http://kristiemiddleton.com MeatLess http://learntruehealth.com/meatless MeatLess Diet Meatless is an avenue explored by people who want to improve their health. Going vegan or vegetarian is not an easy thing to do. Some people go meatless for health benefits, and others do it for humane reasons. I bet a lot of you will be seriously thinking of going meatless after hearing what my guest, Kristie Middleton has to say. So let's get this show on the road! Early Influence Kristie Middleton grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia. Together with her older sister, Kristie Middleton doted so much on their three dogs who were regarded as dear members of their family. Because of her background, it wasn't surprising that Kristie Middleton has always had a soft heart towards animals, not only dogs. So when there was an in-depth class discussion on euthanasia when she was in college, it struck her hard. According to that college professor, set aside the term 'meat,' we are technically and eating the flesh of dead animals. The term 'meat' is something that most people take for granted. Consequently, Kristie Middleton says that class discussion was the turning point of her decision to become a vegetarian. Turning Vegetarian Going meatless was a struggle at first. But whenever Kristie Middleton is reminded of the billions of animals being abused and slaughtered for food, it strengthened her resolve not to waver from her meatless diet. It was hard years ago to find vegetarian restaurants and supermarkets, but times have changed. Kristie Middleton found that embracing a plant-based diet was initially difficult. But seeing there were more benefits than disadvantages, she persevered. She eventually took her advocacy a notch higher by gradually becoming a vegan and getting involved with a variety of non-profit animal welfare organizations. The Humane Society Of The United States Aside from working with several non-profit animal welfare organizations, Kristie Middleton leveled up and became the senior food policy director of the Humane Society. This is  where she has been working for the past eight years. The Humane Society Of The United States is the country's premier organization whose mission is primarily to protect animals. "We help institutions with incorporating meatless or more plant-based dishes in their menus. Surveys show that 95% of consumers want animals to be cared for, but there is a big disconnect between what consumers want and what the reality is," shares Kristie Middleton. Most of the work Kristie Middleton does is helping to change institutional menus rather than changing individual diet. This small but significant effort apparently has a massive impact on animals. Harsh Reality Kristie Middleton cited egg-laying hens as an example of the harsh reality that animals face. Apparently, egg-laying hens in food production factories in the United States and Canada are confined in tiny battery cages.  To paint a more brutal picture, those cages are just about the size of a desk drawer! Those hens are not able to do anything natural. After 18 months of living in cramped cages, they are sent off to slaughter. They do not get to walk around to exercise or even get out for some sunshine.  As a comparison, when we go on long plane flights, it is pure torture to be sitting in a small chair that hardly bends back, right? Just imagine what those poor chickens go through, only to meet their doom months later. "When animals are intensively confined, they are fed a high dose of antibiotics," reveals Kristie Middleton. "About 80% of antibiotics that we use are given to treat animals to prevent them from getting sick. In effect, we are consuming whatever the chickens are ingesting, and that has adverse effects on our health." MeatLess Book Earlier this year, Kristie Middleton launched her book entitled, 'MeatLess: Transform the Way You Eat and Live --- One Meal at a Time.' In the book, she explains the numerous reasons why we should go meatless, as well as