Becoming a Vegetarian - Essay Example

Becoming a Vegetarian Over two years ago, I made a decision of trying to become a vegetarian. I decided to try it out after reading several books and dozens of articles. I got persuaded to become a vegetarian after I learnt that I could derive a lot of economic and health benefits from adopting this form of a lifestyle. People become vegetarians for numerous reasons; including religious convictions, desire to eat in a way that does not consume enormous environmental resources, economic reasons, and concerns regarding animal welfare among other reasons (Keith 9). Due to year-round availability of more vegetarian options, fresh produce, as well as the growing culinary influence of lifestyles and cultures with plant-based diets, vegetarianism has become more accessible and appealing. Available data indicate that about eight million United States adults eat no poultry, fish, or meat. In addition, several million more have gotten rid of red meat but they are still consuming fish or chicken. Besides, close to two million people have become vegans; they have forgone animal flesh and animal-based products such as gelatin. Cheese, milk, and eggs (Davis 33). In today’s world, vegetarianism does not focus only on the potential nutritional deficiencies, but also entails consideration of a wide range of health, economic, and environmental benefits that relates to it. It is for this reason that I would like to be in the community of vegetarian and influence the society and my own life in positive ways. Before trying to become a vegetarian, I was fully aware that it might be a difficult endeavor. Nonetheless, I was determined to succeed in it and achieve the personal goals that I had set for myself. I adopted a number of strategies and followed a list of steps in trying to become a vegetarian. The first thing that I did was informing others about my intention to become a vegetarian. I particularly informed those close to me including my parents, siblings and friends. It is important to make those people around me aware of commitment of becoming a vegetarian. This is because they are the people who eat with me regularly and therefore they should be aware of my diet preferences and my commitment (Rice 26). While those close to me did not fully approve my attempt of becoming a vegetarian, they were supportive of my decision. I informed them of my decision to become a vegetarian was largely due to health, economical, and environmental reasons. However, I did not have any intention whatsoever to convert any of them towards my endeavor of becoming a vegetarian. A diet for a vegetarian has the potential of being incredibly satisfying and varied especially if one tries out new foods (Davis 40). I understood the need of trying out new foods if I was to become a vegetarian successfully; I went out to grocery stores and tried different food choices that were meatless. I realize that there were new and many meatless options available and this further inspired me to continue trying to become a vegetarian. However, some of the new foods I tried turned tasted not so good and others were simply awful. This did not deter me though as most of the new foods I tried out tasted good. In order to become a successful vegetarian, one has to make it a habit by sticking fully to a vegetarian dietary program (Rice 55). Even though the initial trial proved to be somewhat difficult, I was determined to succeed. I made sticking to vegetarian dietary program a habit and this conditioned me to a point that it was much easier for me to continue with the program. The principles of experimentation, replacement, leverage and conditioning are critical when one wants to become a vegetarian (Keith 18). My success in becoming a vegetarian can be attributed to the fact that I originally went into the trial with an open and curious mind. Although I had heard many things about the merits and demerits of becoming a vegetarian, I tried becoming one by maintaining an objective and open mind devoid of subjectivity and personal biases. Studies have shown that subjectivity and personal biases can make attempts of becoming a vegetarian unsuccessful or to take longer before the goal is achieved (Rice 71). To avoid subjectivity and personal biases, I kept a journal for my experiment of becoming a vegetarian. I wrote down subjective rating of what I felt regarding my mental and physical energy, as well as levels of mental clarity before and after starting the trial in each particular day. Besides, I wrote about problems I had overcome or solutions I had discovered at the end of each day. After reviewing this journal at the end of each week I realized that my levels of energy and clarity were improving and this kept me more and more committed towards becoming a vegetarian. It is advisable that while one is trying to become a vegetarian, he or she should focus more about the goals rather than the diets (Davis 28). This is exactly what I did; since my goal was to achieve better health, economic and environmental goals without consuming meat products, issues such as the desire of consuming meat did not distract me. I knew that I could achieve my goals by consuming other products that have same or even more nutritional value than meat products. Plants such as nuts, seeds, and lentils have enough protein and vegetarians should not worry about not getting enough proteins because of not consuming animal products (Keith 66). I spent more focus in ensuring that I have a balanced diet that included a large variety of lentils, grain, and vegetable. Since becoming a vegetarian, I have put on close to fifteen pounds of muscle and my strength has greatly increased. More importantly, it is advisable that while trying to become a vegetarian one should plan for contingencies so as to have full control over their diet regardless of the time and location. Planning for contingencies, especially in the early phases, is very crucial in order to avoid break or make moments (Rice 37). I was fully aware of this requirement during my trial period, I planned adequately for contingencies, and this helped me to overcome difficulties associated with becoming a vegetarian. While undertaking this endeavor of becoming a vegetarian, I was aware of some of the pitfalls and criticisms associated with it. Becoming a vegetarian should be a process that has been planned appropriately. It is recommended that one should follow recommended guidelines on fat consumption, weight control, and fat among others (Keith 59). Due to time and resources constraints, I did not seek professional recommendations on my attempt. Nonetheless, studies have shown that adopting a vegetarian routine has relatively less health harm compared to adopting other routines without medical recommendation. As a vegetarian, I consumed less cholesterol and saturated fat and more dietary fiber, magnesium, Vitamins E and C, phytochemicals, and folic acid. As a result, I was more likely to have lower bad And lower total cholesterol, lower body mass index, and lower blood pressure, all of which are associated with longevity, as well as a reduced risk for numerous chronic diseases. However, it should be noted that there still are not sufficient data saying exactly how vegetarian diets influence long-term health. For example, it is difficult to show how vegetarianism can lead to one not engaging in other practices that effect on long-term health such as excessive drinking, getting inadequate exercise, and smoking (Rice 40). While vegetarianism is understood to have numerous health benefits, there are concerns that it may result to nutritional deficiencies. There are concerns that it may lead to protein deficiency; in some cases vegans protein foods may not be readily available compared to availability of products such as meat and this may pose some nutrition difficulties for vegetarians (Davis 107). Also, there are concerns regarding Vitamin B12 that is only available in animal products. Therefore, if a vegan avoids animal products altogether and does not eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 such as rice beverages and certain soy or take supplement for vitamin B12, they can eventually suffer pernicious anemia and neurological problems. In addition, studies indicate that while vegetarians can get the same quantity of iron as those who eat meat, the iron in meat is absorbed more readily in human beings compound to the kind of iron found in plant foods. phytic acid in nuts, seeds, whole grains, lentils, and beans may also inhibit the absorption of iron found in plant foods (Keith 92). In conclusion, my attempts of becoming a vegetarian were not only successful but they were also exciting and interesting. I learnt a lot during the process and I intend to use the lessons learnt to help society overcome some of health, environmental and economic challenges. The project helped me to appreciate the fact that there are alternatives to conventional diet requirements and that people can still maintain their wellbeing at much lower cost and more easier by becoming vegetarians. However, as was noted, there are some criticisms leveled against vegetarianism, particularly in respect to potential nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, it is important that future attempts of becoming a vegetarian should take into account such concerns. Works Cited Davis, Brenda, and Vesanto Melina. Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet. Summertown, TN: Book Pub. Co, 2000. Print. Keith, Lierre. The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability. Crescent City, Calif: Flashpoint Press, 2009. Internet resource. Rice, Pamela. 101 Reasons Why Im a Vegetarian. New York: Lantern Books, 2005. Print. Read More