It is said that the production of meat produces anywhere from 30 to 50% of the world's greenhouse gasses. While there may be debate on just how much of an effect the production of meat has, it cannot be denied that, no matter which end you choose, the production of meat plays a pivotal role in the climate change we cause today. Through the energy and supplies needed to raise, feed, take care of, and eventually slaughter animals, meat production is one of the leading reasons our environment is suffering. Because of this, going vegetarian is not only a great way to protect animals, but also to combat the ever-growing problem of Climate Change.
Why exactly should you go vegetarian?
Going vegetarian gives way to a host of different benefits. Not only does it ensure that you are doing your part in protecting the environment, but it provides you with better health and more wholesome energy. By getting rid of the harmful fats, cholesterol, and carbohydrates that are common in meat, you end up feeling more energetic and even "cleaner"
for lack of a better word.
Additionally, it can also protect you from harmful sicknesses, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and even certain types of cancer like colon, breast, prostate, stomach, and lung. Not only this, but going vegetarian or even vegan can give you strong bones, as eating more vegetables can nutrients that are necessary for the body to absorb calcium. Finally, reducing or eliminating your consumption of meat helps to reduce the amount of carbon released each year.
Is It Really That Hard?
Whenever I talk to someone about the possibility of going vegetarian, I am nearly always met with the same responses: "It's too hard." or "I just can't give up meat." Making the switch to vegetarian is actually a lot easier than most people make it out to be, it just depends on which alternative foods you choose to eat. Being only a recent vegetarian, I used to love the flavor of meat, and never really though of giving it up myself. However, once I began, I realized that it just wasn't as tough as I made it out to be. Meat isn't really a food that you crave. It's not like sugar, where every few days you might feel like you have to have something sugar intensive. It's not an uphill battle of your cravings versus your determination, it's just a matter of making a conscious decision to avoid one particular type of food.
Which foods you replace meat with really make all the difference when becoming a vegetarian. If you choose foods that you know you really hate, then it's obvious that you will not have a pleasant experience as a vegetarian. However, by selecting the foods in your diet that you already like besides meat, you can start with a steady building ground for trying new foods that you may never have had before. In my case, I had a very limited diet, even before going vegetarian. Pizza, chicken nuggets, hamburgers, etc. Those were the main items I ate. So, when going vegetarian, it cut the list of foods I liked to about half, and I thought that it would be impossible to find replacements. However, by looking for foods that were similar to what I was eating before, I was able to expand my diet in a way I did not think was possible. This started with the discovery of meat alternatives.
Meat Alternatives
If you believe that you would still crave meat after going vegetarian, there are tons of alternatives that manage to capture the essence and flavor of the meats we love, without the pollution that goes along with it. A lot of them use corn, tofu, and other types of beans mixed together. While this may sound unappetizing, the seasoning they add really helps to create a great resemblance to regular meat. Contrary to popular belief, meat alternatives actually do taste good, and I believe they are a great replacement.
Challenges
Although going meatless is a lot easier than many think, it is not exempt from a few challenges. One of the toughest, at least for me, is getting enough protein every day. Most of the protein we normally get is from the meats we eat, however, when you cut those out of your diet, you need to find different ways to get that protein. It is said that, on average, an adult should get 56 grams of protein per day. While this may sound like a lot, many meat alternatives provide a lot of protein that can help you to reach that number. Foods like tofu and beans all provide a lot of protein, and because they are used a lot in meat alternatives, you can get up to 20 or even 30 grams of protein per meal.
Another challenge I find, because the rest of my family is not vegetarian, is sitting through meals where they eat meat and I don't. While sometimes it can be hard to watch as people eat ribs and steak, I find that by thinking of the contributions to the environment I make by not eating meat, the want to eat those foods decreases severely. How much trouble you face while not eating meat, while depending mostly on the substitutes you choose, also depends a lot on how much determination you have, and how much you really want to achieve that goal.
Conclusion
It cannot be denied that going vegetarian gives plenty of benefits. It's one of the best ways to help protect the environment, and it also makes a diet much healthier. \Even though it is subject to its own set of challenges, the benefits and good feeling you get from knowing that you're helping out outweighs all of them.
So, if you are finding that you may want to give up meat, the only real advice I can give to you is just to try it. You'll only know the true successes and good feelings you get from being a part of it, if you are actually a part of it. However, if you want some tips and tricks that may help the transition from meat to greens easier, stay tuned for my post next week as I will be discussing just how I went vegetarian, and how you can too. Thanks for reading.
All credit for information used in this article goes to:
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/global-warming/
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/why-go-veg-learn-about-becoming-a-vegetarian
Images:
http://schneidermedicalgroup.com/diet-rich-fruits-vegetables-must-good-health/
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer
http://hypnosishealthinfo.com/calcium-strong-bones/
http://www.accessecoach.com/Kate_Greenleaf/session_3/session_32.htm
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/
http://taylorhooton.org/people-weigh-require-protein/
http://lavishtrend.com/alert-non-vegetarians-who-declares-that-eating-meat-causes-cancer/
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