Contents
Acknowledgements ...... xiv Publisher’s note ...... xvi Introduction ...... xviii
1. The Human Body ...... 1
● Table 1 – Physical characteristics of animal group and man ...... 2 2. Nutrition ...... 7
● Nutrition from animal foods ...... 8
● Nutrition from plant foods ...... 9 Figure 1 – Beasts of burden and herbivorous animals 10
● Common myths ...... 11 Myth (1) Animal protein is better than plant protein. . 11 Myth (2) Proteins of all kinds have to be combined in every meal to maintain health...... 11 Myth (3) Only animal foods such as meat and eggs can build muscles and provide stamina ...... 12 Table 2 – Effects of diet on cycling performance . . 13 Eggs ...... 13 Table 3 – Nutrition (in grams) per 100 gms...... 14 Vegetarian athletes and sports performance ...... 15 FAQ. If vegetarianism promotes health, why do vegetarians also suffer from illnesses and disease? . . 16
● Diseases from diet of animal foods ...... 17 Chart 1 – Animal fat consumption & circulatory ...... 17
● Heart disease ...... 17 Chart 2 – Deaths from heart disease in Israel ...... 18 Contents xi
● Cancer ...... 19 Chart 3 – Breast cancer mortality correlated to diet . . . 19
● Obesity ...... 20 ● Poisoning ...... 22 Poisoning statistics ...... 22 E.coli 0157:H7 ...... 22 Campylobacter ...... 23 Salmonella ...... 23 Listeria ...... 23 Seafood poisons ...... 23 BSE mad cow disease & nvCJD ...... 24 Prion facts ...... 24 Avian Flu ...... 24
● The Hormone Nightmare ...... 25 3. Cruelty ...... 27
● Table 4 – Cruelty suffered by livestock ...... 28
● Transportation ...... 30
● Fish ...... 30
● Horse slaughter ...... 30
● Other atrocities worldwide ...... 31
● Targetting children ...... 32 Figure 2 – Animal cruelty ...... 33
● Hindu children ...... 34 4. Ecological Hazards ...... 35
● Land resources ...... 35 Table 5 – Land needed to produce one kilo food . . . . . 35 Table 6 – One acre of land can produce...... 36 Chart 4 – Calories of fossil fuel expended to get 1 calorie of protein ...... 36 xii Vegetarianism – A Hindu Perspective
● Food resources ...... 37 Livestock grain and hunger...... 38 ● Water resources ...... 39 Pollution...... 40 ● Air resources...... 41 ● Species ...... 42 ● Genetics ...... 43 5. Law of Karma ...... 45 6. Ahimsã ...... 47
● Ahimsã and compassion in daily life in India ...... 48
● Figure 3 – Kine rituals ...... 49
● Ahimsã and Bhagwãn Swãminãrãyan ...... 52
● Pramukh Swami Maharaj on Ahimsã ...... 52
● Ahimsã in Sanatan Dharma ...... 53
● Annakut festival ...... 54
● Vegetable festival (Hãtadi) ...... 55
● Patrãli offering on Nand mahotsav ...... 56
● Dairy products in sacred rituals ...... 57 7. Hindu Diet Purity and Spirituality ...... 58
● Sãttvic foods ...... 58 FAQ. Milk from cow’s fed animal products ...... 58 A cow’s ideal diet in the Rg Veda ...... 60 ● Rãjasic foods ...... 60 ● Tãmasic foods ...... 61 A spiritual guru on vegetarianism ...... 61 Appendices ...... 65 Appendix 1 – Vegetarianism in World Religions ...... 65
● Judaism ...... 65 ● Christianity ...... 65 ● Buddhism ...... 67 Contents xiii
● Shinto ...... 69 ● Jainism ...... 69 ● Sikhism ...... 69 ● Zarathustra (Zoroastrianism) ...... 69 Appendix 2 – Clarifications about Ahimsã & yagnas in the shastras ...... 70 Appendix 3 – The Sacred Cow ...... 72 Appendix 4 – Diet codes & animal welfare in the Swãminãrãyan Sampraday ...... 74 Appendix 5 – Cattle Camps & Animal Husbandry by BAPS . . . . 76 Appendix 6 – FAQs ...... 78 Appendix 7 – Homemade groundnut milk ...... 79 Appendix 8 – Vegetarian Recipes ...... 80
● The variety of Indian vegetarian cuisine ...... 82 Appendix 9 – Famous vegetarians ...... 83
Glossary ...... 84 Bibliography ...... 85 Index ...... 89