In May, I decided to give myself a challenge to not eat any meat for the summer. To clarify, when I say meat, I am referencing poultry (i.e. chicken and turkey) and red meat (i.e. beef, pork, lamb). I wanted to try this because after I took a philosophy class called Animal Ethics, I have been more conscious of what I am putting into my body. I ask myself, why I am eating certain foods. I had to decide whether eating foods with sentience was okay with me and to what extent. I ended up drawing the line at seafood, but that will be different for everyone. If I had to label myself, I would say that I am now Pescatarian and I also try to avoid dairy because I am lactose intolerant.

In the first week or two is when I noticed the most temptation to cheat and go back to meat. Chicken has always been my favorite protein, so that has definitely been what I have missed the most. But I have to say, now I do not even get cravings anymore. Going out to eat with others has probably been the hardest, especially if you like eating family style (as I do). However, in the end, I always manage to find something yummy that everyone can enjoy–and trust me, eating less meat (let alone no meat) is not going to kill you.

In fact, it might have the exact opposite effect. I get so much nutrition and energy from what I eat now and it makes my mind, body and soul feel good and cared for. I guess I am starting to believe the childhood taunt, “you are what you eat”.

With that being said I have noticed a range of benefits with my new eating habits. Firstly, I have noticed that my skin has started to clear up. Eating more fruits and veggies with vitamins and antioxidants has definitely done wonders for my complexion.

Another thing is that I feel significantly better after meals (especially bigger ones). I tend to not get as many food babies now, but when I used to eat meat, I would constantly feel bloated after meals. Now I feel the right amount of satisfied without feeling overly stuffed.

I have become more open to trying new foods. The U.S. food culture is heavily dominated by the meat industry, which can sometimes make it harder for people who do not eat meat to find options they enjoy. But I have taken this challenge and allowed myself to try different foods, instead of being limited. Going back to my chicken dilemma, I concluded that tofu is fricken’ delicious and can be cooked so many different ways. Shout out to soy protein that is so freakishly similar to chicken that I might never have to go back. Not to mention, I feel far less guilty eating knowing that my food involves significantly less cruelty from farm to plate as it would if I ate meat.

Another benefit that I’ve really come to appreciate is that my digestion is better than ever. I have a condition called IBS, which means that I am very sensitive to certain types of foods. Eating meat (especially in excess) was causing my IBS to flare up without me even realizing it. Eating more fruits and vegetables allows me to get more fiber and water content from food, which are both essential for a well-working digestive system.

Lastly, the biggest and simplest benefit, is that I just feel good. I have so much energy and my mood is noticeably more elevated. My summer job at a summer camp requires me to work overtime a lot and working with children can be equally exhausting as it is rewarding, so having energy and positivity could not be more detrimental to my performance at work.

At this point I definitely want to continue to exclude meat from my diet. I honestly think of it more as a gain than a loss, since I have gained a whole new perspective on food and what it means to use food to nourish yourself and listen to what your body needs. Not to mention that there is a myriad of foods out there that this new diet is encouraging me to try. For example, if I continued to eat meat, I probably would have never tried my now favorite salad from Trader Joe’s (since I used to only eat salads with chicken in them).

I am not saying that everyone needs to be vegan (although in an ideal world, this would be the best decision, environmentally and ethically). I realize that change takes time. It is important to remember that small change is still change. For example, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), if everyone from the U.S. ate no meat or cheese just one day a week, it would be like not driving 91 billion miles or taking 7.6 million cars off the road. All that I ask is that as humans (who have the ability to think critically and examine our own choices), we are aware of our morals and not only the types but the quality and nutritional value of the foods we are consuming.