So many celebrities are vegetarian, like Milo Ventimiglia, Kellie Pickler, and Kristen Bell. They don’t fit the old-fashioned stereo-type of a vegetarian — a pale, granola-munching old hippie who wears hemp clothing and lives in an old RV in the woods. They’re young, hip, gorgeous… and so are a lot of non-celebrity vegetarians! Aside from looking great, though, there are so many reasons to become vegetarian… and here are a few…
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So much of the greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere aren’t caused by cars of factories, they’re caused by the release of methane gas from huge, overcrowded feed lots, where we get most of our meat from. If you stop eating meat, then, you’ll automatically reduce your carbon footprint… cool!
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Many people believe that all lives are equal, or that human lives aren’t the only ones that are important. Many vegetarians first stopped eating meat when they realized that in most cases, the animals we eat are treated very cruelly from the time they’re born (or hatched) until they’re slaughtered.
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How many outbreaks of food poisoning have been linked to meat compared to non-meat food items? Very few. Most deadly food poisoning episodes come from tainted meat, and very few of them are ever linked to the other foods we eat.
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Vegetarian diets, even those with dairy and eggs, contain much lower cholesterol and saturated fats than those of meat-based diets. That means that vegetarians have much lower cholesterol numbers, and thus lower rates of heart disease.
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Dozens of studies around the world have shown that people who don’t eat meat have far fewer incidences of cancer, especially prostate, bladder, ovarian and colon cancers. Not only are the incidences far fewer, so are the fatalities!
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Let’s face it — good, safe cuts of meat are very, very pricey, far more expensive than even the most exotic organic fruits, vegetables, and other vegetarian foods available. So if you stop eating meat, you’ll end up saving a lot on your food budget… maybe even enough for a new pair of shoes or a new handbag!
Many famous philosophers and scientists were or are vegetarian, including legendary brainiacs Albert Einstein, Pythagoras (of the mathematical theorem), Socrates, Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, and Leonardo de Vinci. Does eating a vegetarian diet contribute to a higher IQ? Maybe…
As kind of a bonus, let me also point out that vegetarian food is delicious! You’re not just limited to rubbery, tasteless tofu or apples and broccoli… there are so many cookbooks and websites devoted to vegetarian diets, there’s always something tasty and nutritious to prepare! Are you a vegetarian? Why did you become one? Have you seen any health benefits? Please let me know!
Top Photo Credit: Little Mel :)