KNH 213: Book ReviewLisa Silvaggio, Scott Trau, Jack Trusler, & Brittany Wrasman
OverviewSocieties whose diets
are based around animal products develop more
diseases than those who follow a plant based diet.Avoid highly processed
foods. Avoid preservatives
and additives. Eliminate dairy.
Plant-based foods=good Animal products=bad
Key Points• Relying on food (your fork) over
surgery (surgeon’s knife).– Prevention of disease through diet and
lifestyle choices over medications.• Plant-based diet is good for the
environment and for animals.
Global Implications• Worldwide farm animals consume 756
million tons of grain.– This same amount of grain would be enough
to provide the 1.4 billion people living in poverty with approximately 3 lbs. of grain/day.
• The average American diet derives 47% of its calories from animal products, resulting in a carbon footprint of 2.52 tons of CO2 emissions per person per year.– If this average was reduced to 25% of total
calories, the carbon footprint would be reduced by ~1 ton.
• Global Warming– A meat-centric diet is responsible for the
emission of more than 7 times as much greenhouse gases as a plant-based diet.
• Deforestation– Livestock operations account for 30% of the
earth’s entire land surface use-much of which has been deforested to create pastureland.
• Waste– Animals raised for slaughter produce 130
times as much waste as the entire human population.
• Water Pollution– The U.S. EPA estimates that 1 lb. of
processed beef requires 2,500 gallons of water, compared to 250 gallons needed per pound of soy, or the 25 gallons per pound of wheat.
• Soil Erosion– Animal farming accounts for about 55% of
soil erosion, and the soil is being depleted at 10-40 times the rate it is being formed.
Changes in Behavior• Decrease the portion of animal-based
products in our diet, increase our intake of fruits, vegetables, and unrefined grains.
• Nutrition over medication.• Pay attention to a product’s ingredient list.• Tweak your favorite recipes. – Remove the butter from toast and replace it
with sugarless jam.
Critique• Doesn’t cite sources.• Correlation doesn’t prove causation.• Overall good health message, but
lacks scientific accuracy.
Thoughts?• Do you think eliminating all animal-based
products in your diet would be realistic?• What nutrition deficiencies do you feel
would result from a plant-based diet?• Forks Over Knives suggest to eliminate
dairy from your diet stating that dairy products increase the risk for chronic diseases. What’s your thoughts on this topic?