Joined: 4/16/2009
Posts: 13

Given my recent affair with tofu, I have realized that I could, realistically, give vegetarianism a try. Simply being able to do something, however, is rarely valid as the sole reason to do something. However, I have wanted to try vegetarianism for years because of the multitude of health benefits that come along with eliminating meat from my diet! I should preface this post by stating that I am not a "bleeding" heart animal lover who feels bad for cows and chickens. I don't. I'm not supporting the malicious slaughter of tons of animals, mind you, but this is not a misguided political statement. I feel bad for Dolly, but not that bad.

I am not going to take this decision lightly - so I have been conducting my research. My favorite statistic so far comes from Sixwise.com that "more than 3 percent of U.S. adults are vegetarians." Really? Wow. I must switch immediately if so many American's are making this HUGE choice. That's a statistic that I wouldn't even have bothered to report. I would have said "some U.S. adults are vegetarians" to lesson the blow. My second favorite statistic, "Vegetarians and vegans live, on average, six to ten years longer than meat-eaters," is also awesome. Who care if you live longer if you are also miserable? Part of the reason that vegetarians live longer is that a vegetarian diet reduces risks for heart disease, diabetes and obesity, as well as some cancers, and it helps with weight maintenance. The "pro's" column must include the amazing vegetarian recipes out there - cookinglight.com alone makes me want to eat vegetarian for a week straight! Also, studies show that not eating meat saves money - that's more money for clothes - by far the best argument yet!

My favorite "con" argument comes from the acu-cell website. It states, "there are no vegetarian sources of Vitamin B12, which is why herbivores (e.g. rabbits) met their vitamin B12 requirements by eating plants that are infested with insects, or by eating their own feces." Awesome. So I'd need to take a multivitamin. Check. I wish they'd just said that instead. At the iloveindia website, they list that missing some of the essential amino acids that one can only get from meat can also lead to moodiness. I hear people everywhere groaning, lending support to the anti-vegetarianism side. Apparently there is "something" that I need from meat.

I found an environment-related argument for vegetarianism that I support - that is the argument that vegetarianism is a solution to the destruction of rainforests (they are clear-cut to make pasture for cattle) as well as world hunger. That, for some reason, is a HUGE pro for me. Maybe I just want to make sure that I when I can afford to vacation in the rainforest, there are still rainforests for me to vacation in! Also, vegetarian is apparently a solution to world hunger? Saving people I like. Another HUGE pro. According to the holistic-nutrition.suite101.com website, the amount of vegetable matter to grow and feed animals for meat is more efficient when used to feed humans directly. A political argument that, if true, I can totally get behind!

Despite my research, I haven't made a final decision. Despite the tongue-in-cheek nature of this post, this is a decision that I am seriously considering. What do you think? Are any of my facts wrong?

For more healthy eating tips, insight, and irreverant commentary, visit my blog at laurajayneparson.blogspot.com