Why Rastafarians are Vegans

In order to spiritually grow as a person, meat has to be gradually eliminated from the diet. All spiritual movements share this particular belief. Rastafarians believe if you cannot master the biological needs of the body in order to achieve optimum health, then you won’t be able to master the soul. A vegan diet provides all the nutrients that are necessary for feeding the body and feeding the soul. An efficient healthy body is very basic. The Rastafarian's diet is designed to meet their personal needs. The Rastafarian's food is normally referred to as ital food within the Rastafarian culture.

The main reason Rastafarians don't eat meat is because animals try so hard to get away. The fear of the animals can be seen in their eyes. It is evident that they are begging for mercy. Rastafari will have to show mercy. Within the book of genesis, the LORD gave man dominion over animals. It was not to eat them but to care for them.

Rastafarians prefer to eat from the primary source of food (plants). The secondary source of food (animals) has to eat plants anyway. Tertiary sources of food (carnivores or scavengers) should be avoided at all cost. For example dogs, pigs, cats, and cows which are fed cows should be avoided. It is possible to pick an apple and eat the flesh then plant the seeds. You can do no such thing with animals. The food sources of animals are seen as discontinuous. The food source of plants is continuous.

If the intestinal track of humans were designed to eat meat, the intestinal track would have been shorter. Because meat ferments once it is inside the body due to anaerobic respiration. Carnivores normally have short intestinal tracks. This is so that they can pass out the meat eaten as quickly as possible.

Within humans the intestinal track is much longer, similar to that of an herbivore. Therefore you would need a substantial amount of fiber, so that the digestive system will perform properly. One of the dangers of meat is that the longer it stays in the body, the more toxins will be released into the body from anaerobic bacteria. The organs mostly affected by this process are the Liver and the Brain.

All medium to large livestock farms use hormones to stimulate fast and substantial growth of their animals. Even if you pick up a hormone free chicken at the meat section of the supermarket, it probably does contain minimal levels of hormones. One of the dangers of meat is that hormones do not disintegrate or goes way. It moves up the food chain. Given that humans are on top of the food chain. The hormones accumulates in the human body, it does not go away. Hormones disrupt the endocrine system. Hormones work the same way in humans as in animals.

The most popular hormone used in animals is natural or artificial estrogen which is one of the main dangers of meat. This hormone is a catalyst, it cause cells (especially fat cells) to draw in more water, food and oxygen. This leads to more mass and weight. These fat cells in turn release more natural estrogen. After fat cells increase in numbers, the brain tells the body to grow blood capillaries within the region of the fat cells so that they can receive the nutrients they are craving. This will of course lead to a vicious cycle of continuous weight gain. This is also one of the dangers of meat.

Girls who eat at McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Popeye's and Churches for example are more likely to experience puberty at a very early age. Girls who practice a vegan diet will experience puberty at a much later age. This is a known fact within the scientific community and one of the main dangers of meat.

Even if the animal is hormone free and home grown, there is still another hormone to look out for. Adrenaline is released naturally in animals when they are being slaughtered. So when the animal is being prepared for food. It is in state of shock. This hormonal state is again transferred to humans. Have you ever seen the beheading of a chicken? Even after the beheading of the chicken, It flutters haphazardly until it bleeds out. This is due to the fight or flight hormone, adrenaline. There are many other hormones that are injected into animals that are more extreme and grave.

Rastafarian's know that there are no enzymes in the stomach that can break down artificial ingredients. One of the dangers of artificial ingredients is it's of no biological use. And if it is not useful, it is probable destructive. The liver and the kidneys may not be able to remove some of these artificial ingredients. Given that no organs use these ingredients; these artificial ingredients may irritate and disrupt various bodily functions. Some of the most popular artificial ingredients to look out for are:

Benzoic acid - preservative

Brominated vegetable oil - emulsifier, stabiliser

Calcium citrates - food acid, firming agen

Citranaxanthin - color

Dimethylpolysiloxane - emulsifier, anti-caking agent

Ferrous gluconate - color retention agent

Glutamic acid - flavor enhancer

High fructose corn syrup - sweetener

Isobutane - propellant

Lysozyme - preservative

Magnesium diglutamate - flavor enhance

Maltodextrin - carbohydrate sweetener

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) - flavor enhancer

Nitrous oxide - propellant

Patent blue V - color (blue)

Polysorbate 20 to 80 - emulsifier

Propane-1,2-diol alginate - thickener

Sucroglycerides - emulsifier

Rastafarian'sare aware of some of the residual pesticides and preservatives used on fruits and vegetables. If the insects do not eat the fruit, it’s probable not healthy for human consumption. Also if the fruit or vegetable does not rot naturally, it’s probably not healthy either. Avoiding artificial ingredients is a very important aspect of ital food. Every Rastafarian culture is aware of the dangers of artificial ingredients.

Food can be considered as materialistic possessions. It causes people to lust and commit crimes. It is one of the needs of a person, like air and water. It is the primary function of work. Till the soil, throw the seeds in, plant grows, then you eat the fruits. Then the cycle starts over again. One apple seed equals two hundred acres of apple trees.

Food is energy store just like a battery or crude oil. We expend energy throughout daily activities such as walking or talking. If you take in more energy than you use, the body will store the excess energy as fat deposits. If you take in less energy than is used, the body will burn fat stores and muscle cells in order to get energy.

The primary source of all energy is the sun. All energy stored in batteries, crude oil, hydro, wind, plants and animals comes from the sun. If the sun should stop burning, all living things would die. The Sun gets its energy from JEHOVAH (JAH), the creator. Therefore when we are fueling our bodies with energy, we are absorbing the energy of JEHOVAH. It is not possible to actually assimilate the energy from the sun directly. The next best source of energy is plants.

Feeding the soul is necessary In order for spiritual growth to take place. The body has to be in an efficient state. A spiritually conscious person is most likely to become a vegan. On the other hand, a vegan will more likely become a spiritually conscious person. If you ask any person who has converted from meat eating to a vegan, they will tell you that it was an enlightening experience. This happens because the reward mechanism system of the brain changes. The electrical configuration of the brain will change. There are fewer toxins, which results in less misfiring. The brain runs like well-oiled machinery.

Critical thinking is now turned up. Vegans most of the time think out of the box. Questions like, "why are preservatives added to maintain shelve lives at the risk of the consumer?” It's a whole new world. Because the body uses so much energy to break down engineered proteins, trans fats and carbohydrates, there is no energy left for heavy duty critical thinking. One the main ways of enlightening one's self is to lighten up the food. Therefore, holding a meditation session after having a meal at McDonald's will not work, you would just fall asleep. Keeping the body in an enlightened state is the main function of ital food.

The strictest vegans within the Rastafarian Movement are from the Bobo Ashanti Tribe. Most of them may not even eat honey. They also may not eat fruits from the vine such as ground provisions, grapes, cucumbers, etc. One of the reasons is because these foods are pleasure foods and ferments easily into alcohol.

If one is practicing an ascetic lifestyle, these fruits of the vine are normally avoided. However, the main reason is because of the Nazarite vow, which forbids fruits of the vine. The Bobo Ashanti Tribe members are also known to practice ceremonial fasting’s. Sabbath day fasting is done on a general though. This is done to give the digestive system a break to reset. Also to become spiritually in tune with JAH, Rastafarian's may also experiment with their diets, such as eating only fruits or various other techniques.

Properly nourishing the body is very basic within the Rastafarian Culture.

Bless

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· Rastafari vs Babylon: Explains the conflict between Rastafarian beliefs and Babylon. The continuous and soon to end battle between the righteous and the unrighteous. The wicked will continue to take advantage of the innocence of the people. It is the job of Rastafarian culture to shine a light on the deceptive techniques used by Babylon.

· Rastafari: Interview with a Congo Natty: This is a rare interview of a (Congo Natty) Rasta Man. The Congo Natty is often seen as the purest form of practicing Rastafarian culture and beliefs. They stay far from the city and processed foods. This interview sheds light on why it is important to practice this type ascetic lifestyle. Other topics such as money, Babylon and the internet will be discussed.

· The Children are Crying Out for Love: A street child does a touching dub poet about living on the streets of Jamaica. This poem conjures up a lot of emotions. One of the main Rastafarian beliefs is to look out for the children of the streets. All these children on the streets are part of the Rastafarian culture.