Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ers. They all seemed closed to the possibility that a plant-based
diet could support the high physical demands of professional Iron-
man training and racing, and I found their adamant stance intrigu-
ing. They assumed that a diet free of animal products was either
too low in protein, iron, and calcium or deficient in vitamin B12 and
omega-3 fatty acids.
As only a stubborn teenager can, I set out to prove them wrong—
and succeeded. I completed my first triathlon in 1993 as a high
school competitor. In 1998, at 23, I began my professional career,
going on to place eighth in Ironman Utah and third in the National
Long-Course Triathlon Championships, and twice winning the Ca-
nadian National 50km Ultra Marathon Championships.
Throughout my research, training, dietary experimentation, and
competition, I've benefited enormously on a professional level
from adopting a diet free of meat, eggs, and dairy products, while,
unknowingly, improving my overall health and protecting myself
from the many diet-related diseases and disorders that have be-
come commonplace in North America.
According to estimates published in the prestigious peer-
reviewed journal
Preventive Medicine
, meat consumption ac-
counts for up to two-thirds of the high blood pressure cases in
the United States, about one-quarter of the heart disease cases,
maybe 40 percent of certain cancer cases, one-third of the diabe-
tes cases, up to three-quarters of all gallbladder operations, most
of the food poisoning cases, and half the obesity cases.
Those who eat meat are twice as likely to become hospitalized,
twice as likely to have to be on medications, and more likely to
need emergency diagnostic procedures and emergency surgery
than vegetarians. And, after the numbers are crunched, the health
care costs of meat are astronomical, approaching perhaps $60 bil-
lion, comparable with the costs of smoking.
Consumption of animal products has not only elevated our
