As I open up to my family and friends about my new eating habit I get more and more questions about why I chose to not eat meat and how I am going to obtain my health. It has resulted in long conversations because before I made the final decision I knew I had to have more than just one reason or I would be kidding myself (it wouldn't last long).
First of all, after living my childhood in towns that are only a couple blocks wide, I have become a huge believer in supporting one's own local community. Farmers markets are the best way to do so. In high school I lived in the beautiful town of Sequim, Washington; the lavender capital of North America. Every year hundreds, possibly thousands of people travel through Sequim to tour the lavender fields. In the park, local vendors put out booths to display artwork and sell crafts, and local restaurants share their best recipes. Portland has a much greater scale of people to work with which is why having local vendors in metropolitan areas especially is so important.
Another reason I chose to cut out meat is because the environment could use a break. Most, if not all, of the food in a grocery store travels thousands of miles before it reaches the dinner table. The average American who does not eat organically or locally can contribute approximately 5.8 tons of CO2 into the environment a year.
First of all, after living my childhood in towns that are only a couple blocks wide, I have become a huge believer in supporting one's own local community. Farmers markets are the best way to do so. In high school I lived in the beautiful town of Sequim, Washington; the lavender capital of North America. Every year hundreds, possibly thousands of people travel through Sequim to tour the lavender fields. In the park, local vendors put out booths to display artwork and sell crafts, and local restaurants share their best recipes. Portland has a much greater scale of people to work with which is why having local vendors in metropolitan areas especially is so important.
Another reason I chose to cut out meat is because the environment could use a break. Most, if not all, of the food in a grocery store travels thousands of miles before it reaches the dinner table. The average American who does not eat organically or locally can contribute approximately 5.8 tons of CO2 into the environment a year.
It has been about two weeks since I stopped eating meat products and I have lost weight. I also feel so much healthier and more energetic despite my last few days of sleep deprivation. Thus, I have to say that being vegetarian really is healthier. I am eating more vegetables without even thinking about it. If I get hungry I just eat some veggies until I feel full. I am eating a lot more than I used to but it is all real, healthy food that is full of earthly nutrients. I have also noticed that getting my grains is so important. I used to think of anything that was a grain as nothing but carbohydrates but I notice how good it is for proper digestion (and that's as far as I will go with that). If your on the go most places have a vegetable dish and bread or rice and beans; eat that and you should be good for a few hours.
Be happy, be healthy, and choose vegetables!
Be happy, be healthy, and choose vegetables!
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