Healthy living has always been something that I have been interested in. I have always loved exercise, eating well, and finding new ways to do so. So, in my reading about healthy lifestyles, veganism and vegetarianism have always come up, and have always interested me. I had been considering trying some form of vegetarianism for a while, but had never felt ready to commit. However, three weeks ago, I decided why not?

To make my transition a bit easier, I decided to start off as a pescatarian, meaning I would not eat meat, but fish, dairy, and eggs would be okay. Assuming I wouldn't be able to last a few days, I just decided to give it a shot. But, here I am three weeks later with no signs of stopping, and here's why.

First of all, after taking a year of college biology, I have accepted that our planet is facing some huge issues that, if not turned around, could potentially get pretty bad. Included in these problems is overpopulation, and with the amount of water and land needed to produce meat products and with the rate at which the human population is increasing, it simply isn't possible to feed us all with meat. It is far more sustainable to eat a mostly plant-based diet, and as someone who has never been super interested in sustainability, I figure that this new diet change of mine is my small way of contributing to a more sustainable world.

Additionally, not eating meat has enormous health benefits. A plant-based diet is lower in cholesterol and calories and free of all those added hormones in the meat that is produced for human consumption. It is proven that vegetarians and vegans live longer, experience less obesity and cancer, and have overall healthier bodies.

Therefore, I really am not missing meat one bit. Although I am still eating fish, I think I am well on my way to a healthier me, and I really see no reason to go back!