I used to be a huge hypocrite when it came to eating meat. I am a raging animal lover and I recently became aware of the animal abuse occurring over seas in Asia.
The people of this culture believe that torturing animals and causing them pain before eating them will make them taste better (from what I've read), and this broke my heart. The Chinese have a celebration called the Yulin Festival where dogs are tortured, murdered and eaten.. but this is not the only event that occurs where dogs are abused. The Dog Meat Trade is a huge industry in numerous parts of Asia in the black market, and the Humane Society International is thankfully working hard to end these awful inhumane actions by participating in raids and offering training funds to officials to aid in the extraction and care of these animals.
I previously squawked on and on to my coworkers about how upset I was that these people in Asia were abusing then eating puppies and kitties and they then pointed out that I was a meat eater too. I ate chickens and cows which are slaughtered in order for me to receive protein. So what's the difference? THERE IS NONE!
After I realized what a meat-eating hypocrite I was being, I changed my diet for good. Lets talk about some of the benefits of eliminating animal meat from your diet.
Our Not-So Meaty History
I recently watched a Netflix show Forks over Knives that gave me a bit more insight into the history of meat which led to the conclusion that our ancestors were more gatherers than hunters. America has over popularized the need for protein from meat when we are able to get our protein from different sources like nuts, wheat, grains, or even dairy products like eggs.
Benefits of a Green Diet
I have now been on a pescatarian diet for about two months and I can see a huge difference in not only my physical appearance but how I feel internally. I feel less bloated, I feel less sluggish and have more energy, my skin is clear (excluding that one week out of the month) and I feel happier about saving the innocent lives of animals. If you are unsure on where to start your vegetarian diet, checkout these vegetarian friendly proteins to begin your new journey. These will get you in the right mind set to saving the baby cows and chickens. If that doesn't work, but you are interested in saving the poor little farm animals and bettering yourself mentally and physically, you should look into The Smart Girl's Guide to Going Vegetarian. This book written by Rachel Meltzer Warren is the reason I am continuing my transition to a green diet and I will one day cut out fish from my meal plan.
If you have been inspired to save the future of the environment but are not exactly sure how to make a vegetarian meal, scroll through these vegetarian recipes to get an idea of how to commit to a health conscious routine.
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