Why should I be vegetarian? What are the benefits?

Now, I’m not going to quote statistics, because the studies on vegetarian living are numerous, so if you want details, hit the net. What I will tell you is that these studies have shown that overall, vegetarians have lower rates of death from heart disease, they have lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of hypertension and are less likely to develop diabetes and cancer. They are also less likely to be obese. It has also been shown that vegetarians eating a balanced vegetarian diet have stronger immune systems and they live, on average, six to ten years longer than their meat-eating counterparts. I could go on, but you might get bored, so I’m just going to answer your next question.

I think I want to be a vegetarian…

Good for you. People need change sometimes. It’s what characterises us as an adaptable species. If you’re sick of the steak and salad life, and you want to try something new, vegetarianism might be for you. But be warned, it’s not as easy as cutting the meat out of your diet; you must also replace it. Speaking from personal experience, if all you do is stop eating meat, you will notice; I mean big time. Symptoms for me included frequently passing out, fatigue, explosive blood noses, constant sugar cravings… I think that is everything, no wait, I also had the flu, 10 times in six months. Not exactly a walk in the park, but that’s because I was stubborn, and I didn’t think. But, you can think, and you can plan, so here’s some tips for moving into a vegetarian lifestyle:

• Read, read, read… I mean books, cookbooks, web pages, blogs, whatever you need to be in the know about vegetarianism.
• Decide where you stand. Not everyone is a total vegetarian. There are fancy names for the different types, lacto-ovo etc. Personally, I call myself a vege-quarian, because I still eat fish as well as eggs.
• Go slow. Start by swapping one meal a week from meat to vegetarian. Then two, then three. If you think that you don’t want to go all the way, then don’t. Even on a half-vegetarian diet you will see the health effects.
• Tofu is your friend. So are nuts and lentils. If you do not like them, you will probably have some problems.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Make sure people know you’re vegetarian. That way, in a social situation, you will be considered. Don’t sit by the sidelines, you’ll just be left hungry.

In the end, what you eat is entirely up to you. What I hope to provide in this article is a little look into the sometimes misunderstood world of vegetarians. We’re not all meat hating individuals, hell bent on converting you. We are just making a choice.

Further reading…

http://www.goveg.com/healthconcerns.asp

http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Smi-Z/Vegetarianism.html

http://www.annecollins.com/vegetarian-diet-health-benefits.htm

Another serious issue is animal cruelty in general. Animal cruelty is a horrible act and animals have as much right as humans do to feel safe in the world. Some of the stories I’ve heard about animal cruelty make me sick to the stomach. One such story is of a young boy who tied a kitten up by its neck from a clothes line and beat it with a stick. This kind of behavior is disgraceful. As you can tell I feel very strongly about the treatment of animals and that’s why I think everyone should f nd out ways to help stop this crime. There is a myspace page for ATAAC, Aussie Teens Against Animal Cruelty, for those who would like to learn more about how they can help animals. Visit www.myspace.com/ataac and add them!

Another great web page to visit for those who also want to help the environment is www.greenpeace.com. For those who don’t know what or who Greenpeace is, they are an activist organisation set up to create awareness of what is happening to the environment. They are made up of people all over the world who perform various activities – some quite daring! for the good of the climate. You can join Greenpeace through their website, but of course you don’t have to perform daring stunts to help Greenpeace. You can simply join their email list and receive a monthly newsletter letting you know what’s happening and how you can help. I have signed a number of petitions and sent a few emails to help save endangered whales from commercial whaling. There are many ways in which you can help animals and the environment from the safety of your own computer!