Meat eaters, many of you are guilty of saying one or more of these phrases; “I could never give up meat”, “how do vegetarians get enough protein”, or “I just love chicken too much”.The problem is, people tend to view vegetarianism or any other diet/lifestyle change or approach as “giving up” something when it’s actually about finding healthier alternatives. Why should you consider vegetarianism? Well, if approached the right way, eliminating or reducing your meat consumption offers quite a few benefits for your personal health and can also help save our planet. In this article, we’ll go into some of these benefits why you may want to consider becoming a vegetarian.
-
Lower risk for health issues: Medical News Today referred to studies and analysis that say vegetarians are less likely to suffer from cancer, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. If any of these conditions happen to run in your family, you may want to look into reducing or eliminating your meat intake as a preventive measure.
-
Weight loss: If you’re approaching vegetarianism the right way, it could possibly result in some weight loss when you begin the diet change. What do I mean by the “right way”? Don’t just stop eating meat, make sure you’re replacing the meat with other sources of protein. There are so many alternatives like nuts(especially almonds), peanut butter, tofu, chickpeas, beans, eggs, etc. Also make sure the rest of your diet is well-balanced so you’re getting all the proper nutrition.
-
Sustainability:Reducing meat consumption can also be a way you can take a step towards a more sustainable plant. According to PETA, “Roughly 2 of every 5 tons of grain produced in the world is fed to livestock, poultry, or fish; decreasing consumption of these products, especially of beef, could free up massive quantities of grain and reduce pressure on land.” They also mentioned that the Union of Concerned Scientists consider meat consumption one of the biggest hazards to Earth.
While becoming a vegetarian won’t solve all of your health concerns it does offer quite a few benefits that may help you become a healthier individual. It doesn’t have to be a cold turkey approach ethier, doctors and other health experts typically say a gradual change can offer more benefits. So if you were looking for a sign to become a vegetarian, here it is! Go and achieve a healthier you and a healthier planet!