, I feel I should tell you my qualifications to lead such a discussion. In addition to being a nutritionally-oriented medical provider, I have a degree in plant and soil sciences from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where I focused on sustainable and organic agriculture. I've been studying ecology for over 25 years, and although I still wouldn't call myself an expert, I know more about this stuff, and have more clinical experience with the human health elements of it, than the average zealous blogger. I specifically try not to be a zealot because zealotry makes us intolerant to opposing viewpoints and therefore keeps us from seeing the whole truth. You can trust that I have looked at this from many angles and I am passionate about saving the planet and finding long-term solutions that are in the best interests of the greatest number of people. Now, let’s look closer at these pros and cons. Some people feel better and have better objective measures of health when meat is part of their diet. In my opinion, there’s really no arguing with this. Bodies are different and some bodies thrive on meat. Does this mean everyone thrives on meat? No. Does this mean we need meat to thrive? No, but for some, it may take work (and sacrifice) to thrive as a vegetarian or vegan. Does this mean those who do well with meat should have lots of it? Probably not. One of the things the longest lived cultures of the world have in common is that they all consume little meat. Meat production has many destructive impacts on the environment and public health. If we care about the planet and the future of our species, this point needs our attention. With just a few exceptions, production of animal-based foods is much more resource-intensive than plant-based foods. Animal food production (especially red meat) uses much more land than plant crop production does. It also uses much more water, and simultaneously contributes to water pollution. Meat production (again, especially red) has a massive carbon footprint – both through greenhouse gases and deforestation (we need trees to sequester carbon like giant sponges). Farm animals contribute in a big way to antibiotic resistance. 70 to 80 percent of the world’s antibiotics are administered to animals, and this is often done in a “preventive” way that’s totally unnecessary. (It’s worth noting that part of the reason this percentage is so high is because farm animals greatly outnumber humans, and doses for large animals are much larger than those for people.) In short, the world can’t all consume animal products in the quantities that Americans and Europeans do. There isn’t enough Earth to support it. We can’t expect the rest of the world to bear this burden. We must eat less meat and also change the way we produce animal products to make them more sustainable. Aren’t there sustainable ways to raise animals? Yes, animal husbandry can even restore poor land. But such practices represent a tiny minority of total agriculture and simply couldn’t be scaled to meet current demand. Can plant farming be destructive too? Absolutely, though not as destructive in as many ways as meat production. We need to make all agriculture more sustainable. Does the world need to go vegan? No, I have seen models that allow for some meat, egg, and dairy consumption – especially if they’re produced intelligently – but we do need to shift to a primarily plant-based diet if we endeavor to feed everyone and maintain a healthy planet. Eating meat usually entails the mistreatment of animals. Chances are, if you eat meat at restaurants and you buy meat at the store, you are supporting agricultural practices that are unkind to animals. Animal welfare regulations have gotten a little better in the past few decades, but in the “factory farms” where about 95% of our food supply originates – humanity is generally not a core value. Are there exceptions? Definitely. Look for products from humanely-raised animals and get to know local farms. Because raising animals with compassion requires more space, expect the price to be higher – but isn’t it worth compensating farmers for giving animals a more natural and dignified existence? If you care about these issues – health, animal welfare, the environment, hunger, etc. – I encourage you to read more and challenge your assumptions. As I said last time, we tolerate the negative impacts of meat consumption through a collective practice of willful ignorance. The food industry depends on it. As I see it, the global solution depends on a large-scale willingness to be uncomfortable – to recognize the cost of our choices, to seek out more conscientious sources even if they’re less convenient or more expensive, to reduce our consumption of factory-grade animal products, and so on. What’s your story? What are your solutions? What changes are you willing to make? Share below! Be well, Dr. Peter Borten [post_title] => The Pros and Cons of Eating Meat [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => meat-not-meat-part-2 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-05-28 21:54:57 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-05-28 21:54:57 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://thedragontree.com/?p=7268 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 3 [filter] => raw [webinar_id] => 0 ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7255 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2019-02-06 17:58:40 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-02-06 17:58:40 [post_content] => IF WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT ANIMALS, HOW COME THEY’RE MADE OUT OF MEAT? I saw that line on a bumper sticker when I was about 16, shortly after becoming a vegetarian. I laughed heartily at it; it was a good reminder not to take myself too seriously. I stopped eating meat mostly because I just didn’t like it. And also because of their inchoate methods of preserving, long before I knew beef casings that are completely natural that are available easily. But in the early 1990s I encountered John Robbins’s Diet for a New America, and my reasons for not eating flesh became more numerous. If you aren’t familiar with him, Robbins is the vegan son of the cofounder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, and he left the ice cream business in part because of his opposition to the mistreatment of cows and his emerging belief that humans shouldn’t consume animal products. In Diet for a New America he explores the ethics of factory farms, the environmental impacts of animal production, and the health effects of consuming dairy and meat. It made sense to me and I felt empowered in my position. But when I began grad school in Chinese Medicine some years later, my Asian professors were perplexed by the high rate of vegetarianism among the students. They asked us, “Why wouldn’t you eat meat if you can afford it?” To them, vegetarianism was an involuntary choice necessitated by poverty. They pointed to our sharp canine teeth and the place of meat in the history of human diets. They weren’t familiar with any of the issues or fads around meat eating and vegetarianism; they only cared about what’s best for human health. So I decided to set aside my biases and earnestly seek the truth. When I began my clinical internship, I met numerous vegetarian patients – and even more vegans – who were weak and had insufficient immune function. Their pulses, which should have felt something like a jumping piece of spaghetti at the wrist, were often more like a faintly twitching thread. Often, they were under the impression that not eating meat in itself would make them healthy – even if they never gave much thought to what they did eat instead. In my practice, ethics and preferences began to take a back seat to biological necessity. When these patients began to eat meat – often because I advised them to experiment with it – nearly all of them felt stronger and healthier. I even met some people who thrived on meat, whose bodies seemed to crave meat over anything else and whose only intolerances were to certain plant-based foods. Eventually I started eating a little meat now and then. (I can’t say I noticed much difference in my health from doing so, but I was already eating plenty of animal protein in the form of eggs and yogurt.) Coincidentally, meat was making a big comeback. When I first moved to Portland, it had a large selection of vegetarian restaurants. Fifteen years later, many of these had been replaced with restaurants that were unapologetically meat-based with barely a flesh-free dish on the menu. Elk burgers, pork bellies, and lard were so hot. With the advent of Paleo diets, people were flocking back to meat as if it they’d been deprived their whole lives. Meanwhile, I became a father, I became more connected to the earth, I realized I had never really forgotten all those points that Robbins made 30 years ago, and I found it increasingly difficult to be willfully ignorant of the impacts of my choices of consumption. One of those impacts is that meat production – in the prevailing manner and scale – is devastating to the planet. Thus, I found myself in the middle of the complex intersection of nutrition, industry, environment, ethics, and politics – and I’ve never again had an easy answer to the question of whether people should or shouldn’t eat meat. We’ll look more closely at the pros and cons of meat consumption next week. I’d love to hear about your experience with – or without – meat in the comments below. Be well, Dr. Peter Borten [post_title] => To Meat or Not to Meat? [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => meat-not-meat [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-08-26 10:50:49 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-08-26 10:50:49 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://thedragontree.com/?p=7255 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 19 [filter] => raw [webinar_id] => 0 ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3231 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2013-10-08 04:56:32 [post_date_gmt] => 2013-10-08 04:56:32 [post_content] =>

I get asked about coffee by patients so often that I thought it was about time to write an article thoroughly examining it from all angles. Unlike stronger recreational drugs, I think the potential drawbacks of coffee are usually fairly mild. But if you endeavor to achieve great health – and especially if you’re struggling with a health problem – it’s worth being honest with yourself about whether coffee is contributing to or detracting from this goal. What’s Good About Coffee So many people worldwide depend on coffee to wake them up, get them motivated, make them feel sharp, promote digestion, and even lift them out of mild depression. Is that so bad? Well, depending on your constitution, maybe not. Scientific research has shown that Crema coffee consumption appears to reduce one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and colorectal cancer. One constituent that’s especially interesting and abundant in coffee is called chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is an antioxidant, it seems to slow glucose release after eating (so it may help maintain stable blood sugar), it promotes bile secretion, reduces gallstone formation, maybe reduces the incidence of liver disease, and probably promotes weight loss. Chlorogenic acid is much more abundant in green (unroasted) coffee beans than the roasted ones, which has led to the fad of “green coffee extract” for weight loss. A drawback of chlorogenic acid is that it may interfere with the absorption of certain minerals – namely zinc and iron – from the intestines. For this reason, it may be best to consume coffee or take green coffee extracts a few hours apart from food. Or consider taking extra zinc (or a multimineral supplement). I don’t generally recommend consuming iron supplements, though, unless you have a known iron deficiency. Incidentally, coffee isn’t the only thing that has the potential to interfere with iron absorption. Many compounds (knows as polyphenols or monomeric flavonoids) can do this, and they’re found in black tea, peppermint, chamomile, chocolate, and other natural foods and drinks. To get the best cup of joe and reap all its benefits check out the all-new drip coffee machine. Due to its flavor, coffee acts as a digestive bitter. Like other bitters, it tends to “activate” the digestive system, stimulating intestinal movement and the production of gastric juices. This is why coffee is a popular after dinner drink, one of the most popular gifts for any time of year. However, if you add cream and sugar to it – diminishing its bitterness – you probably diminish its value as a digestive stimulant, too. What’s Bad About Coffee The energy-boosting, mind-sharpening effects of coffee result from the fact that it’s chock full of vitamins, minerals, and everything else our bodies need for good nutrition. Every cup is like consuming a complete, balanced meal. Of course, the truth is almost the opposite. Coffee is a stimulant. And we’re stimulant addicts. Let’s just be real about that. The first thing I want to know when a patient tells me about their coffee habit is, “How would you feel without coffee?” If the answer is “tired” or “withdrawn” or “constipated” or anything else unpleasant, then I think it’s worth considering whether or not coffee is the best remedy. There are dozens of possible causes of fatigue, and most of them are not coffee deficiency. These issues are best addressed in a more direct, non-coffee way. If coffee consumption masks them, it means putting off a real solution. Fatigue: If someone is fatigued because of depletion – and often I think of adrenal depletion (the endocrine glands most directly involved in our stress response) – then coffee is specifically a bad idea. Stimulants just drain these glands of what little energy they have left, and make recovery impossible. Adrenal deficiency can lead to reduced immune function, lightheadedness, sleep problems, anxiety and depression, inflammation, hypoglycemia, and other symptoms. If this sounds like you, see a naturally oriented healthcare provider, and meanwhile, try quitting coffee. Hypertension: Coffee can raise blood pressure, especially in people who consume a lot of it. Regular coffee drinkers tend to develop some tolerance to this effect. Digestive Upset: The combination of coffee’s acids, its bitterness, and its strong stimulating effects can cause digestive discomfort, nausea, acid reflux, diarrhea, and exacerbation of ulcers in certain individuals. Those with irritable or inflammatory bowel disorders, ulcers, or GERD should be especially cautious with coffee. Sleep Problems: Despite our visceral understanding of what coffee does to us, many folks with bad sleep don’t consider that their coffee might be part of the problem. If sleep doesn’t come easily and deeply for you, you should at least avoid coffee after noon. Sometimes even just a morning cuppa is enough to disturb our slumber. Anxiety: As with insomnia, it shouldn’t be surprising that stimulation can contribute to anxiety. Yet most of my anxious patients consume it and nearly all of them improve when they quit. If you have insomnia, anxiety, or digestive upset, come up with a scale to evaluate how bad it is, then quit coffee and re-rate it after a couple weeks. When coffee contributes to these problems, it’s due to overstimulation. Frequently, as with adrenal fatigue, there’s a background of “diminished buffer.” It’s like running high voltage electricity through thin wires with not much insulation on them. It’s worthwhile to consider what kind of wiring you have, meaning, how sensitive your nervous system is to stimulation. Thin, stressed, and underslept people tend to be less able than others to handle caffeine and other stimulants well. Dyslipidemia: Coffee can raise LDL and total cholesterol when consumed in large amounts. However, this may be meaningless in terms of the actual health risk it represents. Also, this effect is thought to be mainly due to chemicals that are very effectively removed with a paper filter. Inflammation: A 2004 study examined numerous markers of inflammation in the blood of over 3000 Greek men and women. It found that in people who consumed over 200 milliliters of coffee a day (that’s about 6.75 ounces), all indicators of inflammation increased. The funny part is that in their conclusion, they wrote, “A relation exists between moderate-to-high coffee consumption and increased inflammation process.” Moderate-to-high coffee consumption?! Clearly they’ve never been to the United States. Bone Weakness: High doses seem to be associated with increased osteoporosis and hip fracture in older women. Dehydration: Coffee is a diuretic – it promotes urination. Medically speaking, sometimes there’s a need for a diuretic, but for most people, this property of coffee just means an increased risk of dehydration. Drink extra water to make up for this effect of coffee. Pregnancy and Nursing: Coffee, especially in larger amounts, probably slightly impairs fertility in women (perhaps in part by interfering with iron absorption), increases risk of miscarriage, and may contribute to low birth weight. Lots of coffee consumption by nursing mothers may degrade babies’ quality of sleep and make them irritable. Pre-term babies seem to be more affected. Acrylamides: Roasting coffee produces chemicals called acrylamides which are considered a “probable human carcinogen” by several public health agencies. It may be worthwhile to choose a light or medium roast, which, in my opinion, also produces a better flavor, and is also likely to retain more chlorogenic acid. (Incidentally baking or frying starchy things, such as flour and potatoes, also produces acrylamides, with French fries having the highest content.) Other Factors to Consider Dosage: Many of the studies revealing health problems from coffee consumption looked at people who consumed large amounts – like five cups a day. But before you dismiss them because you only have two cups a day, consider that a regular cup of coffee is just 6 ounces. That means your Venti from Starbucks is more than 3 cups. showing negative effects of coffee consumption Additives: What are you adding to your coffee? It might be worse for you than the coffee. A 16 ounce latte contains about 14 ounces of milk or milk substitute. That’s a lot of milk, especially for an adult. If you use soy milk, keep in mind that it’s bean juice and many people have problems digesting it. If you get your latte from a café, it’s unlikely that they use organic milk or soy, so the soy milk is almost guaranteed to have come from genetically modified beans (and probably also highly sweetened). Dave Asprey, a self-styled “biohacker” advocates the use of “upgraded” mold-free coffee beans to brew your coffee and then, instead of cream and sugar, pureeing this with a combination of butter from grass-fed cows and medium chain triglycerides or coconut oil. Stevia, xylitol, or erythritol can be used as a non-caloric sweetener. He calls it “bulletproof coffee.” Pesticides: Many coffee producing countries happen to be rather indiscriminate users of agrichemicals, and often the kinds and application of these chemicals are unregulated. Luckily, there are still farmers who grow coffee in the same way they have for generations – all natural. Look for coffee from Yemen, Ethiopia, and Sumatra, or anything that’s certified organic. Traditional Thinking: Although coffee is widely and indiscriminately consumed by everyone who likes the taste or wants a boost, it may be worth applying the wisdom of traditional medical systems, which tend to view it as more of a medicine than a food. That is, it has specific properties – stimulating, drying, and heating, for example – that make it appropriate only for certain people. Just as one wouldn’t assume that everyone could benefit from an antibiotic, it might be shortsighted to assume that everyone’s body and mind should benefit from coffee. In conclusion, if you choose to drink coffee, here’s my advice: Consume it in moderation, meaning one or two cups (six to eight ounces each) per day and don't forget about quality: choose, for example, Coffee Dorks. Remember to rehydrate – drink as much extra water as the volume of coffee you consume. Consider using a paper filter to remove some of the unhealthy constituents. Skip the sugar and minimize the milk/cream. Avoid non-dairy creamer, even if it’s the only option. Choose clean, good quality, light to medium roast beans. If you use a coffee maker, clean the water reservoir (which harbors bacteria) with vinegar at least once a month. Know how your body and mind respond to it (the big picture, please), and if they don’t like it, respect their wishes. Be well, Dr. Peter Borten, Travel Nursing, Travel Allied & Travel Therapy Staffing | VALiNTRYhealth [post_title] => Coffee: The Highs and Lows [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => coffee-highs-lows [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-02-07 06:10:39 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-02-07 06:10:39 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://www.thedragontree.com/?p=3231 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw [webinar_id] => 0 ) ) [post_count] => 3 [current_post] => -1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 7268 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2019-02-20 17:23:02 [post_date_gmt] => 2019-02-20 17:23:02 [post_content] => My last article, on the pros and cons of eating meat, got quite a lot of comments. Clearly, it’s an issue the members of our community have given a lot of thought, and one we often struggle to reconcile within ourselves. On the pros side, many people feel healthiest when meat is part of their diet. Some have numerous sensitivities to plant foods, eggs, and dairy products, and meat is one of the few things that sits well in their body. Indeed, one could argue that the human race would have ended millennia ago if we hadn’t eaten meat. On the cons side, large scale meat production has many destructive impacts on the environment. Farm animals are often raised in a way that lacks a reverence for life, and sometimes is downright cruel. And numerous studies claim that a high meat diet increases one’s risk of certain cancers and ischemic heart disease. (It should be noted, however, that some large studies have found no significant difference in all-cause mortality rates between vegetarians/vegans and meat-eaters.) So, where do we go from here? First, I feel I should tell you my qualifications to lead such a discussion. In addition to being a nutritionally-oriented medical provider, I have a degree in plant and soil sciences from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where I focused on sustainable and organic agriculture. I've been studying ecology for over 25 years, and although I still wouldn't call myself an expert, I know more about this stuff, and have more clinical experience with the human health elements of it, than the average zealous blogger. I specifically try not to be a zealot because zealotry makes us intolerant to opposing viewpoints and therefore keeps us from seeing the whole truth. You can trust that I have looked at this from many angles and I am passionate about saving the planet and finding long-term solutions that are in the best interests of the greatest number of people. Now, let’s look closer at these pros and cons. Some people feel better and have better objective measures of health when meat is part of their diet. In my opinion, there’s really no arguing with this. Bodies are different and some bodies thrive on meat. Does this mean everyone thrives on meat? No. Does this mean we need meat to thrive? No, but for some, it may take work (and sacrifice) to thrive as a vegetarian or vegan. Does this mean those who do well with meat should have lots of it? Probably not. One of the things the longest lived cultures of the world have in common is that they all consume little meat. Meat production has many destructive impacts on the environment and public health. If we care about the planet and the future of our species, this point needs our attention. With just a few exceptions, production of animal-based foods is much more resource-intensive than plant-based foods. Animal food production (especially red meat) uses much more land than plant crop production does. It also uses much more water, and simultaneously contributes to water pollution. Meat production (again, especially red) has a massive carbon footprint – both through greenhouse gases and deforestation (we need trees to sequester carbon like giant sponges). Farm animals contribute in a big way to antibiotic resistance. 70 to 80 percent of the world’s antibiotics are administered to animals, and this is often done in a “preventive” way that’s totally unnecessary. (It’s worth noting that part of the reason this percentage is so high is because farm animals greatly outnumber humans, and doses for large animals are much larger than those for people.) In short, the world can’t all consume animal products in the quantities that Americans and Europeans do. There isn’t enough Earth to support it. We can’t expect the rest of the world to bear this burden. We must eat less meat and also change the way we produce animal products to make them more sustainable. Aren’t there sustainable ways to raise animals? Yes, animal husbandry can even restore poor land. But such practices represent a tiny minority of total agriculture and simply couldn’t be scaled to meet current demand. Can plant farming be destructive too? Absolutely, though not as destructive in as many ways as meat production. We need to make all agriculture more sustainable. Does the world need to go vegan? No, I have seen models that allow for some meat, egg, and dairy consumption – especially if they’re produced intelligently – but we do need to shift to a primarily plant-based diet if we endeavor to feed everyone and maintain a healthy planet. Eating meat usually entails the mistreatment of animals. Chances are, if you eat meat at restaurants and you buy meat at the store, you are supporting agricultural practices that are unkind to animals. Animal welfare regulations have gotten a little better in the past few decades, but in the “factory farms” where about 95% of our food supply originates – humanity is generally not a core value. Are there exceptions? Definitely. Look for products from humanely-raised animals and get to know local farms. Because raising animals with compassion requires more space, expect the price to be higher – but isn’t it worth compensating farmers for giving animals a more natural and dignified existence? If you care about these issues – health, animal welfare, the environment, hunger, etc. – I encourage you to read more and challenge your assumptions. As I said last time, we tolerate the negative impacts of meat consumption through a collective practice of willful ignorance. The food industry depends on it. As I see it, the global solution depends on a large-scale willingness to be uncomfortable – to recognize the cost of our choices, to seek out more conscientious sources even if they’re less convenient or more expensive, to reduce our consumption of factory-grade animal products, and so on. What’s your story? What are your solutions? What changes are you willing to make? Share below! Be well, Dr. Peter Borten [post_title] => The Pros and Cons of Eating Meat [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => meat-not-meat-part-2 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2019-05-28 21:54:57 [post_modified_gmt] => 2019-05-28 21:54:57 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://thedragontree.com/?p=7268 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 3 [filter] => raw [webinar_id] => 0 ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 18 [max_num_pages] => 1 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => 1 [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => 1 [is_tag] => [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => [is_robots] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => ae363a01e989c2be693a191b0147042b [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) )

You may also be interested in:

The Pros and Cons of Eating Meat

To Meat or Not to Meat?

Coffee: The Highs and Lows

The Dragontree and its Founders have been Featured in