Being a vegetarian in America can be hard. Meat is such a large part of our diet that it may seem like a bad idea to be a vegetarian. However, there are many advantages of being a vegetarian, and seven are listed in this article.
1. More energy- Meals that consist of vegetables and fruits stabilize your blood sugar which will help you have more energy. The vegetables and fruits will give you a more consistent energy level, so you will not have that fatigue feeling that people normally get after meals.
2. Weight loss- Quitting meat and dairy products will help you with weight loss. By simply becoming a vegetarian and changing nothing else you will lose a little weight and eventually get back to your natural weight.
3. Save money- Vegetarians spend far less money on meals than non-vegetarians. Families that become vegetarians save upwards of $10-$15 per day.
4. Helping the environment- If you are environmentally conscience than becoming a vegetarian is a good thing. One pig farm in Utah raises 2.5 million pigs each year, creating more waste than the entire city of Los Angeles. By cutting meat from your diet you can help cut down on pollution.
5. Health- Vitamins are crucial for your health and adding more fruits and vegetables means more vitamins. Also, by removing meats you are adding less toxins and hormones to your body that are not wanted. Your immune system will also improve.
6. Bone longevity- An average woman at the age of 65 suffers 35% bone loss. A vegetarian woman at 65 suffers only 18% bone loss. The reason for this is non-vegetarians get 150% more protein than needed each day.
7. Avoid heart disease- Diets full of saturated fats and cholesterol from meats and dairy products have been connected to cardiovascular disease. The average meat-based diet has a 50% change of dying from heart disease. If that person cuts out meat the chance of dying from a heart disease decreases by 15%, and falls to 4% if they also cut out dairy products.
It can be hard to become a vegetarian in America as most of our diet is meat. However, the advantages of becoming a vegetarian are many and it is something every American should consider. Knowing the 7 advantages of being a vegetarian the only thing left for you to decide is if you want to become one or not.