Vegetarians receive a great deal of grief for their choice to go meat free. I totally I get it, it does not always make sense at first. I have only recently switched over to the vegetarian lifestyle. It was something that always seemed right to do, but I was not honest enough to myself. I was worried about how my family would view my choice. Now that I'm almost a college graduate, I have decided to start being true to who I really am, and start advocating for what I really believe in. I dedicate this article to why you should reconsider going vegetarian.
To begin, vegetarians or vegans, no do not see animals as a logical source of food. If it has eyes and a brain it just should not be eaten. Animals should not be held captive and treated poorly just for us to eat them or use them for entertainment purposes. Baby animals are taken away from their mothers right from birth, and have no idea why.
Animals do have feelings and show fear just as humans. Once you can no longer see the difference between cows, pigs, and chickens compared to dogs and cats, then that is when you know becoming a vegetarian or vegan is the right choice.
A vegetarian does not eat meat and tries not to use animal based products. On the other hand, a vegan does not eat meat, eggs, or dairy products, including honey. They also do not wear or use animal made products.
There are myths out there about vegetarians and vegans. There has always been discussion on how they do not get proper nutrients. Believe it or not, you can be very healthy as a vegan or vegetarian.
A plant based diet actually speeds up your metabolism, allowing you to burn calories 16% faster than a meat based diet allows. Just because you are not eating meat, does not actually mean that your metabolism will speed up. You can easily be an unhealthy vegetarian or vegan. For instance, you can spend all day eating french fries or little debbies.
Even though our bodies can digest meat, research can suggest that we were not made to eat meat. "For example, the human molars are similar to those of an herbivore, flat and blunt, which makes them good for grinding, not gnashing and tearing."
If we were all not to eat meat, we would have more food to feed those who are fighting hunger. A large amount of our grains go to feeding animals in slaughterhouses. "For example, only around 20% of the corn grown in the United States is eaten by people, with about 80% of the corn eaten by livestock." On top of that, 95% grains go to livestock the United States.
A vegetarian or vegan diet, can provide the same amount of protein as a meat diet. Studies continue to prove that if you eat the correct plants and substitutes, you can receive the same amount of nutrients.
The statistics of how many animals are killed hourly, weekly, or monthly, should be enough to haunt you. 500,000 animals are killed hourly for meat in the United States alone. Yourself alone, could save 8 animals a month or 100 animals a year.
Eliminating meat from your diet has many healthy benefits that many are blind to. For example, eating less meat actually fights against the United States' number one killer, heart disease. Vegetarians have a 24% less chance of suffering from heart disease. By following a vegetarian diet, you can also lose weight and keep it off much easier than the temptations of a meat based diet, as well as, age far less faster.
Going vegetarian or vegan is more than just saving animals. It creating a better life for us here on Earth. If you want to save our planet, we must do more than just recycle and reduce, but think about what we are eating. Recycling alone, does not make a big enough difference to save our planet. The meat industry actually produces more green house gases than all transportation green house gases combined.
Personally, for a long time I wanted to become a vegetarian. I was always worried what my family would do or say. As I have become older, I have realized I need to start being more true to who I am, so that is what I have chosen to do. I do not see the need in eating animals for food when I can get the same nutrients from an all plant diet. Even though I am new to the lifestyle, this will not be a phase for me. I truly believe that all animals are meant to live among us not for us. You cannot call yourself an animal lover if you do not show it to all animals. My goal is eventually to become totally vegan. You can tell me that I'm crazy or to drop it, but I will not listen.
