by Kathryn Lavallee

Created on: January 25, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Becoming a vegetarian is not a decision to be made in a day. Like any major life changing decision, you should give careful thought to the pros and cons of a meatless diet before making your choice.

Giving up meat is often not easy. If you feel morally against eating meat, yet love the taste, there are certain options open to you. Try veggie meat for your favorite recipes. Yves Veggie Ground Round is a ground beef substitute which can be used for anything from chili to lasagna. Numerous chicken and sandwich meat substitutes are also available. If you cannot adjust to the taste of these "fake" meats, vegetarianism is probably not your best option. Look into purchasing free range chicken and eggs, and organic beef instead. The living conditions provided to animals raised on such farms far surpass those of the average cow or chicken.

If you don't have a major moral objection, but just aren't especially fond of meat, you may very well enjoy a vegetarian lifestyle. Often people who don't much care for meat continue occasionally eating it, while making no other changes in their lives. Becoming a full vegetarian requires education and information about what nutrients your body needs. One of the most major concerns about becoming a vegetarian is not getting enough protein. However, if you know this going in, you tend to make sure you have adequate protein with every meal, which actually puts you in a better position than you were as a reluctant meat eater.

Health wise, there is nothing better you can do for yourself than to stop eating meat. The antibiotics given to animals intended for consumption can cause antibiotic immunity in humans. Animal fat is hard for humans to digest and can cause high blood pressure and cholesterol problems. In fact, animal fat is one of the highest sources of trans fat, the most destructive fat you can eat because it cannot be digested at all. And the work your body puts into digesting meat weakens the immune system.

According to some biologists, humans were not designed to eat meat. Like the plant eaters, we have flat teeth for grinding tough plant foods, not the razor sharp teeth of a meat eater, needed for ripping into raw flesh. Carnivores have intestines that are five times the length of their body, so that meat wastes are quickly ejected before they begin to rot. Humans, like the plant eaters, have intestines that are 15 to 20 times the length of the body, so that tough plant fibers can be broken up and valuable nutrients absorbed by the body. Thus, when a human eats meat, the meat wastes begin to decompose within the body, poisoning the body from the inside out.

Giving up meat for health reasons can be one of the biggest challenges for the average individual. Often, your doctor is making the decision more than you are. You may still be successful, as long as you plan ahead. If you're the adventuresome type, investigate different ethnic vegetarian meals you may not have tried before. If you tend to stick to the "tried and true," make sure you take the time to convert one or two of your favorite recipes into vegetarian alternatives. If even advance planning cannot take away your desire for meat, make sure any meat you have is a lean cut with no visible fat and, if possible, organic.

Not eating meat is not the end of the world, but it does require a basic understanding of nutrition and your body. If you do not examine the substances your body may lack as a result of your new diet, you will be setting yourself up to fail. Make sure every meal is a balance of protein, carbohydrates, unsaturated fat, vitamins and minerals. When you take care of a meal's nutritional requirements, you'll see just how delicious eating vegetarian can be!

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