Vegetarianism Reconsidered

with Lierre Keith

Vegetarians and vegans are often motivated to avoid animal products out of concern for animal welfare and the environment. Lierre Keith is no exception. As a teenager, she became convinced that abstaining from meat was the best choice. However health concerns quickly ensued once she made that dietary choice. She began to suffer from fatigue, hypoglycemia, irregular menstrual cycles, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more.

These initial conditions were followed by longer-term problems including autoimmune and degenerative disc disease. Her own health concerns, and those of others, led her to reexamine vegetarianism. Today, Lierre is passionate and bold when discussing our need for including meat products in our diet, both for our benefit and for the health of the planet.

Notes

Lierre Keith became a vegan as a teenager. She was concerned about animal welfare and environmental degradation. She was passionate and convinced that vegetarianism was the way forward. And yet, almost right away her health began to deteriorate. Listen to her story and you will learn what she discovered about the pitfalls of vegetarianism and alternative solutions for healing the planet.

She explains:

what persuaded her to become a vegan
the health repercussions she began to see right away and in the long term (including fatigue, hypoglycemia, irregular menstrual cycles, dry skin, depression, anxiety, exhaustion, insomnia; and later, degenerative disc and autoimmune diseases)
why the vegetarian diet does not meet the needs of the human “template”
what’s missing exactly– insufficient fat, not enough protein,
the mental issues that can surface (difficulty maintaining a stable mood, struggles with eating disorders, OCD, etc. b/c of dietary deficiencies)
how vegetarianism does not lead to saving the planet, the animals, or feeding hungry people
the truth about dreadful factory farm conditions
the fallacy of the argument: take the 18 lbs. of grain used to feed a cow and give them to a human being (this becomes “agricultural dumping” and becomes a hindrance to allowing people to provide their own food)
the motivating ethic of vegans and vegetarians: the values of justice, compassion, and sustainability
why animal foods are necessary for the “human template”