Saving Our Wildlife, While Saving Our Health

The following is a letter I sent to Getaway Magazine, in response to an article about the rapidly decreasing lion population.  Most people don't realize that the choices we make a on daily basis are affecting the existence of all our fellow Earthlings.  I am very grateful that they published this important information in the May 2016 issue, as the winning letter:

In the February 2016 issue, it was alarming to hear of the dwindling numbers of lions, as described in the article "Is Lion Hunting Viable?"  While hunting would be the obvious culprit in the 90% decline in lion population in just 60 years, habitat destruction is arguably the primary driving force.  Furthermore, habitat destruction is largely due to the fact that most of the usable land is now being occupied by the animals that humans consume, along with the vast amounts of crops which are grown to feed these animals.

As a society we have been misled to believe that we require animal products to be strong and healthy.  Ironically, the opposite is true.  Unlike lions and other carnivores, which are anatomically and physiologically equipped to consume copious amounts of animal protein and fat, we are not.  As a result, the over-consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs is the main driving force behind of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many other chronic diseases.  As a health care provider, I see first-hand the ill-effects of a diet centered around animal products.  Few people ever realize that their chronic inflammation, early degeneration, and illness often results from their food choices.

Sadly, our food choices are also leaving little space for our biodiversity.  While you pointed out in the same issue in your article entitled "Your Water-Wise Travel Calculator," that "the meat industry is water unfriendly," it is also "land unfriendly."  For the generations that follow us to continue to enjoy our rapidly dwindling wildlife population, we must all start by changing the way we eat.  Not only will this help your own health and well-being, but will also save our wild animals from disappearing completely.

- Dr. Shailen J. Nana

For more information:
Biodiversity Conservation: The Key is Reducing Meat Consumption
How Eating Meat Hurts Wildlife and the Planet
Reducing Meat Consumption Has Multiple Benefits for the World's Health

Please also see my previous articles related to this important issue:
The Overlooked Cause of Spinal Degeneration
Where Do You Get Your Protein?
Is Heart Disease Naturally Curable?
The Most Effective Way To Save Water