How it all started
If you have read my About Me or My New Favorite Food blog posts, then you know I am vegetarian. But why? The story that I have been told is that when I was in preschool, I randomly decided to be vegetarian. My parents did not find out until two months later, when my teacher apologized for trying to give me meat, she said “I'm sorry for trying to give your daughter meat. I did not realize that she was vegetarian.” My parents were bewildered, “She is not!” they said. But I would not change my mind. Nobody knows why. Was it because I wanted the green mat that vegetarian kids got? I do not know. Was it because I liked the sound of the word, "vegetarian"? I do not know. I have no memory of my meat-eating days, although I am quite sure that at that age, I had nothing against eating meat.
Why am I still vegetarian?
My parents tried to make me eat meat for years; they were worried that I was not getting enough protein to grow well, but visits to the doctor have proved them wrong.
But, why did I not listen to them?
1. I do not like the taste of meat.
2. I do not like the idea of eating animals.
I think of it like this: what if humans were the ones being eaten? Raised and fattened on a farm only to end up in a slaughterhouse. What would happen to you in that slaughterhouse? Do you know, there are many brutal ways to kill animals for meat? First, they stun them, then, they kill them. Click on this link for elaboration - Slaughterhouses: How Are Animals Killed In a Slaughterhouse? (thehumaneleague.org).
Why should you consider being vegetarian?
"You are what you eat", have you ever heard this phrase? It is also the title of a documentary on Netflix, that changed my perspective on being a vegetarian. So many animals are being raised across the world just for meat and that is impacting our environment. Take all the cows as an example, they are increasing global warming. How? So many cows are being raised for meat that the gas they produce is causing climate change. When they emit gas (by burping, farting, or pooping), they release methane. Methane warms the planet 100 times more than the same amount of carbon dioxide would.
Not only is killing animals for food inhumane, but the conditions in which they live are horrible. They are squished together with no space to spare and when they catch a disease, it spreads quickly, like fire. These diseases and animal antibiotics can transfer to you through the meat you eat.
Also, the documentary shows that having a plant-based diet makes your brain sharper and reduces visceral fat which is the really bad fat in between your organs. People with plant-based diets have more energy and their bodies stay younger.
This is just some of the information that the documentary covers. I recommend you watch it to learn more.
So what can you do?
If you are not already a vegetarian or vegan, you could eat impossible meat, which is food that tastes like real meat but is vegetarian. If you really want to keep on eating meat, then you could try to only eat meat that is organic and free-range.
Conclusion
In conclusion, being vegetarian, vegan, or even taking meat off your daily diet, is better for not only your health but the health of this world. So, switch, and help stop global warming, stop animal cruelty, and live a healthier life.
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