Dr Atta K. Bonsu
Go and ask elephant “why he is a vegetarian, he will tell you so many secrets that you have never dreamt of knowing. But for Mr. Horse, the answer will be so fascinating, climb at my back and let me ran with you. The big elephant can conquer almost everything in the forest but he lives on mushrooms and plants. The horse can perform hard and wonderful work while subsisting wholly on a vegetarian diet.
That old notion that meat is essential to strength and it is the best source of protein is becoming the thing of the past. Do not advise people, especially patients and pregnant women to eat more meat to acquire protein—this is erroneous and ruinous—you will rather kill them with such teachings. Tell them to emulate the dietary course of elephants, horses and others for strength and long life.
Vegetarianism refers to a dietary in which a person does not eat flesh of dead animals, like meat, fish or fowl. While fish or fowl is less harmful than meat, yet the one who calls himself a vegetarian stays away from all these.
Categorically, there are different types of vegetarians. The term ‘vegetarian’ can refer to alacto-ovo vegetarian, who is a person who does not eat the three types of flesh (meat, fish and fowls) but does eat plant foods, dairy products (milk, butter, cheese), and eggs. Even here one can still be referred to as a lacto vegetarian, when he eats plant food and only diary product without eating eggs. In the same manner one can be an ovo-vegetarian, when he also eats plant food and eggs without necessarily eating diary products.
A ‘vegetarian’ can also refer to a vegan that is a person who does not eat meat, fish, fowl diary products (milk, butter, cheese), or eggs, but does not eat only plant food (vegetables, fruits, cereals/grains and nuts). This is an advanced dietary programme that is a real vegetarian status, one who lives on only plant source food, without any elements of animal, flesh products.
Consciously, these strict vegetarians need to combine their foods properly in other to secure all the major elements and nutrients that the body organs need to survive. Especially, all the 23 amino-acids that comprise of complete protein and other essential vitamins and minerals. It is possible to live like this. After all, the early men lived several hundred years without eating flesh of dead animals. This patriarch, including Adam, Seth, Methuselah or Noah lived almost a thousand years subsisting on fresh fruits, vegetables, grains/cereals and nuts. And that was the Creator’s original plan. (Read Genesis 1:29)
Among these strict (vegan) vegetarians are yet more strict ones like fruitarians (Raw vegetarians). In this type of vegetarianism, they eat only raw (uncook) foods. They eat raw, fresh vegetables and fruits; grains in raw, tender state. They also love sprouting grains before eating them in salads and in other recipes. It is also possible for one to live like this, but it demands a lot of self denial, care and diligence.
People who live like this are very healthy, full of wisdom and strength. They eat less and acquire much nutrient and strength. This notwithstanding, we are advised to do less cooking and eat plenty of raw foods. About sixty percent of your food must be eaten raw. Too much cooking has been the cause of many invalids and untimely deaths. Eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Steps to a Sucessful “Vegetarian”
I once lived with a very good friend of mine, who ate everything that passes across his eyes. For him there was nothing like clean or unclean animal, he ate everything; including pork, dog meat and every flesh that are consumed by his contemporary generation.
Consequently, in his early 40s, he started developing high blood pressure due to much accumulation of cholesterol in the blood stream as a result of lavish consumption of meat. I had opportunity to advise him this time to desist from fresh meats, though I had earlier given several warnings. This time, for fear of death, he decided to heed my advices. He decided to make changes but step by step.
Interesting, he started it by desisting from all unclean meats that are pronounced unwholesome in the Bible. So he no longer ate pork and others, but clean fowls and meats.
In his second step, he decided to eat only roasted meats and fowls and fish. And that was a good—to eat meat without blood, fat and cholesterol (Leviticus 3:17). This Bible direction was good for him to avoid diseases from diseased animals. And blood cholesterol level too was reduced.
Thirdly, he made up his mind to abstain from all meats and fowls but this time fish was eaten alone. He told me and I encouraged him, so he became piscevorous (people who live only on fish and plants food). He lather on became a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and today he is a strict vegetarian (vegan), and he is one of the healthiest Africans Heaven can boast of. The hypertension disappeared and at 70 years he looks like 40 years old.
Vegetarians Avoid Deadly Diseases
On 2nd July, 2009, I took my “Daily Graphic” (Newspaper Ghanaian) and turned to page 2 and read a fascinated but worthy article on ‘Vegetarianism’. This prompted me to write this article. I wished every Ghanaian had the privilege I had to read how vegetarian oriented diets keep people from contracting cancer.
Research and studies have proven that ‘vegetarians) avoid most of the killer diseases that trouble people of this generation. Diseases such as cancer, hypertension, heart attacks, diabetes, arthritis and rheumatism, kidney and liver afflictions are rare in vegetarian communities. Even some common diseases like constipation and piles, ladies and fibroid, tuberculosis, typhoid and hepatitis are unpopular among vegetarians.
Complete diet plan on vegetarian (Coming soon)
Join vegetarian clubs (REGISTER) (Coming soon)
Vegetarian Restaurants in Ghana (Coming soon)
Organic Foods (foods grown without agro-chemical fertilizers) (Coming soon)
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