Master Says
| Vegan Lifestyle – The Solution to Climate Change
Selected Interview with Supreme Master Ching Hai by Journalist Andrea Bonnie from The Irish Independent newspaper November 21, 2008 (Originally in English) H: Supreme Master Ching Hai, last November the Partnership for Climate Change Conference was held in Cork, Ireland. One of the guest speakers, Professor James Hansen, head of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies and NASA’s top climate expert stated that urgent action is needed. He said we only have one year before we reach tipping points, and that 2009 is going to be a crucial year for our world. What in your opinion are the most effective and fastest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to stop us going beyond these tipping points? M: Well, madam, that would be vegan/vegetarian diet without any animal product. Not just vegan, but we avoid all the animal products, means we live a more compassionate lifestyle. And this diet or this lifestyle is not only compassionate but is easy, simple, economical and ecological. Everyone, from a baby to the elderly, can do and it’s 100% healthy. It’s not just my opinion; it’s also the opinion of all the experts, the scientists, the medical advisors, the environmentalists, etc. Organic Farming- the Natural Choice H: A top Irish environmental economist, Dr. Richard Tol from the Economic and Social Research Unit of the Department of Economics, stated that if you are serious about reducing emissions in Ireland, there is no future for beef and dairy in the country. He also said that with Ireland failing to meet the target set out by the Kyoto agreement, that penalties are expected to run close to one billion euros a year in the lead-up to 2020. What alternatives do Irish farmers have to dairy and beef? M: We can turn to organic farming. And it’s easy, it’s simple, cost- and water-effective. And it’s ecologically, economically sound. It will absorb even 40% of CO2 if all the tillable lands are organically cultivated. It could be more than that. According to the Kyoto agreement, if in any country where the farmers grow organic fruit and vegetable, then there would be no need to pay subsidies. Organic food and produce are grown and handled according to strict sustainable procedures, with limited chemical input or we could even use no chemical input at all. So, organic food is also GM-free (free of genetically modified organisms). Organic farming preserves top soil. Chemically intensive practices are a key factor in the erosion of top soil. Scientists found that soil in organic plots were up to 60% more stable and are less prone to erosion. So, over 1/3 of Irish rivers are now polluted, mainly due to farm run-off, could be more than that, but we want to try to be conservative here. Organic farming reduces toxic farming run-off and pollutants that contaminate our water, soil and air as well. So, organic farming is healthier for farm workers, the surrounding communities as well, and for natural wildlife. Now, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) considers 60% of all herbicides, weed killers, or 90% of all fungicides, that means mold killers, and 30% of all insecticides, that means insect killers, are potentially cancer-causing for humans and animals of course. Organic farming keeps harmful chemicals and pesticides out of the food that we eat and the beverage that we drink. So, farmers may apply for a grant from the Department of Agriculture, for up to a maximum of €60,000. So, organic sales in Ireland have increased, you see, by 82% already, reaching a value of €104 million in the year up to July 2008. So farmers can use their land to do that, and this will help to cool the world also. And forestry, it also adds to the beauty of the landscape, and that’s good for Ireland’s tourist industry. H: Each second, an area of the size of a football field of tropical rainforest is destroyed to produce 257 hamburgers. Do you feel that if the public were to know this information that they would move to a more sustainable diet? M: Yes, in my opinion they would. The problem is, very little of this information, such as this, is propagated for the public knowledge. We are inundated with a lot of other news, which is not all as urgent as saving the forests and saving the planet, of course. The world leaders, I think, in my humble opinion, should work together in this important issue, and so should the media. And by the way, thank you, you are one of the positive and we are grateful. You’re helping the environment. Vegan Diet Cures Many Diseases H: Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer both globally and in Ireland, causing nearly 40% of all deaths. It costs the European economy €192 billion per year, 57% of which is used on healthcare, 21% in productivity losses and 22% for informally looking after people. What evidence is there to suggest that a vegan diet would help cure people of cardiovascular disease? M: Plenty of evidence through all the years of study and research by the top experts. To name a few: for example, in the USA, Dr. Dean Ornish, University of California; Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, from Cleveland Clinic, Ohio; Dr. Joel Fuhrman, from New Jersey; and many more all offer plant-based programs that cure this disease more effectively and quickly than surgery or drugs. The patients are cured and never have this symptom again, even after decades passed.* H: Ireland has an estimated 250,000 patients diagnosed with diabetes and another 100,000 who are estimated to be undiagnosed. Treating diabetes costs the Irish economy about €600 million per year. How does a vegan diet affect people with diabetes? M: It will cure them. There are many researches and practices proving the effectiveness of a vegan diet to reverse, control and cure both diabetes and related health issues such as cardiovascular disease and obesity. In the United States, there are at least three doctors, who have developed three different plant-based approaches, suiting different needs and dietary preferences. Dr. Neal Barnard of George Washington University stated that, “You just eat whatever you want and as much as you want, as long as its vegan, low fat and low sugar.” People who follow his program are very successful in controlling and reversing their diabetes, lowering their medications for both diabetes and related illnesses such as cardiovascular. And they were completely cured within about a year on the program. Dr. Joel Fuhrman in New Jersey, USA has another highly successful program which he calls a nutritarian program. He emphasized that you want to focus on eating the most nutrient-dense food. Like in his program, the foods with the highest degree of micro-nutrients like vitamins, mineral and phytochemicals are leafy green vegetables, followed by fruits, legumes and nuts. His diet has an emphasis on vegetables as being the foundation for our diet, and a preference for beans rather than grains. Beans are very good for balancing blood sugar. In his books, “Eat to Live” and “Eat for Health,” he mentioned that people who follow his program get over diabetes very easily, within about three months even. Another doctor, Dr. Gabriel Cousens, has a raw food diet program that is 100% raw; and 20% non-raw, a little bit later. He also focuses on the importance of removing toxins from the body, like stop smoking, stop caffeine. Dr. Cousens experienced that people who are following his program are medically cured from diabetes within 21 days only. * Healthy Vegan Pregnancy H: Are there any benefits to eating a vegan diet during pregnancy? M: Of course, if we are vegan, the mother and the child will have a healthy life and have a good delivery, easy. No morning sickness even, that’s what they told us. I asked my people to do research on it and truly, no morning sickness. Most of the pregnant women, they have morning sickness, because they eat meat, fish and all that, and the baby cannot bear it, being too sensitive. So, when we have morning sickness, that means the body tries to get rid of the toxins, to protect the mother and the child as well. That’s a natural way of telling us that what we have been eating is no good for the body and for the child, but many of us don’t listen. From many of the research and references we have, the vegan diet also protects the mother from pre-eclampsia, which is pregnancy-caused hypertension and potentially fatal. And the more legumes and vegetables a mother eats, the less morning sickness she will experience. Nutritious and Great Tasting H: Many people state that they are reluctant to eat vegan, stating that they basically like the taste of meat and cheese too much. What would you say to them? M: If we have to choose between life and taste, then we should choose life. If we are gravely ill from meat diet or if we are dead from it, then the taste will be ruined or gone. We are gone, anyway. Besides, veggie meats and vegan dairy are delicious, and available in all health food stores everywhere nowadays. Just try a new lifestyle. Why not? New recipes, new discovery. Happy, exciting new tastes, new life. Meet new vegetarian, vegan friends in the neighborhood or online. Yes, just try something new in life. We all have different tastes anyway, but we can try a different one. After a week or so, anyone will get used to the new taste. Many just drop the meat diet immediately and start out on the vegan diet and nobody had any problem with taste. Because nowadays, we have so much to choose from the vegetarian diet. But being vegan, we must take care to have a proper balanced diet. Eat responsibly. Make sure meals are including essential nutrients like fatty acids, iron, protein, etc. Animals are Important to Our Wellbeing H: In terms of animals, obviously, animals are very important in our lives, how important do you think they are to us? M: Very important. We cannot even over-emphasize how important the animals are to our wellbeing, emotionally, psychologically, mentally. Imagine our world with no animals at all, just imagine it. And if anyone who has dogs, cats, birds or any other animal, turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, if they have them as pets, they would understand more than I can express how important the animals are to our wellbeing. And anyone who has cats and dogs, according to medical studies, they are healthier, they live longer. Even if they are ill, they get cured quickly. Even just by being with animals, stroking them, petting them, loving them, taking care of them makes you healthier, according to scientists and medical research. That is how important it is. The animals, they emit some kind of healing. Even the wild animals as well, they emit a healing energy to anyone around or to humans as well. They are more than important. Create a Benevolent Atmosphere H: Supreme Master Television is the pioneer of constructive and positive television, airing globally and translated in up to 40 different languages. Do you feel that you have been an inspiration to others as more and more positive channels are appearing all over the world? Does this show that the level of consciousness of the world is rising? M: It’s a sure sign that the consciousness of the world is rising. People present themselves by acting, thinking, talking or writing. People who are elevated and have a positive mind, they write positive things, they see things in the positive way, and act positively. People who are good at heart think good about others and vice versa, etc. Whatever’s in our heart, we will think like that; then we express it in different ways, in television, theater and writing. So, if we have more positive channels and media as a whole, that is a sure sign that the collective consciousness of the world is more elevated and more wholesome. And by the way, everyone, I believe, can be an inspiration to the world, to contribute to a better life, a more elegant life, a more desirable life, a nobler life on this planet for all to enjoy. Because if we create a positive atmosphere, a benevolent atmosphere, we are also benefited, we live in it. So, we have to create benevolent atmosphere for us. And that, everyone should remember. Websites containing information about preventing and reversing cardiovascular and diabetes disease through a vegan diet: www.heartattackproof.com www.webmd.com/diet/ornish-diet-what-it-is www.drfuhrman.com www.nealbarnard.org www.treeoflife.nu www.drgreger.org To view the complete Supreme Master Television interview entitled -A Cure for Diabetes through Veganism: In-Depth with Drs. Neal Barnard & Gabriel Cousens, please visit: http://video.Godsdirectcontact.net/magazine/AW641s.php
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