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Should You Say ‘Goodbye’ to Bacon?
Have you ever noticed that many religions oppose the eating of pork? It’s not because religions are ‘rule-happy’. There is actually scientific evidence to support the belief that pigs are unclean animals.
Unfortunately because of some slick advertising – remember “the other white meat” campaign? – many think that pork is healthy. And that’s just not the case. So before you go shopping for your next barbecue, consider purchasing other organic meats.
Here are a few reasons why you should consider eliminating pork from your diet:
- Pigs will eat anything. No seriously, anything! They have been known to eat rotten food, feces, carcasses, and even cancerous growths off of other animals.
- The digestive system of the pig is not very sophisticated – most of what they eat, they absorb into their muscles and bloodstream.
- Pigs do not have sweat glands, so any toxins they ingest are not removed from the body by sweating.
- Parasites thrive in the body of a pig – including flukes, tapeworms and trichinae. And they can be easily transferred to you after you eat pork. Yes, cooking pork to the proper temperature can kill any parasites, but that is not a guarantee.
- In a January 2013 study, Consumer Reports found an antibiotic-resistant bacteria and traces of a veterinarian drug in a sampling of pork products. “Yersinia enterocolitica was in 69 percent of the tested pork samples. It infects about 100,000 Americans a year, especially children. We found salmonella, staphylococcus aureus, or listeria monocytogenes, more common causes of food borne illness, in 3 to 7 percent of samples. And 11 percent harbored enterococcus, which can indicate fecal contamination and can cause problems such as urinary-tract infections.”
- Out of all of the meats humans consume, pork is the most difficult to digest. It can take up to six hours to digest just one serving.
- Almost all of of the pigs in the U.S. are raised in inhumane environments. They live in steel cages where they cannot move and they are given antibiotics to make them grow faster (even though some studies have shown that the antibiotics don’t have the same effect anymore). Pigs can live about 15 years, but most are slaughtered within six months.
I hate to ruin your next BBQ plans, but I feel it’s necessary to share the information so you can make an informed decision. I’d love to hear any opinions you may have in the comments below!
And if you’re looking for delicious, healthy recipes that do not include pork, but do include hidden veggies, check out my cookbook “How to Get Your Kids to Beg for Veggies” available on Amazon.
