Would love your opinion - From Dr. Mercola's site

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Vegetarianism Inside-Out

By Chek, HHP, NMT

Founder, C.H.E.K Institute

People become vegetarians for many reasons. Some people do so for

what they believe are sound health reasons. We are, for example,

experiencing the greatest occurrence of cancer cases and other

chronic diseases in history.

Some people convert because of a growing concern over the health of

our ecosystem.

I decided to share my opinions on vegetarianism because in my career

I have worked with many unhealthy vegetarians. Often my vegetarian

patients were in need of animal nutrition yet, for the above reasons

were initially resistant to my suggested inclusion of animal foods

for regaining their health.

While I can't address all of the reasons why one might become a

vegetarian here, I want to examine a few of the more common

arguments that claim vegetarianism is better for your health. In the

end, I hope this may clear up some of the dogmatic resistance to a

diet that includes meat.

Is Red Meat Really Bad For You?

The most common argument that I hear is that eating red meat is bad

for you. In fact, many vegetarians claim their lifestyle is better

for your heart and your health in general. We often read and hear

the same claim in the news -- eating red meat is unhealthy.

Consider Weston A. Price, who traveled the globe studying the diets

of native societies in the 1930s while there were still natives

untouched by white man and his processed foods (Nutrition & Physical

Degeneration by W.A. Price).

His primary result was to show that wherever natives were exposed to

processed foods, such as white flour and sugar, degeneration and

disease soon followed. But he also discovered that there were no

healthy vegetarian societies or tribes. While he did find some

vegetarians, there were always healthier tribes nearby eating meat

or animal products.

If you study cultural anthropology, you'll find the amount of meat

eaten by any society was determined not by religious beliefs or

health fads, but rather by availability alone. A clear example of

this can be seen by looking at the diets of traditional Aboriginals

in Australia. The inland Aboriginals eat a diet of approximately 75-

90 percent vegetable and 10-25 percent animal foods.

The coastal Aboriginals, who have access to fish and larger animals

like kangaroo eat about 75 percent animal and 25 percent vegetable

foods. (1)

The conclusion that vegetarianism is safer for your heart is an

unfounded scare tactic fostered by the processed food industry. The

first reported case of a heart attack came only recently in 1921.

(2) Hydrogenation of vegetable oils began about 1908 and since that

time, consumption of vegetable oils has risen some 400 percent,

while saturated animal fat consumption has reduced on the whole.

In short, we've had a reduction of animal fat consumption, an

increase in hydrogenated vegetable oils and an increase in heart

disease since 1908. It's hard to see how consuming less animal fats

has made for healthy hearts. Moreover, statistical analysis of

chronic disease shows that we are far worse off with today's dietary

recommendations when looked at from a disease perspective.

If viewed from a purely historical perspective, the current dogma

over eating meat and heart health is suspect as well. Humans have

been eating animal foods as a primary food staple in every part of

the world with a winter.

This includes the fish eaten in every region near lakes and oceans.

If eating meat were as unhealthy as suggested, we'd never have

lasted as long as we have.

Too Much Acid?

A similar argument against eating meat: It makes people too acidic,

disrupts the pH of their blood and thereby encourages disease. This

argument is just as problematic as the last. In fact, the whole

issue of pH balance and diet is very misleading and misrepresented

by many who favor vegetarian diets.

First of all, our environment has dramatically influenced our

biochemistry, particularly over thousands of years due to the rate

of genetic modification.

For example, Eskimos maintain optimal pH balance on a diet of 90

percent animal foods, while some Hindus and inland Aboriginals

maintain optimal pH balance of the converse of 90 percent plant

foods!

Many " experts " falsely blame high acidity levels on meat eating.

This really is just a lot of bunk. pH is specific to body

compartment and body fluid. Therefore, when making any reference to

pH without making a clear statement as to where the measurement is

taking place (urine, venous blood, arterial blood, saliva, and even

specific organs) is meaningless.

The stomach, small intestine, and large intestine for example, all

have different optimal pH levels. It has also been argued by

Rowkowski and others (including very possibly Wolcott) that

sprinting around the block once will produce a far greater shift in

pH toward acidity than eating nothing but meat all day long.

I have personally tested my own urine and saliva every hour for days

on end and let me assure you, if you were to do the same, you would

quickly find that what you do with exercise and how close you are to

your needs for water consumption will influence your pH far more

than what you eat.

I've knocked my urine pH down from 7 to 5 in 10 minutes of squatting

with sets of 10 on a one-minute rest in just a few sets!

The long and short of pH is that different pH levels are appropriate

for different people given their genetic heritage and is much more

heavily dependent upon variables other than meat.

The Real Reason ...

So what really produces the illusion that vegetarianism is better

for you? In many cases, converted vegetarians are eating real food

for the first time. They're often cooking fresh food for the first

time and eating much more raw food for the first time! Finally, they

have stopped eating so much packaged crap.

All this acts to increase one's vitality and mental clarity just

like using fresh water will clean your windows much better than

dirty water. Vegetarian diets are also very effective detoxification

diets across the board, greatly reducing body burden from lifestyles

that included prolonged periods of consuming junk food.

Finally, people going on vegan diets are often directed to do so by

holistic health professionals who also encourage the use of organic

foods.

Since fat stores toxins and commercial farmers make their income by

the pound, most farmers stand to benefit from feeding their

livestock harmful foods. These harmful foods, in turn, produce

livestock with much more fat.

The benefit from going vegan was to avoid those toxic commercial

meats and therefore nothing inherent to being a vegan per se. Those

eating organic meats will not suffer from the harmful effects of

eating commercial meats.

This brief analysis certainly doesn't address all of the reasons why

one might go vegetarian, but I hope that it's enough to help you

understand the issue isn't so straightforward as some would have you

believe. Genuine, organic meat, as Price showed, has been an

important component of all healthy societies, so we ought to think

twice before giving up on meat.

To read an unabridged version of this article, visit 's new Web

site at www.paulchek.com.

Chek, Holistic Health Practitioner and certified Neuromuscular

Therapist, is the founder of the C.H.E.K Institute in Vista, Calif.

He is also a sought-after consultant to sports organizations, and

his services have benefited numerous professional sports teams,

athletes and individuals seeking optimal health worldwide. has

produced more than 60 videos, 17 correspondence courses and is the

author of several books, audio programs and articles.

For more information on 's popular " You Are What You Eat "

audio/workbook program, or for any of his other health/exercise

courses, videos and books, call 800/552-8789, 800/552-8789 (New

Zealand or Australia), 44 (0)1273-856-860 (Great Britain) or visit

the CHEK Institute Web site. To learn more about and his

upcoming Personal Professional Spiritual (PPS) Mastery Program,

visit his new Web site at www.paulchek.com.