Need a New Year’s Resolution? Eat Less Meat
Need a New Years Resolution? Wanna do something simple that can help the environment and reduce general suffering in the world?
Eat less meat.
According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, 18% of Green House Gases are attributed to raising animals as food (New York Times). When you think about it, this makes sense. Vast amounts of land are cleared of trees for animal containment. These animals in turn will eat much of the food on the land and fart it out in the form of Carbon Dioxide (it’s crude but true!).
You don’t have to go 100% cold turkey into the Vegetarian Lifestyle to make a difference (or I guess I should say no turkey).
Even committing to eating less meat in your day to day life can help.
One simple thing you can do is to start having a Meatless Monday (or a Tofu Tuesday if you prefer).
Or you can commit to buying your meat from more local based, small farms at the Farmer’s Market.
Most Americans eat too much meat anyways – consuming an average of 200 pounds a year. That’s about 67 Telephone books!
Most sources say that you only need to eat 5-6 ounces of protein a day (that’s about the size of a deck of cards). Yet the average American eats twice that amount (Huffington Post). The ideal diet is composed of high amounts of fruits, veggies, whole grains and a small amount of lean meats (with a focus more on poultry and eggs than red meat). Reducing your consumption of meat (red meat in particular) can increase your lifespan, reduce your weight and improve your overall health.
You are what you eat. Would you rather be a pig or a lean bean?
HELPFUL INFOGRAPHIC
Yule Blessing Poem
Happy Yule to you and to all
With the nights long and the days small
Eventually the sun will bring brighter days
To end the darkness, cold and malaise
Until then stay warm with a good mead or ale
And let the love of family and friends prevail
For the light of the sun king will return to Earth
Bringing renewal, fertility, growth and rebirth
Modern Day Mayans Not Worried About Apocalypse
If you truly are worried about the Apocalypse let me give you some advice on what you can do. Collect all your valuables together: your gold, cash, ipods, etc. Then bring said valuables to my house and deposit. You won’t need such items in the coming Apocalypse, right?
I kid, I kid. People around the country are getting their panties in a triple knot because today marks the end of the Mayan Calendar. That must mean the end of the world, right? No! When the calendar on your fridge comes to an end, does that mean the world is over? Or does that mean it’s time to get a new calendar.
The fact of the matter is most of the Mayans alive today, in modern day Guatemala, are not panicking in the slightest over the so called “apocalypse.” For many Mayans, this is actually a time of rebirth. When better things will come in the following year. Check out the link below to a great video about modern day Mayans.
No panic in Guatemala over ‘Mayan Apocalypse’ – Americas – Al Jazeera English.