Want To Become A Vegetarian?

Every time I mention to friends that I have cut red meat out of my diet, their reaction is one of horror, “But where will you get your protein?”.  We seem to be programmed from a young age to believe that the only place we’re going to get our protein is from beef when in fact there are so many other healthier sources.  Milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, beans, grains, pasta and nuts are all rich in protein.
My suggestion here is not to remove all meats in one day but instead gradually add an extra salad or an extra serving of vegetables each day and cut down on the portion size of your meat.  You will quickly notice an overall change in how you feel and I think that’s reason enough to make the change.  You will feel lighter, healthier and may notice changes in the tone of your skin and brightness of your eyes as well.
Here are a few tips on how to begin from Chatelaine magazine.
Start simply  Find the reasons you are choosing to eat more plant foods (e.g. animal rights, health, weight loss) and stay true to your goals.

Get educated  Do your best to find resources (e.g. books, websites, blogs) that will support you.

Eat the best  Choose local sustainable and organic foods as much as possible.

Get stocked  Go to local farmers’ markets or health food stores, or arrange to have an organic box delivered right to your door through websites.

Get cooking  Create a culinary masterpiece by joining a vegetarian cooking class – you’ll learn how to prepare delicious dishes using the healthiest ingredients.  Read my accompanying blog for easy, quick healthy recipes using fresh ingredients.

What are the benefits of plant-based foods?

1. They contain more balanced nutrients including vitamins, minerals, enzymes, chlorophyll, fibre, and even protein.

2. Eating them adds more variety and colour to your diet so that your meals are more exciting.

3. Vegetables offer several health benefits by helping to prevent cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and balancing cholesterol levels.

4. Plant-based foods save you money, since meat can be expensive financially and its environmental costs are even worse. You can also save money by comparing your options for bad credit auto loans.

5. You’ll save the lives of animals. If you’re an animal lover like me, you’ll want to keep as many of them alive as possible.

6. Ultimately, they make you feel better. Plant foods are lighter to eat so you may even lose some weight along the way with all that fibre.

7. Eating more veggies will boost your energy levels by giving your body fresh nutrients to burn through. Meat, on the other hand, is heavy and makes you feel tired and sluggish.

8. And you’ll improve digestion. Fruits and vegetables assimilate into your body easily, allowing for immediate absorption of nutrients. It takes your body a lot of extra work to break down a piece a steak – but a carrot is no problem!

Choosing to eat more plant-based foods is the way of the future. Agricultural systems, communities, and resources are now finally in place to help support the growing desire to eat more plant-based foods. If you have access, make sure you get to local farmers’ markets or, better yet, plant your own garden in the spring. There is nothing better than eating your own homegrown food. Take advantage of the immense diversity of plants that exist on our planet. The winter months can make it challenging to obtain fresh, local produce for those in the colder climates, but there are definitely a lot of good options out there if you’re willing to do a little digging.

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