Raw Veganism: The Philosophy of the Human Diet
By Carlo Alvaro
Human beings are getting fatter and sicker.As we question what we eat and why we eat it, this book argues that living well involves consuming a raw vegan diet. (Intro)
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) reports that obesity rates
among US adults in 2015–2016 was a frightening 39.8%.1 Since 1999, when the figure was 30.5%, obesity rates have been progressively increasing. Pg 1
A worrisome fact is that most Americans do not eat enough fruit and vegetables;5 and meat consumption is also steadily increasing in the USA (also in other countries). Pg. 1
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans are eating more calories than they did 40 years ago. This steady increase in calories, CDC suggests, is due to an increased availability of food, especially high-calorie foods.Pg. 1
I simply want to suggest that, after all, living a simpler life, exercising more, and being in contact with nature is more beneficial to humans than the stress, processed food, and pollution of modern Life. pg 1
What is the human diet? It is what humans are naturally designed to eat, and that is, a raw vegan diet of fruit, tender leafygreens, and occasionally nuts and seeds. Pg 2
Such arguments say that we should be or become vegans because animals suffer and suffering is not desirable or it is not right. Pg. 6
Animals and Rights:
In The Case for Animal Rights. Tom Regan argues that all mammals such as cows, pigs, goats, (those mammals that are typically eaten by people) over a year of age have the same basic moral rights as humans. Pg. 9
Since we should value non-violence as a virtue, and the practices of using animals for food are inherently and unnecessarilyviolent, it follows that we should avoid using animals for food. Pg. 25
I propose the possibility of defending vegetarianism or veganism on the basis of arguments that do not rest on the notion of animal suffering, but rather rely on aesthetic principles, the avoidance of violence, and preservation of the environment. Pg. 28
First of all, human beings do not need to consume animal products to survive. Thus, in many affluent countries consumption of animal products is not a necessity. Factory farms and slaughterhouses are very unaesthetic. Not surprisingly, slaughterhouses are hidden away in rural areas away from eyes and ears and noses. Most people would readily admit that rearing and killing animals produce a great deal of displeasing sights, sounds, and odors. The prospect of thousands of animals amassed in confined spaces is a squalid sight that no person with a sense of aesthetic would bear to see. The animals are forced to live against their nature. They contract diseases and die. Consider also the squalor of slaughterhouses, covered in blood and entrails. Consider the workers covered in blood killing thousands of animals on a daily basis. Pg. 33
Animals are overfed and develop metabolic diseases. Also, they develop infections due to the unsanitary conditions in which they live. Every decision is made in consideration of profit rather than the welfare of the animals. One example worth mentioning is the chicken farm’s treatment of male chicks. Since males do not lay eggs, chicken farms kill them immediately after hatching. They are killed by means of suffocation in large plastic bags, gassed to death, or ground alive. Pg. 35
Killing and then slaughtering an animal for food inherently involves violence. Pg. 36
Furthermore, a valid reason to embrace veganism, aside from animal suffering, is to realize that meat is not inherently tasty. Rather, meat is rendered palatable by masking its naturally foul taste with various spices, condiments, and cooking techniques. Since eating such foods is a form or self-“deception, I argue that we should avoid them. Pg.36
Veganism is a social and political philosophy that shuns the practice of using animals for food and other purposes; in other words, veganism rejects animal exploitation. Pg. 61
Veganism is not specifically a diet (although it is possible to talk about vegan diets), but rather a moral lifestyle. Pg.62
Consequently, research does not show that all vegan diets can benefit our health. Rather, a vegan diet is beneficial when it lacks the presence of animal products as well as the lack of highly processed and refined food; in fact, as I argue the only healthful form of veganism is the human diet, which is a diet of raw and fresh leafy greens and fruit, with the occasional nut and seed. Pg. 63
So, you can get your proteins by eating a raw diet of watermelon, lettuce, dates, and many other
fruits, greens, nuts, and seeds. Pg. 63
Animal-based diets are not essential for good health, they are the leading cause of environmental degradation, produce un-aesthetic values and violence (as discussed in Chapter 2), and can cause a number of chronic Diseases. Pg. 66
The scientific literature clearly shows that raw diets, especially plant-based raw diets, provide optimal nutrition and are beneficial in the prevention of diseases. On the other hand, it has become evident that animal-based food is not necessarily conducive to good health and in many case it is deleterious to human health. Pg. 73
He et al. 2007: Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: meta-analysis of cohort studies. In conclusion, our meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies demonstrates that increased consumption of fruit and vegetables from less than 3 to more than 5 servings/day is related to a 17% reduction in CHD risk [coronary heart disease], whereas increased intake to 3–5 servings/day is associated with a smaller and borderline significant reduction in CHD risk. Pg. 73
We have to save veganism from becoming a commercial food trend. Veganism today has become a giant meatball (pun intended) made of many ingredients, including pop philosophy and ethics, pseudo- science, lucrative business, foodism, and fashion. Pg. 84
It is clear that the resemblance to meat products of many vegan products and the marketing
strategies that these companies adopt are counterproductive for veganism. Pg. 84
Consequently, raw veganism, the human diet, is the natural and most sensible outcome of a resistance to domination and exploitation. Thus, veganarchists believe that they ought to not only fight to change our current domination of non-human animals, but should also simultaneously begin to build an alternative society characterized by different relations
with non-human animals. Pg. 105
However, we know that consuming animal products is not essential to good health. In fact, nutrition science shows that animal products can be very unhealthful to humans, and should be consumed in moderation. Moreover, using animals for food has proven to be a leading cause of environmental Degradation. Pg. 126