There are so many benefits to dropping meat!
Looking for new ideas about what to eat? If you have ever thought you need more fruits and veggies in your life, going vegetarian might be just what the doctor ordered. But leaving behind sizzling steaks can be tough, so here are 13 great things about going vegetarian.
13 Great Things About Going Vegetarian
1. Reduce your carbon footprint.
Eating plant-based foods instead of animals can help conserve fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources.
2. Conserve Water.
It takes up to 15 times as much water to produce animal protein as plant protein.
3. Get More Nutrients.
There are no essential nutrients that cannot be found in plant based food. Plants contain naturally occurring protein, vitamins, and minerals along with chlorophyll and other nutrients not found in animal food sources.
4. Reduce your chemical intake.
There are over 20,000 drugs, sterols, antibiotics and growth hormones given to livestock that you put into your body when you consume commercially produced meats.
5. Give your digestive system a rest.
Plant-based foods travel more easily through the gastrointestinal tract. Due to the dietary fiber in plants, you might also gain a healthier heart.
6. Lose weight.
On average vegans weigh about 20 pounds less than meat-eaters. Unlike fad diets, eating vegetarian meals can leave you feeling healthy, less heavy and with more energy.
7. Promote your health.
Vegan and vegetarian diets have been shown to help reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood-pressure when compared to a diet that includes meat.
8. Increase your energy.
Workouts get easier, endurance improves and you just might find that you sleep better. Unprocessed, natural foods are easier to digest and can help reduce that sluggish feeling most meat-eaters get after a meal, and beyond.
9. Eat fewer calories.
Tasty vegetarian meals tend to already be low-calorie and low-fat without making any adjustments. A vegetarian diet contains vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes, just perfect for weight loss.
10. Slow the aging process.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal reported that vegetarians actually live longer than meat eaters by 6 years. Plant-based diets provide dietary fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants along with essential vitamins and minerals.
11. Help end hunger.
Did you know that every day thousands of people, including children go hungry and starve to death? The crops that could be used to feed them are instead being fed to animals to be used as food. If everyone would eat vegetarian, there would be enough food to feed the entire world population of over 6.3 billion people.
12. Save money.
By replacing red meat, chicken and other meats with fruits and veggies, you can cut food costs by about $4,000 a year!
13. Get smarter.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal reported that “Higher scores for IQ in childhood are associated with an increased likelihood of being a vegetarian as an adult.
Which one of these 13 Great Things About Going Vegetarian appeals to you the most? Finally, be sure to try some of these great SkinnyMs. Vegetarian Recipes and veg-out today! You might just like it.
