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Go Veggie With Style MAG
I am a vegetarian. Many people are quick to stereotype vegetarianism as bizarre behavior, appropriate for those on another planet. I treasure our Earth, and since we only have one, we should protect it and the wildlife that populates it. But that’s only one reason to be a vegetarian.
Vegetarians may live longer, healthier lives. There is a correlation between red meat consumption and diseases including osteoporosis, kidney stones, gall stones, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, gum disease, and even acne. From an economic standpoint, it requires less land, money, and energy to produce foods for a vegetarian diet. While there are many benefits to being a vegetarian, only a handful of those who attempt to adopt this lifestyle succeed.
The most important quality is dedication. We are surrounded by meat. It would be easy to forgo vegetarianism at any moment and devour a steak. This is why vegetarians must be staunch and zealous.
Creativity is almost as important as commitment. It’s easy to tire of eating nothing but salad. But with a little creativity and some soy products, almost any meal can become vegetarian-friendly. Many ethnic cuisines also offer abundant flavorful options. Studying these cultures is an excellent way to generate new ideas. Another is to go to a restaurant that specializes in vegetarian food. This can spark a plethora of creative ideas.
Since creativity is a necessary attribute, it is no coincidence that many vegetarians work in creative fields. Many brilliant individuals were vegetarians, including Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein. Some current famous vegetarians are Madonna, Paul McCartney, Natalie Portman, Pink, and Milo Ventimiglia.
Not everyone wants to be a vegetarian. Accepting this is part of being a vegetarian with style. Forcing your beliefs on others, by subjecting them to long lectures on the nutritional benefits of not eating meat or shoving PETA fliers in their faces, is disrespectful. Stylish vegetarians should also be able to gracefully decline a meaty dish without offending their hosts. Another differentiating quality between the stylish and the un-stylish vegetarian is the ability to stick with it. The latter group can typically be overheard saying things like “I’m a vegetarian – I just eat chicken,” or “I haven’t eaten meat in ten days. I’m a vegetarian.”
Being educated is also important. Do your research about different types of vegetarians, and learn as much nutritional information as possible. Your goal as a stylish vegetarian is to be healthy, not trendy. Don’t become a vegetarian solely because a celebrity says it’s cool. People who do rarely stick with it for long.
Being a successful vegetarian has been easy for me – I’ve been one since I was born. My family is vegetarian, so no meat is available in my house. However, constantly being surrounded by others who eat meat, and sometimes those who are not accepting of vegetarianism, can be a challenge. To be successful, I’ve relied on personal traits like flexibility, since I’m often in situations where the food choices aren’t ideal.
A common mistake is quitting before your body has adjusted to the transition. It can be difficult to stay committed in the beginning because of temptation. However, this fades over time.
Another common mistake is quitting because you’ve been misinformed about the nutritional wisdom of being a vegetarian. That’s why it is vital to be educated. Countless people will tell you that it’s impossible to obtain the nutrients and protein your body requires without meat, but they are incorrect. People actually need only 44 to 55 grams of protein a day, and that is easily found in a vegetarian diet. Many meat eaters are consuming triple that amount, which is not beneficial; on the contrary, it has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Vegetables can also supply all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs. However, if you’re still not convinced, you can take a multivitamin.
A society in which people have the constitutional right to live freely is well suited for vegetarians. If you need further convincing, read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. In a style comparable to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Schlosser passionately exposes the dangers of eating meat. For great recipes, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman has got you covered.
Vegetarianism is an important cause that more people should support. PETA estimates that every vegetarian saves over a hundred animals a year. Not only is being a vegetarian healthy, but it also has a positive impact on the world.
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This article has 160 comments.
this really made me think i haven't ever thought of vegitarianism the way you do and you have changed my opinion on veggitarians.
two thumbs up :D
"The latter group can typically be overheard saying things like “I’m a vegetarian – I just eat chicken,” or “I haven’t eaten meat in ten days. I’m a vegetarian.”
Being educated is also important. Do your research about different types of vegetarians, and learn as much nutritional information as possible."
Ok- those sentences totally clash. Pollotarianism is a type of vegetarianiam that includes pultry in the diet, and pescetarianism does the same with fish. I find it kind of offensive that you wouldn't considser those kinds of lifestyles vegetarian. Not everyone has an entirely vegitarian family where meat alternitives are immediently available- which makes a sort of semi-vegetarianism the only practical meat-free route. You're looking at a pescetarian, and she's not appreciating the condescending looks she getting.
Animals eat other animals every day. Have you noticed that humans don't consume any meat eatin animals? We only consume herbivores such as pigs and cows. That only proves that we are follow a food chain.
I completely, completely agree. The conditions of animals should be better. Way better. But eating them is not a crime in itself. Wolves/bears/lions eat other animals. Are you going to judge them for following what they were born with? They surivive this way, it is needed to keep the earth in balance.
Being a vegetarian is perfectly fine, sometimes I completely skip meat for months because I love vegetables and I'm not in the mood for meat. But eventually i go back to it because i'm not a vegetarian, but an omnivore, as I was built, to follow the food chain.
veggiepizza, I dont' see how eating meat is cruel. I won't say that I love eating meat, because truthfully I dont, as i believe eating is for survival and not because it "tastes good".
Animals were not put on Earth to be our food. Of course not. Nothing was made for us, we are not high beings. But humans themselves were put on this Earth to follow the food chain that every other animal on the planet lives by. For this world to stay in balance, animals must be eaten by other animals. Or otherwise the whole world would be in chaos with over population. Everything is connected and humans, just as any other animal, are meant to follow that.
i'm not saying don't be a vegetarian, because being a vegetarian is absolutely fine. other animals do it. But you shouldn't choose to be one because you are repulsed by a natural occurance.
Mr.Brightside,
I do not see how it is cannibalism. Cannibalism is when you consume your own species.
I agree, God did not give us animals to eat. But He created nature in a way that animals must consume other animals to remain in the food chain, because everything is connected. We are part of the food chain. He didn't create animals for us, but He did create us to follow nature's course in the web of life.
Wolves/lions are examples are carnivores. They must eat animals to survive because that is who they are. Are you going to be against them because they are following the ways of their creation?
The only probably that many meat consuming humans have today is where they get their meat. That is probably the only issue. They are unknowingly buying their pork/chicken/beef etc. from the wrong places, such as where the animals are abused and overbred. My family doesn't buy meat from the supermarkets; we know where it comes from. Any popular supermarket you go to has a very large potential to have meat products from these types of places.
We get our meat from a dairy farm nearby, which is well known for treating their animals fairly and having proper living conditions up until that point.
Whether you are vegetarian, meat-eater or "omnivore", all are fine lifestyles. They all occur in nature with every species, so I don't see why vegans/vegetarians are hounded so much. I respect all of them.
The only thing I don't understand is when some vegetarians I've met are so aggressive toward meat eaters. They are repulsed by the idea of eating animals because they love them and think it's wrong. But this mindset is a little confusing. If you respect animals, truly respect them, you wouldn't see that eating animals as a whole is bad. Wolves for example, are naturally carnivourous. Are you going to be against wolves because they eat other animals? or are you only dissing humans eating animals. This to me does not show respect to animals because it means you think of either humans or animals as higher beings, when neither one is above the other.
I've met vegetarians who simply chose those eating habits because they liked it. And that's a good reason to be a vegetarian, not because you are disgusted by a natuarl occurance in nature.
I am an extreme animal lover myself, but I do eat meat too. It's something many animals do, so I actually feel more connected to nature and the cycles of the planet on the carnivorous side.
To the Author: I'm not saying this is how I percieve you, I was just explaining my views on vegetarianism.
I agree that being a vegetarian is good for you. I think you did a really great job of writing this. But you left out how you should ease into it. It's not really safe for people who have spent all their life eating meat to just stop. I was born a vegetarian, but I know some friends who tried too fast and were pretty sick.
Overall, though, I'm glad you wrote this.