I decided to become vegetarian for a little while and see how it went. I am a huge meat lover, so the decision was a little difficult, but I saw it as a challenge. I gave myself a few months to try not eating meat and if I succeeded I would allow myself to eat meat on Thanksgiving, and from that point forward I could decide if I wanted to continue. I have two kinds of friends when it comes to dietary restrictions: those who need to cut out certain foods, and those who choose to in order to lose weight or other supposed health benefits. My reasoning for cutting meat out of my diet might not be for reasons you assume. I am a huge advocate for animal rights and am (of course) against animal cruelty and the inhumane conditions many slaughter animals suffer through. That being said, I have known about how terrible the lives are of the livestock raised for meat almost my entire life and I still eat meat. The thing that pushed me to go meatless was the impact it has on the environment. Going meatless in my mind was just as good as buying a Prius or going solar. The meat industry's impact on the environment has been detrimental in terms of pollution, using huge amounts of water and land. Many factors contribute to how harmful the meat industry has become, but the main source of my protest remains in the impact on the environment in addition to the lives of the mistreated animals, antibiotics and other non-organic practices.

My own health was not even put into consideration when I decided to cut out meat. My family was worried I would lack some of the important nutrition I need from meat, however, I felt wonderful. Eating beans and other sources of protein did not bother me as much as I thought it would. I also did not necessarily eat more healthy foods… cough cough... In n’ Out. I would literally drive to In n’ Out for my fully loaded grilled cheese and fries with no regrets. I found that meat began to look less and less appetizing and I never craved it like I thought I would. I did not want to commit to a lifelong diet of vegetarianism because I love meat just as much as the next guy. I am, however, excited for multiple reasons. One main reason I am happy is because I now know I can live a happy, and not depressing, meatless life, while feeling great! I am also excited because this means I can continue to go meatless as I please and hopefully raise awareness about the detrimental harm being done to the environment as well as the animals. My goal is to alternate between going meat free and dairy free since both have an impact on the animals among other things.

I feel very accomplished about my veggie experimentation and encourage even the most adamant meat lovers to give it a try! It is not as hard as you think, and is one of the easiest ways to do your part to help the environment. You can learn more about the meat industries harm on the environment here: http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-environment/