Go Veggie
I'm not one for pushing vegetarianism on anyone, but since I was asked recently, I figured I'd post some stuff here.
First of all, if you take your vitamins and balance your diet, it is as healthy as if you ate meat. Or even healthier, since it often forces you to cut out greasy fast food. When my family went to Maine we'd stop at Burger King and they'd each get two or three burgers, fries, and a large drink all to themselves. Then we'd stop at Dunkin' Doughnuts, and I'd get one bagel and drink the tea I brought with me. Definitely healthier.
Studies have also found that vegetarianism can lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, which is, I suspect, because it reduces that fat from meat. It also has lower risk for hypertension, renal disease, osteoporosis, and dementia. Vegetarians tend to have a lower BMI (body mass index), tend to be in better shape, have lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. Again, probably from not eating as much meat. And, if you have a restricted diet, you're forced to be more focused on your health. It's too easy to get unhealthy if you don't pay attention, and start having pasta for every meal.
You have to remember each time you eat to make sure to get a fat, a protein, and a sugar (actually, you should do that anyway). Sugar is that quick energy you get, protein is the long lasting stuff, and fat makes it stick. You don't want too much of anything, of course. Life is, after all, the practice of moderation. Fruit is good for sugar, but an apple and peanut butter or cheese is better because of the protein and fat. Cereal isn't really that good for breakfast, nor is toast and butter. Actually, I have a bit of trouble with breakfast, but I think if I have a jar of peanut butter and bread in my dorm I can make a sandwich for breakfast before I run to class (let's be honest here, I'm not going to be getting up more than five minutes before I have to be there) and I'll be okay. Salad is good but I don't always fell full after. At Ikea I had one with fruit and poppy seed dressing, and that was good. And chocolate cake. Mmm...
Anyway, I'm getting distracted.
The point is, each time you sit down to eat, you're making a choice.
When you choose to become a vegetarian, or even eat a vegetarian meal once in a while, you choose to improve your health and help the environment, and if enough people do it enough of the time, it tells companies with unethical practices that we're not going to stand for that. We don't want fifty chickens packed in a cage so tight they can't turn around, cows that never get to graze in a field, pigs (clean, social animals by nature) packed too close to move, in filthy, miserable conditions, being fed growth hormones that make them grow so fast their legs can't even hold their weight.
When you choose not to eat vegetarian, to eat meat, you send a different message to those companies. That people will eat anything, as long as they don't have to think about the animal that lived that dark life to make their burger.
Ahem, I didn't mean to get on my soap box there. I really am not trying to push anyone to be a veggie or anything. I've just been doing my research, making sure I'll still be eating healthy when I get to school, and I thought I'd share what I've learned.
What I said about life being like moderation... Statistically, fish eaters are the longest lived people, followed by vegetarians, then occasional meat eaters, and finally meat eaters and vegans. So if you take any diet to the extreme (too much meat, too much vegan) it doesn't seem to do you any good. It's when you're right in the middle, not too much partying, not too much studying; not too much traveling, not too much staying at home; not too much work, not too much play; and not too much meat, not too many veggies. It's when you take it to the extremes (see: socialism and fascism) that it gets crazy.
Aaaand... yeah.
First of all, if you take your vitamins and balance your diet, it is as healthy as if you ate meat. Or even healthier, since it often forces you to cut out greasy fast food. When my family went to Maine we'd stop at Burger King and they'd each get two or three burgers, fries, and a large drink all to themselves. Then we'd stop at Dunkin' Doughnuts, and I'd get one bagel and drink the tea I brought with me. Definitely healthier.
Studies have also found that vegetarianism can lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, which is, I suspect, because it reduces that fat from meat. It also has lower risk for hypertension, renal disease, osteoporosis, and dementia. Vegetarians tend to have a lower BMI (body mass index), tend to be in better shape, have lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. Again, probably from not eating as much meat. And, if you have a restricted diet, you're forced to be more focused on your health. It's too easy to get unhealthy if you don't pay attention, and start having pasta for every meal.
You have to remember each time you eat to make sure to get a fat, a protein, and a sugar (actually, you should do that anyway). Sugar is that quick energy you get, protein is the long lasting stuff, and fat makes it stick. You don't want too much of anything, of course. Life is, after all, the practice of moderation. Fruit is good for sugar, but an apple and peanut butter or cheese is better because of the protein and fat. Cereal isn't really that good for breakfast, nor is toast and butter. Actually, I have a bit of trouble with breakfast, but I think if I have a jar of peanut butter and bread in my dorm I can make a sandwich for breakfast before I run to class (let's be honest here, I'm not going to be getting up more than five minutes before I have to be there) and I'll be okay. Salad is good but I don't always fell full after. At Ikea I had one with fruit and poppy seed dressing, and that was good. And chocolate cake. Mmm...
Anyway, I'm getting distracted.
The point is, each time you sit down to eat, you're making a choice.
When you choose to become a vegetarian, or even eat a vegetarian meal once in a while, you choose to improve your health and help the environment, and if enough people do it enough of the time, it tells companies with unethical practices that we're not going to stand for that. We don't want fifty chickens packed in a cage so tight they can't turn around, cows that never get to graze in a field, pigs (clean, social animals by nature) packed too close to move, in filthy, miserable conditions, being fed growth hormones that make them grow so fast their legs can't even hold their weight.
When you choose not to eat vegetarian, to eat meat, you send a different message to those companies. That people will eat anything, as long as they don't have to think about the animal that lived that dark life to make their burger.
Ahem, I didn't mean to get on my soap box there. I really am not trying to push anyone to be a veggie or anything. I've just been doing my research, making sure I'll still be eating healthy when I get to school, and I thought I'd share what I've learned.
What I said about life being like moderation... Statistically, fish eaters are the longest lived people, followed by vegetarians, then occasional meat eaters, and finally meat eaters and vegans. So if you take any diet to the extreme (too much meat, too much vegan) it doesn't seem to do you any good. It's when you're right in the middle, not too much partying, not too much studying; not too much traveling, not too much staying at home; not too much work, not too much play; and not too much meat, not too many veggies. It's when you take it to the extremes (see: socialism and fascism) that it gets crazy.
Aaaand... yeah.