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I am a nutritional consultant with 25 years clinical experience. I can tell you, if someone is eating only 2 ounces of meat per day -- an average of 12-14 grams of protein -- and not using pulses, legumes, nuts and seeds, including butter, coconut and palmitic oils (many vegetarians do not)-- you will see protein, essential fatty acid, and vitamin D deficiency problems. Many of our chronically fatigued clients are grossly under-eating protein while overeating carbohydrates. Also, we often see women who are unable to conceive, or pregnant and lactating women, and growing children who are exhibiting protein deficiency due to a low protein vegetarian diet. When they add adequate eggs, dairy and locally grown grass fed meats, they find that many of their emotional as well as physical problems disappear.

In looking at the footprint issue -- which I think is a very important graphic way of educating people as to how their lifestyle impacts the planet's health -- I believe we must also look at health impacts in terms of what drugs these people will be using. The presence of drugs in our watersheds and the need for high-tech medical solutions also adds to that person's ecological footprint.

Thanks for the great work.

Margaret Shockley Gandy
East West Healing Arts Center
www.LiveLongerLiveStronger.com