Have you changed your eating habits because of what we read about in the press/on social media about how bad meat is for the planet and our health? Do you now drink oat/almond/soy milk instead of cows milk to do your bit? Have you started buying plant-based meat alternatives like the Beyond Meat Burgers? And more importantly, how do you feel physically with these changes when they have been more long-term?
Because believe it or not, I don’t advocate a vegan diet (unless it’s for ethical or religious reasons). And this is why.
When I started looking into all the vegan ‘meat’ options and commercialized snacks and treats I began to get worried about the impact on our health. So many of the vegan options are very low if not devoid in nutrition. I’m not saying you can’t have a ‘naughty’ meal every now and again, but when you eat them thinking they are good for you, it makes me really upset.
Did you know there used to be around 60 million buffalo in America and no global warming because they were allowed to graze on what they should be eating, migrate and churn up the earth with their feet. They also urinated and defecated on the soil which kept it healthy and alive. Healthy and alive soil can absorb greenhouse gases and turn them into something good. Most of our soil is dead from intensive farming and the use of pesticides and fungicides. And is now dirt, not soil. Dirt is dead soil and can’t support life. By regenerating the dirt back into soil, it would have such a hugely positive impact on the planet. If we don’t have animals on the soil, we are in big trouble. And I’m so happy that regenerative farming is finally getting some airtime in this country because of Jeremy Clarkson. Love him or hate him, his work around raising awareness for farming in the UK is epic.
And if you want to read more, click here to be taken to my recent newsletter where you can finish the article and also listen to a podcast with me talking about Regenerative Farming.