Transcript A Green Field

APE
MEAT AND HEALTH
Itis Pininfarina
Page 1
We live in a world where meat is consumed on a
daily basis and in large quantities. A world where
chickens spend their entire life in a room the size of
an A4 piece of paper and where calves are held in
boxes in which they can barely move. So what can
we do if we’re not a vegetarian? We could start
buying biological (organic) food because, first of
all, biological meat is better for the environment.
The animals at biological farms have a better life,
they can move around freely, get outside and eat
proper food.
Furthermore,
biological farms do
not use fertilizers,
chemical supplies
or gene technology,
so the meat you are
buying is actually
better for our own
health.
Page 2
As a matter of fact biological livestock farming would
help the environment only if it were performed in a
coherent way, that is to say if we consumed less meat.
The extensive-biological farming requires a lot of land
and if all the animals were “biologically fed” there would
be a drastic agricultural production decrease, as a
consequence only a decrease in the number of animals
would produce benefits for the environment: these
benefits are the direct consequence of the fact that we
rear less animals and not because we use an extensivebiological rearing!
Page 3
If we want to be
“ecologically-coherent”
we should eat less meat and
Reduce our consumption a
lot, because the problem lies
in the transformation
from vegetal to animal which
generates a great waste, for
both intensive and biological
farming.
Consequently, to rely more
on our environment, we should
bring down the consumption
of fish, milk, meat, cheese and
eggs, food that requires farming.
On 15 January 2008 during a press conference in
Paris, Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Prize winner and
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC
director, said: “Don’t eat meat, cycle more and be a
frugal consumer; this is how to stop the Earth global
warming”.
Page 4
Many people cannot imagine their meal without
eating meat; others choose vegetarian diet without
meat.
Is meat essential for our diet or you can well do
without it? How much meat is enough and when it
gets too much?
We will try to sort out all these questions to keep
our diet healthy and balanced.
Page 5
Animal protein and vegetable protein probably have
the same effects on health. It's the protein package
that's likely to make a difference. A 200 grams
steak is a great source of protein—38 grams worth.
But it also delivers 44 grams of fat, 16 of them
saturated. That's almost three-fourths of the
recommended daily intake for saturated fat. The
same amount of salmon gives you 34 grams of
protein and 18 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated. A
cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but
under 1 gram of fat.
Almost any reasonable diet will give you enough
protein each day. Eating a variety of foods will
ensure that you get all of the amino acids you need.
Page 6
Nutritional Value of Meat:
meat isn’t only tasty, it has many useful sources of
protein, minerals and vitamins.
Protein
meat is an important source of protein necessary to
assure efficient metabolism and good functioning of all
organs. Without enough protein your vital organs, like
heart and liver can be badly affected.
Vitamins
Meat is rich in vitamins group B, such as B1, B2, B3, B5,
B6 and B12, which are essential for good functioning of
nervous system and liver and also are useful for healthy
eyes, skin and hair. Lack of B-vitamins may lead to
anemia, memory loss and weaker immune system. While
many of these vitamins are also found in other products,
the main source of vitamin B12 is meat and some diary
products.
Minerals
Such minerals as iron, zinc, potassium and selenium are
also present in meat. Iron is essential for strengthening
immune system, while zinc plays an important role in
regulating regeneration processes as well as maintaining
the optimal balance in organism.
Page 7
How much meat do we need?
One of the significant factors to keep our diet
balanced is to eat meat in moderation. Too much
meat may result in constipation, obesity, type 2
diabetes and increased risk of heart diseases.
The average amount of meat recommended is 140
grams per day. To ensure the essential amount of
protein without meat you can substitute it for eggs,
tofu, nuts or seeds. Children need meat throughout
their growth, that's why it's not recommended for
them to keep to vegetarian diet.
It can be wise to have at least several meatless days
per week. You may well eat fish and seafood for
about three times per week instead of meat.
Page 8
How to eat meat?
It is not only important to keep the frequency of
eating meat at reasonable degree but also make
sure you reduce the negative effect of eating meat.
• Priority should be given to lean meat: poultry,
beef, lamb, veal and lean pork. They contain less
meat-fat that is high in calories
• Avoid eating prepared meat, like sausages, bacon,
frankfurters as they are not only high-fat but also
contain more salt and additives that are added to
preserve the meat.
• When cooking the meat, avoid deep frying as it
adds more unhealthy fat.
• Make sure you include a lot of fiber (fruit and
vegetables) along with meat in your diet, that are
also rich in vitamins and minerals. Also do not
forget about whole grain products that are also a
provider of complex carbohydrates.
Page 9
Bibliograhy:
http://www.eat-ing.net/
http://druidnetwork.org/
http://health.infoniac.com/
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/
Images:
http://www.disegnidacoloraregratis.it/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Translation: 4CM – Itis Pininfarina
Page 10