Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Why are you vegetarian?

I often wonder why some people call themselves a vegetarian. Is it because they don't want to eat a live animal? Someone once told me that she doesn't eat egg because it has a chance to have a life as a chicken. Or, is it because it is healthier?

Plants actually do have sex. Everyone loves to pick flowers and when they do, they’re actually dismembering the reproductive organs of plants. The “male” portion of the flower is the pollen-loaded stamen, while the egg-holding pistil is the “female” part.

Most plants sprout bisexual flowers (which have both male and female parts), but plants like squash grow separate male and female flowers—still others have both bisexual and single-sex flowers. And, as evolutionary biologists have recently discovered, plants with male and bisexual flowers produce more seeds. Why this is true is a new scientific mystery, but it probably has something to do with male flowers hoarding less of a plant’s energy (making more of it available to crank out seeds).

Using nature as a matchmaker, wind, animals, or water carry pollen to a sticky female stigma. The grains then germinate and grow downward, creeping slowly towards the ovaries. Eventually, the pollen grains bump into some eggs: Ta-da, seeds are born (yes, eating an apple or other fruit means eating an unborn life form!).

I found this article about why plant iron is better than meat iron.

1kg of beef creates a whopping 34.6kg of CO2, and consumes 15,000 litres of water! On top of that our little Moo Moo friends are responsible for 37% of global methane emissions. That stinks! A recent UN report found that meat production was among the top 3 creators of greenhouse gases (including methane which is 23 times more harmful than CO2). It’s responsible for 18% of global emissions, more than the entire world transportation industry, and livestock agriculture is also a major cause of deforestation and soil erosion, as well as being a huge drain on our water supplies.

It's hard to argue with the health benefits of a diet rich in vegetables and fruits: Lower blood pressure; reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and probably some cancers; lower risk of eye and digestive problems; and a mellowing effect on blood sugar that can help keep appetite in check.

Most people should aim for at least nine servings (at least 4½ cups) of vegetables and fruits a day, and potatoes don't count. Go for a variety of kinds and colors of produce, to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. Your best choices are dark leafy greens, cooked tomatoes, and anything that's a rich yellow, orange, or red color.


Is beef really good for your heart?
Beef provides 39 percent of your daily needs for zinc, important for a healthy immune system. Three ounces of cooked beef contains 25 grams of protein, about 50 percent of the needs of most women. Three ounces of broiled top sirloin steak contains almost three mg of iron, almost three times as much iron as a three-ounce chicken breast. We cant hide the fact that beef contains fat, including saturated fat, and cholesterol. On the other hand beef is also a good source of iron, protein, vitamins B3, B5, B6 and B12, and phosphorus and zinc. With that information you can say if its healthy or not. One thing for sure anything that is to much would not be good same goes here.

Is chicken good for you?
Chicken has lean protein. 4 ounces of chicken provide two thirds of your daily protein requirements, and adequate protein may prevent bone loss in older people. It is good for your immune system. That 4-ounce serving of chicken also provides nearly half of your RDA of the trace mineral selenium that is essential for manufacturing glutathione, a powerful immune boosting and cancer-fighting enzyme. Eating chicken can protect you against cancer and alzheimer's. A serving of chicken supplies 72% of the RDA for niacin, a B vitamin that can protect DNA from cell damage and has cancer-preventative properties. Chicken may be a good food for Alzheimer's prevention because elderly people who obtain niacin from food are less likely to develop the disease. And the Vitamin B6 in chicken helps process carbohydrates and helps regulate blood sugar. It all also depends on how you cook your chicken.

There are a ton of healthy vegetarians in the world that never have any problems and a ton that do. Is it really what we eat that makes our bodies the way they are?

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Miraj Dangal

I realized I have not posted anything in a long time. There has not been anything interesting to post until recently. Some riots have boke out in the city of Ichalkaranji, where I am currently staying. The whole town has been shut down and under curfew.

Miraj Dangal is the event that took place in Miraj, Maharashtra on 2nd September 2009. Riots broke out and things got out of control. Muslims threw stones at Ganesh ideals and broke them during the Ganesh festival last week. All of Miraj, Kolhapur, Sangli, Ichalkaranji and the surrounding villages are closed. Here in Ichalkarnji we can not go outside the house for anything. If we do go there is a change we will be shot by police. There are few people out there walking around like maids but they are all taking a chance. Only one of our maids came today. The police said if they suspect you are out there to riot, they will shoot you. There was a guy outside earlier down the street from my house selling milk. The day before yesterday some people put tires in the middle of the road and set them on fire which burned all night so that police could not get through. That was at the corner right behind my house. Muslims are going around in groups rioting and setting small shops on fire. Police are out there trying to stop this but it was out of control. All day yesterday I could hear them shouting in the distance and every now and then I would see a few of the people rioting running down the street past my house trying to outrun the police. Yesterday afternoon they set a car on fire a few streets away from here.

Don't know what else to say about it. It's all between the Hindus and Muslims. There are some videos of the riots on youtube. You will see in one of the videos that a guy got on top of a police jeep waving a Pakistani flag and the cop standing right there alloweed him to do so. Just seach Miraj Dangal in youtube and you'll find all kinds of videos show up. Looks like something out of a movie but these are real.

Thanks to all this crap I can not take my daughter outside to the parks and play. When will we all just have some respect for other ppls beliefs and get along. Now we are all (hindus and muslims) prisoners in our own homes. Look at what we are teaching our kids.