If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, you should first ask yourself if you can stand cutting meat out of your diet. If the answer is ‘no’, or ‘I’m not sure’ then probably becoming a vegetarian is not for you! But if you are looking at easy ways to become a vegetarian, here are some reasons why you should go for it.
By cutting meat out of your diet, you’ll be cutting out a lot of bad fat (proteins), too. The reason why is that you’re replacing the meat with food items that are much lower in proteins and also contain the good fats. This can result in a lower risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and even cancer.
Another reason is that meat is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, especially when it is not stored properly or cooked in the right way. Cutting out meat will thus lower your risk at food poisoning.
Whether or not you are concerned with the suffering of animals, before or during their being slaughtered, cutting out meat means that you are reducing your involvement in this.
Animals that are raised to serve in the food chain eat enough grain to feed the third world, and also their waste and the disposal of it harms the environment. Cutting out on meat will mean less pollution and help for the environment.
In general, vegetarians are slimmer than people who eat meat. A vegetarian is less likely to eat lots of fries or pizza and drink too much Coke. So if you are looking to lose weight, becoming a vegetarian might be an option!
If these reasons are enough to convince you, there are a couple of things that you should be paying attention to.
As a vegetarian, you will replace meat with other nutritious food (such as fruits, vegetables, grains, …). If you are consistent in this, your body will get enough nutrients and you will be in good health.
Becoming a vegetarian means that your lifestyle is about to change. Unless you are determined enough and have enough motivation, you probably won’t stick with it.
Also, it is advisable to read up as much as possible about vegetarianism. Ask advice from people who are vegetarians, go to the library, or visit the many sites on the internet. A good site, for instance, is www.goveg.com.
You can immediately cut out all meat, but sometimes it is better to start gradually. This means, you start with cutting out the red meat. After a couple of weeks, you can try giving up pork and chicken.
Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean that you have to give up on dairy or eggs. Of course, you can replace cow’s milk with soy milk (which I, who am not a vegetarian, actually prefer). The taste is a bit different, but you get used to it and in the end will find it more tasteful.
