“It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.”

--Albert Einstein

I've been a vegetarian since I was 11. In that time, I have made a quiet study of the responses I get from people when they find out about it. While some are positive, unfortunately most responses make me wish I had never said anything in the first place.

I don’t make a habit out of telling people about it, me being a vegetarian should have no bearing on what people think of me. I would never say, “Hi, I’m Miranda, I’m a vegetarian, it’s nice to meet you!” However, when someone gives me a slice of pepperoni pizza or wants to get burgers, I feel like I should say something. It usually happens like this: someone will offer me some animal product and I will decline as politely as possible and usually that ends the discussion and there is no need for me to tell them that I’m vegetarian. However, there are the occasions where, after my decline, someone persists; in that case I tell them the reason for my refusal and that usually is where I start paying close attention to their response.

“How could you do that? I would die!”

Well, I’m alive right now, I have no plans of wasting away anytime soon, and I really doubt that you would die. That is, unless you have an incredibly harmful iron deficiency. In which case, I would incorporate more spinach into your diet if I were you. I’ve recently been watching some documentaries on vegetarianism and the meat-production business. When it comes to eating meat, humans now have very little biological need for it. A well planned vegetarian or vegan diet can sustain a human at any age, including during pregnancy and infancy. Just like omnivores, herbivores face poor health if they are not eating a well balanced diet. If I, as a vegetarian only eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I am no healthier in the long run than someone who only eats cheese burgers.

However, the animal products that most think are necessary for survival, really aren’t.

“I tried being a vegetarian, but it only lasted for a week.”

I like when people tell me this, because when I ask them how that week went for them, they usually tell me that they felt a lot better. They were more conscious of what they were putting in their bodies, the were more aware. Even if it only lasted a short period of time, it was a time of clarity.

I think that if more people made just week long vegetarian stints a part of their life, even if it is just a week a month, they would feel far better and perhaps be more aware of the health benefits that come with being a herbivore.

“Are you a vegetarian because you want to lose weight?”

Uh, no. I became a vegetarian initially because I always felt sick after eating meat. After a few months of vegetarianism, my stomach problems went away, and I did begin losing weight, which I had struggled with for as long as I can remember. As I got older, being a vegetarian came easily, I never missed eating meat, and never felt the urge to deviate from my lifestyle. Losing weight is not a given, though. Like I said before, it is all about a balanced diet when it comes to weight loss.

The older I get, the happier I am continuing my vegetarianism. With every documentary I watch on the meat-production business, I grow more and more committed. I read recently that by being a vegetarian for one year can a person can save more that 100 animals from the harm of factory farming. While I realize it’s a small number in the grand scheme of things and I alone cannot save every animal from the horrors contained in those factories, it’s a start. I’m happy to say that I’ve saved over 1000 animals.

Try it for a week, and tell me what you think.