Being a Vegetarian: How To Eat Healthy In A Meat Filled World
Being a vegetarian can be tough in a meat-focused culture, our Standard American Diet has centered around eating meat. There are many valid reasons to become vegetarian, but meat-eaters often don’t understand the reasons and will commonly shake their heads at “unknowing” vegetarians.
The truth is that decreasing meat consumption can actually improve health. Studies have found that higher meat consumption can lead to higher amounts of disease such as cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, and more. But, many people don’t understand the implications that meat eating can have on their health, because there is so much conflicting information out there.
If you are being criticized for choosing meat-less meals, the best approach to take is to let the person know that you respect their eating choices and ask that they in turn respect your choices. It is even appropriate to let them know that you have researched the topic and there is solid evidence showing that lowering meat consumption can improve health.
Also, remember that many times people speak up even when they don’t actually know what they are talking about. Most meat-eaters don’t know why they eat meat… other than the fact that they have always been told that meat is a great source of protein and they should eat it everyday. Often, explaining to them that there are other plant-based protein sources can be a great way to diffuse the situation.
The most important factor to consider is this: make sure that you are not critical or harsh of your meat-eating friends choices. Everyone has the right (and ability) to choose their food choices, and offering respect for their personal choices can often lead to them respecting you back.
Being a vegetarian can be tough, especially when there are so many people questioning your food choices. But, I have found that education and discussion is usually the best way to help other people understand why you are making vegetarian food choices.
By: Becki Andrus
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Filed under Health And Fitness by on Nov 18th, 2010. 