Vegetarianism : Is It The Right Lifestyle Choice For You?

Some people choose a vegetarian diet for ethical and environmental reasons and some choose to be vegetarian because of food safety issues.

Vegetarianism has been around since as early as the seventh century B.C.E.. The civilization was the Indus Valley Civilization, they practiced tolerance towards all living things. Several Indian cultures and various religions (such as a ahimsā) also practice non-violence towards animals (“Vegetarianism”, Wikipedia.com). This used to be the sole purpose for being vegetarian, but nowadays people are becoming vegetarian for several more reasons. The ethical aspect is still a big reason in the decision. Health benefits and environmental aspects have now also become big reasons for the controversy over vegetarianism. People say that killing animals for food is not morally wrong and, is in fact, a crucial part of our lives. Another aspect is that, while in some ways vegetarianism is beneficial to the environment, it can also hurts the environment. Also, despite all of the health benefits involved with vegetarianism, there are also several health concerns connected with it.

There are two main lifestyles that we as human beings practice that impact our eating habits. One being a Vegetarian, a person who chooses not to eat meat. The other being a Meat Eater (also known as an Omnivore), a person who chooses to eat both meat and vegetables. A controversial debate continues to go on, evaluating the pros and cons of each group, along with the reasons behind their choice. In the end it all depends on the individual’s outlook on life that makes the decision.

There are many reasons why people become vegetarians, but is it really as healthy as it seems. Can simply eating veggies supply you with all the vitamins and proteins your body needs to survive. An estimated 6-8 million people do not eat meat, poultry, or fish. Harris Interactive poll commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group (Journal of the American Dietetic Association, July 2009).Having your diet mainly consist of fruits and vegetables allows you to consume less saturated fats and cholesterol. Also since you be consuming more plants you will be taking in mote vitamins like vitamins C and E, More fiber, potassium and magnesium. Resulting in a stronger immune system, as well as, lower cholesterol and blood pressure. “Traditionally, vegetarianism focused mainly on potential nutritional deficiencies, but in recent years, the pendulum has swung the other way, and studies are confirming the health benefits of meat-free eating. Nowadays, plant-based eating is recognized as not only nutritionally sufficient but also as a way to reduce the risk for many chronic illnesses”.

Why vegetarianism? By following the diet of a vegetarian, your vitals will greatly improve. First of all, your emotions will become sunshines. According to the British Journal of Health Psychology, scientists have found that eating produce results in more calmness and greater feelings of happiness. Do you want to have better relationships with family and friends? Now here’s your chance. Clearly, fruits and veggies are the way to do so, as it is proven that they will make you feel more happy. They will bring the better in you. Also, you will become a supersonic cheetah. Michael Roizen, physician and the author of “The RealAge Diet” reveals that a vegetarian diet will give you more usable energy, as less fat, compared to a non-vegetarian diet, will enter your bloodstream, and your arteries will easily allow oxygen to provide for your muscles. From climbing the slopes of a math test, to doing any daily physical activity, everyone can sure use more energy. Adapting a vegetarian diet will give you that energy you always needed, resulting in you times two. Vegetarianism is not what you always wanted, it is what you always dreamed of. Making your days ecstatic and soaring past your records is what it will allow you to do.

The few things that vegetarians are able to eat are vegetables, fruits, and some other things such as carbohydrates. They try to avoid any meat, poultry, fish, eggs or dairy products, unless they are lacto-vegetarians which in that case they can eat dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. When you contrast a meat-eater and a vegetarian you will notice how they differentiate in ways, for instance their life-span. Unlike meat-eaters, vegetarians are known to have a longer life-span. Being a vegetarian provides many benefits for the health of a person. One of them include improving and boosting up their mood. A lot of people may ask, why go vegetarian? Well, being one is great for you. You’ll keep your weight down, build strong bones, and you’ll have more energy. As well as all these advantages, there are many bad effects of being a vegetarian. One of them is a high risk of colorectal cancer, which is a cancer that starts in the colon.

The mere thought of abstaining from meat makes some revolt, an instinctive reaction to giving up something they enjoy so regularly, but lots of folks do it because they believe it is the healthier option. Though, when thoroughly looked at, that isn’t always the case.

Vegetarianism and veganism have become a widely accepted and practiced lifestyle over the past couple years. “According to a Harris Interactive study commissioned by the Vegetarian Resource Group, approximately five percent of the U.S. is vegetarian (close to 16 million people) and about half of these vegetarians are vegan” (Is 2014 the Year of the Vegan?). That means that the number of vegetarians has doubled over the past 7 years. Due to increased awareness, one can assume that this number is only going to continue growing. Many people ask “Why would I ever go vegan?” Choosing to go vegan is not only a way to better a person’s health, but also, to help the animals, the environment, and the people of the world.

People eat food every day without knowing its origin or how it was processed. As people mature, they pay more attention to how food affects them, instead of how it affects the environment. Although it is a fact that everyone needs to consume food to survive, what kind of food one consumes is ultimately the choice of the person themselves. Vegans and vegetarians support both a healthy diet and environment without exerting themselves. Veganism and vegetarianism is a better lifestyle than eating meat and meat products.

The National Institutes of Health have proven that over five hundred thousand Americans die each year from coronary heart disease. They also have found that over seven million Americans are suffering from this disease at this present time (“Facts about Coronary Disease”). This same article explains that coronary disease is the most prominent form of heart disease. There are many risk factors that have been linked to coronary heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and obesity just to name a few. These are all risk factors that can be controlled by people on their own, without the use of drugs or any medical help. There are a few exceptions, however, gender, heredity and age can also lead to this

Imagine blood dripping off the walls, streaming into huge drains, and innocent animals being slashed open. Their screams echo throughout the halls of the slaughterhouse, but their screams are not alone. They are not alone because even the bloody granite records the past. Guess where this all happens? Not a horror movie, not in Japan. No, this happens in a slaughterhouse located in the United States. Now pick up that hamburger, and take a good look. One may see those poor souls of innocent animals flash before one’s eyes. If one looks, then one can see the unjust treatment these poor animals have to go through to just die. An individual might rethink meat in general if a slaughterhouse had see-through walls. A vegetarian lifestyle is not only beneficial because it can save animals, but it also saves people. A vegetarian lifestyle includes a more beneficial diet than one that consumes meat. For many reasons it is best to be vegetarian because it saves people from health problems, and because if the country keeps using all of these nonrenewable resources, what will people have in the end? The answer is nothing.

Vegetarians do not eat meat, and some people go as far as to not consume anything that comes from an animal. There are various reasons that a person may choose to become a vegetarian. Some people choose to omit meats from their diet due to religious reasons, for their health, or some people just do not agree with killing animals to be used for food. Whatever the reason may be for a person to adjust their diet, it is debated whether or not it is healthy for people to limit their diets to being vegetarians. Many people wonder if omitting all meat products from diets has more of a positive effect or more of a negative effect on their health. There are many different aspects of this debate some of them being amount of nutrients needed in our diets, disease preventions, and effects of hormones.

Have you ever wondered why people become vegetarians? People who are vegetarians choose to become so for a wide variety of reasons. Being a vegetarian has become a popular and trendy during the past few decades. However, according to Alan Beardsworth and Alan Bryman authors of “Meat Consumption and Meat Avoidance Among Young People: An 11-year Longitudinal Study,” people have started to eat more meat rather than avoid it.

More recently animal based diets have been slowly decreasing in number over the past five years. Some peoples’ diet excludes some or all animal products from their meal plan due to spiritual beliefs. People who practice Hinduism chose not to eat beef and Buddhist culture results in vegetarianism. Most of the time, the act of limiting animals from their daily diet based on purely preference and or personal beliefs. Why limitations and exclusions of animal byproducts should increase in popularity and how does it affect one’s health?

Did we bring up the awareness that factory farms generate billions of pounds of dung from meat, all of which arrives at lakes, rivers, and your drinking water? The drugs and bacteria that end up in canals are the number one source of water pollution (“Vegetarianism and”). The only foul-proof solution to not polluting the water is not eating meat at all. Vegetarianism is a path of lifestyle where people chose not to eat meat. There are many reasons why people would decide that route, but 69% of the current vegetarians chose to not eat meat because of their health (“Reason for”); that is the majority! Although meat-eaters get more protein from meat, it is encouraged to switch to vegetarianism because it will protect the rights of many animals, it will help the environment, and it will help people pursue healthy lives.