Are We Eating the Right Foods analysis

Today, people are taking few plants, much meat, much fast food, and doing little home cooking, and this is jeopardizing the entire planet. In this well-articulated speech, Bittman brings in issues about greenhouse gases, global warming, livestock, lifestyle diseases, as well as overconsumption of animal products (Bittman). Through his speech, one realizes how Western diet hazardously impacts our health. Bittman goes further to reveal the environmental implications of these diets on the ecosystem. He appears to be directly speaking to agribusiness and the entire food industry for industrializing the food system. Bittman states that the factory farm systems, which provides the animal protein supply of the nation are corrosive to the ecosystem (Bittman). He argues that any individual concerned with reversing the ecological damage brought by mankind, ought to do his part by eating plants without giving meat up altogether.

Mr. Bittman advises consumers to purchase only grass-fed beef that is organically raised yet he acknowledges the fact that the term ‘label' losses meaning when it is applied to the types of feeds given to these creatures that were not meant for their consumption. A perfect example is farmed salmon, which are fed in organic soy meal. Proteins improve the overall well-being and health of the human body and have other benefits like building and repairing body tissues in addition to producing antibodies, which protects one's body from infections, as a consequence, consolidating the immune system. Most importantly, meat contains essential amino acids, hence, it is definitely ranked as one of the best sources of proteins. Additionally, meat contains a wide range of nutrients like zinc, iron, along with selenium. Besides the nutrients, meat commonly contains Vitamin A, B, and D.

Iron is important in the formation of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to various parts of the body, while zinc is critical in the formation of tissues as well as metabolism, and selenium helps in the breakdown of chemicals and fats in the human body. S was declining. According to the Department of Agriculture, Americans ate 10% less pork, 18% less beef, and 1. less chicken in 2014 than they did in 2005 (Barclay, par. This was great news for the animal, environmental as well as health advocates. Indeed, it meant that the efforts of increasing awareness about the impacts of meat production had inspired thousands of people to cut back their bacon and hamburger consumption. The belief that humans need protein obtained from meat to function is actually a myth that dates back to the 19th Century when some German scientists conducted a few scientific studies and made the population believe that human bodies would fail of their diets lacked tons of meat.

For example, Carl von Voit, one of the scientists calculated the number of proteins consumed daily by soldiers, prisoners, or laborers, and from these findings, he inferred that the resultant number was a representative of how much proteins they bodies require. Zaraska points out that the reason why some individuals who identify themselves as vegetarians eat met is due to human psychology. For most people, eating meat creates a cognitive dissonance (Erbentraut, par. Zaraska argues that one way of overcoming thus dissonance is what psychologists term as perceived behavioral change. Thus, it is difficult to convince people to reduce the intake something they crave for, something that is so symbolic, and largely accessible and affordable especially in the U. S. Conclusion Conclusively, over-indulgence in meat eating not only places our health at risk but is also detrimental to the animals and the entire planet.

The rate at which the American society is consuming meat is alarming. Although vegetarians advocate for stopping to eat meat, Bittman urges the audience to cut back their meat consumption. What's Wrong with What We Eat.  TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, 2007, www. ted. com/talks/mark_bittman_on_what_s_wrong_with_what_we_eat?referrer=playlist-what_s_wrong_with_what_we_eat#t-49133. Erbentraut, Joseph. Accessed 4 May 2018.