university Health Center
Health Education Program
Environmental Side of Your Diet
How vegetarians help save the planet
By Morgan Pace
By now we have all learned that it
is easily possible to get all the vita
mins and other dietary nutrients we
need from a meat-free diet. We’ve also
learned that eating more vegetables
and less meat can reduce our risk for
developing heart disease, cancer, dia
betes, and osteoporosis. Athletes and
others who value their stamina might
be interested to know that research
done by Professor Irving Fisher at
Yale, has shown that vegetarians
(both athletes and sedentary) have
twice the endurance as meat eaters.
He reports, “There is strong evidence
that a non-flesh diet is conducive to
endurance.” While many of us are
aware of the personal health benefits
of a vegetarian diet, few of us are
aware of the full environmental bene
fits of a vegetarian diet.
The correlation between the meat
industry and deforestation, soil ero
sion, global wanning, water con
sumption and water pollution is un
deniable. Depletion of any one of
these of natural resources is signifi
cant. Collectively, such depletions
spell environmental disaster, and our
reliance on animal based diets con
tributes to an unhealthy planet.
Forests, soils and heat
Much of the beef eaten in the U.S.,
especially at fast food restaurants, is
imported from Mexico, Central
America, and South America, where
hundreds of acres of forest are being
cleared for the growing, grazing, and
housing of farm animals for our con
sumption. Meanwhile, thousands of
rare and exotic plants and animals are
becoming extinct along with irre
placeable rain forests. Burning forests
to clear land for cattle causes the vege
tation to release massive amounts of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a
primary contributor to global warm
ing.
Forests are also great protectors of
mother earth’s topsoil-one of our
most precious natural resources and
the foundation to the entire web of
life. Topsoil has been rapidly depleted
in the last two hundred years, both
domestically and abroad, due largely
to the grazing of cattle.
A cool drink of fresh water
Did you know that raising ani
mals for food consumes more than
half the water used in the U.S.? Water
consumption is largely used for grow
ing the crops to feed the animals but it
is also used to hose down the animals
and the slabs they’re crammed onto at
factory farms. Can you imagine all
the excrement that must be washed
Photo by Morgan Pace
away from 100,000 cattle each day?
The amount is too large to be recy
cled, so in turn, excrement ponds are
created. Many excrement ponds al
low sewage to leak into the ground
water and then into our streams and
rivers. While the meat industry con
sumes more than half of the water
used in the U.S., they are also respon
sible for 80 percent of all water pollu
tion in the U.S.
Factory farming is rapidly deplet
ing our environment at home while
imported beef is depleting the natural
resources of our neighbors south of
the border. Deforestation, soil ero
sion, global warming, water con
sumption, and water pollution can all
be drastically reduced if we w§re to
move toward a plant-based diet. If
you’ve been considering moving to
ward a veggie diet, here are a few
pointers:
• Start slow-If eating meat has been
part your daily life, at first it might
seem impossible to eat a satisfying
meal sans meat. Try eating a cou
ple of meat-free meals a week.
• Substitute-Replace meat with soy
foods like tofu or tempeh in your
recipes.
• Explore-Look into the wonderful
realm of veyetables atul try differ
ent kinds (chard, eggplant, squash
es, aruyula, etc.) in your meals.
• Ordering- When eating out, try dif
ferent vegetarian options on the
menu or ask for your favorite dish
without meat.
Organic meat
For those of you concerned with
the environment, but aren’t willing
to limit the meat in your diet, buying
organic is the next best thing. Organi
cally farmed meat means less pollu
tion, no growth hormones, and more
humane treatment of animals. Don’t
forget, we live in Eugene-where or
ganic foods and vegetarian options
are abundant. Take advantage of it!
You can make an appointment
through the Health Center with Kris
ten Olmos (346-2794), our very own
nutritionist, who would be happy to
discuss a balanced vegetarian diet
with you. You can also check out any
of the vegetarian recipe books located
in the Peer Health Ed Office on the
main floor of the Health Center.
There you will also find the book Diet
for a New America by Tohn Robbins,
a great resource for many vegetarian
issues. Sign up for a vegetarian cook
ing workshop by calling 346-4456.
Last but not least, there’s also the
web. Check out:
www.justeatveggies.com,
www.peta.org, or www.vrg.org
Keeping Osteoporosis in Check
By Kci te Mahaffey
Approximately 20 million women and five million men in the United
States suffer from osteoporosis. Literally meaning “porous bone,” osteoporo
sis is a debilitating disease that lowers bone mineral content making them so
weak and fragile that they can fracture under normal daily use. Osteoporosis
develops slowly, so often there are no symptoms until a bone fractures. This
means that many young people could actually have osteoporosis right now
and not realize it until they are middle-aged or older. Although far less com
mon than in our elders, young people can and do experience bone fracturing
caused by osteoporosis. Aside from being painful, fractures are often crip
pling. The spine, hip and wrist are among the most commonly fractured
bones.
There are several risk factors, but fortunately we can control the majority
of these with our lifestyle choices. This makes osteoporosis one of the most
preventable diseases.
Risk factors we can’t control
• Gender -women are about four times more likely to develop osteoporosis
than men.
• Ethnicity-Caucasians and Asians are at a higher risk than African-Amer
icans, iMtinos, and Native Americans.
• Age-Bone density continues to increase until about the age of30-35years,
when peak bone mass is reached. Ages 15 to 45 are the most crucial years
for peak bone mass development and maintenance.
Risk factors we can control
• ELxercise - Weight-bearitig exercise stimulates bone formation and strength
ens muscles, which keeps your bones strony. Walkiny, bikiny, weiyht liftiny,
aerobics, tennis and basketball are all examples of weiyht beariny exercise.
It is important to practice a wide variety of weiyht-beariny activities to bene
fit all the bones in the body. On the flip side, over-exercisiny can be detri
mental to bone health as it decreases hormones, which are necessary in
maintaininy healthy bones. This is especially true in reyards to women as
estroyen plays and important role in calcium absorption. If a women exer
cises (or is underweiyht) to the point where she stops menstruatiny, her risk
for osteoporosis increasesyreatly.
• Nutrition - Calcium is the laryest dietary contributor to buildiny and main
taininy strony, healthy bones. The recommended daily allowance for calci
um is 1200-1500 my. Vitamin Disa critical vitamin that aids in the ab
sorption of calcium. Diets hiyh in protein, especially from an animal source,
diminish bone calcium. Caffeine also robs the body of calcium. Alcohol and
smokiny are also substantial factors linked to the inhibition of calcium ab
sorption atul bone loss.
• Smokiny- Tobacco inhibits calcium absorption and contributes to weakened
bones.
Bone is a dynamic organ that contains 99 percent of the body’s calcium re
serves. Your dietary and exercise habits today, and throughout your life, have
a direct impact on your future bone health. If you are concerned about your
bone mineral density and bone mass, talk with your medical practitioner
about testing. Call the U of O Health Center at 346-2770 to set up an appoint
ment, or stop by the Peer Health Education office near area B and pick up a
Nutritional Analysis card to find out if your diet promotes good bone health.
Spring 2002
WELL
NOW
see WellNow online at:
http://healthed.uoregon.edu
V M v f. « s J T V
HEALTH CENTER
We’re a matter of degrees +
in this issue...
PageSL.
Go Play Outside
Discover resources that can
help you explore what the
Eugene area has to offer as
far as outdoor fun.
Mind Body Connections
Can moods and “self-talk”
actually boost or breakdown
your immune system?
The power of laughter
Interested in starting a
laughing club? Laughing can
improve your health as well
as amuse.
PogeSm
Aqua Aerobics
What is water aerobics and
what can it do for you?
Improving Body image
Why you should feel good about
yourself and your body.
Page4L
Desperately Seeking Sleep?
Don’t let lack of sleep cause
your life to suffer.
Herbal First Aid
What you should know about
four important herbs.
Factoids
Interesting health facts to amuse
and/or make you think.
Save
HEALTH CENTE R j
We’re a matter of degrees ^
Hours:
Mon., and Wed.-Fri.: 8am to 6pm
Tuesday: 9am to 6pm,
Saturday & Sunday: 10am to 2pm ■
Phone:
Appointments: 346-2770
Dental: 3404432
Pharmacy: 3464454
Physical Therapy: 346-4401
Insurance: 346-3702 ■
Urgent Care: 346-2770
Peer Health Education: 346-4456
General: 3464441
On-line: i
http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu I
I_I
Paid Advertising