The choice of vegetarian and vegan lifestyle, many-a-times, is a product of conscious choice, religious and philosophical aspects, health benefits, and concern for environment. Anatomical characteristics of human beings demonstrate that they are not carnivorous by nature. Human beings are not normally equipped to digest meat, since they need 20 times more acid than they would naturally produce. Human intestine is much longer (12 times the body length compared to 3 times the body length) than the carnivorous animals'. Grains, fruits and other plant parts do not decay as rapidly as meat and can pass more slowly through the body. On moral grounds we see that the terrible life and death conditions imposed upon millions of animals destined to meat production painfully remind us of the conditions in Nazi concentration camps. Of late, there has been an exponential reaction for the way meat industries are contributing to the growth of global-warming, which is the primary cause of climate changes around the world. In fact, the 2006 UN Report on global warming states: "Raising animals for food generates moregreenhouse-gas emissions than all the cars, trucks, trains, ships, and planes in the world combined. Livestock sector is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide emissions." The July 2005 issue of Physics World states: "The animals we eat emit 21 percent of all the CO2that can beattributed to human activity." Man’s carnivorous habits have become such a concern for modern world that in the words of the editors of World Watch (July/Aug 2004 edition) – "the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future – deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities and the spread of disease." Therefore, the world definitely needs to act now to avoid this imminent danger. In Hindu, Jain and Buddhist culture ethical vegetarianism is the norm, beings the simplest and most fundamental principle of ahimsa (abstention from unnecessary violence). However, since ancient times vegetarianism has been practiced by great thinkers and culture persons at global level My intention of writing this cookbook is to spread awareness among people so that they choose a healthy, vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, thereby reducing the carbon imprint on the environment. The recipes that I have included consist of a variety of simple, nutritious dishes from Europe, Asia, South America, North America, and other places. One small conscious step towards the choice of our diet will reduce the burden on Mother Nature. Please act now, before it's too late. Courtesy : Parama Karuna Devi
