For the whole month of April I decided to become a vegetarian! It was an idea that arose from a speech I heard in one of my modules at university. The module was called Consecutive Interpreting, and it consisted of giving speeches and then interpreting them back to the class. The speech itself could be about absolutely anything that intrigued us; mine varied from why Leonardo DiCaprio had to win an Oscar to why it was important to save the polar bears. But the vegetarian speech I listened to really made an impact.
First of all, I'm a huge animal lover and so to hear about the way animals are treated really makes me mad. However, I must admit that this never really stopped me from eating meat before, as I do love meat and can never have a sandwich without any ham in it. But, the speech really made me reconsider.
So, I made a calendar for the month of April and encouraged my family to write comments on it to encourage me. Each day that I went without eating any meat, I crossed it out. I'm proud to say that the whole month was filled with crosses.
When April began however, I really dreaded the thought of cutting meat out completely. The first couple of days weren't too hard though, as I have gone days without eating meat before so they weren't too bad. But, by the sixth day, when my mum decided to make steak for dinner, I really was tempted to break my vegetarianism and have some as the entire house smelt of it; but I did not succumb to the cravings. I stuck to my tuna steak -which was absolutely delicious- and carried on.
I learnt that there are many benefits from becoming a vegetarian. These are:
1) Animal Welfare
If more people decide to stop eating meat, then the demand for it will decrease. Some farming methods are absolutely inhumane, and animals are usually confined in tiny cages for their entire life.
2) Environmental Issues
Eating meat and dairy products contribute to global warming. If you simply cut out the meat from your diet for one day a week for a whole year, it could save about a ton of water.
3) Weight Loss
It's true! Not only because you're eating more vegetables, but cutting red meat out from your diet helps you lose weight.
4) Health
There are studies that report that red meat can increase the risk of cancer. Meat that is bought from supermarkets isn't 100% fresh. The animals raised in factories are given various chemicals and growth-promoting hormones in order to respond to the high demand and so the meat we eat isn't pure.
However, these are only a few benefits mentioned in the speech that struck in my head along with a few others that I researched myself. But there are many other reasons why going vegetarian is a good thing.
I only went vegetarian for a month, but the experience has made me more aware of the food I eat and the products I buy. I actually don't eat as much meat as I used to, and in fact, I have opted for the vegetarian option when out in restaurants.
I'm going to try going dairy-free next time!
I'd love to find out if you guys would ever consider going vegetarian? Maybe you're vegetarian already; what made you switch?
Until next time!
LAILA
First of all, I'm a huge animal lover and so to hear about the way animals are treated really makes me mad. However, I must admit that this never really stopped me from eating meat before, as I do love meat and can never have a sandwich without any ham in it. But, the speech really made me reconsider.
So, I made a calendar for the month of April and encouraged my family to write comments on it to encourage me. Each day that I went without eating any meat, I crossed it out. I'm proud to say that the whole month was filled with crosses.
When April began however, I really dreaded the thought of cutting meat out completely. The first couple of days weren't too hard though, as I have gone days without eating meat before so they weren't too bad. But, by the sixth day, when my mum decided to make steak for dinner, I really was tempted to break my vegetarianism and have some as the entire house smelt of it; but I did not succumb to the cravings. I stuck to my tuna steak -which was absolutely delicious- and carried on.
I learnt that there are many benefits from becoming a vegetarian. These are:
1) Animal Welfare
If more people decide to stop eating meat, then the demand for it will decrease. Some farming methods are absolutely inhumane, and animals are usually confined in tiny cages for their entire life.
2) Environmental Issues
Eating meat and dairy products contribute to global warming. If you simply cut out the meat from your diet for one day a week for a whole year, it could save about a ton of water.
3) Weight Loss
It's true! Not only because you're eating more vegetables, but cutting red meat out from your diet helps you lose weight.
4) Health
There are studies that report that red meat can increase the risk of cancer. Meat that is bought from supermarkets isn't 100% fresh. The animals raised in factories are given various chemicals and growth-promoting hormones in order to respond to the high demand and so the meat we eat isn't pure.
However, these are only a few benefits mentioned in the speech that struck in my head along with a few others that I researched myself. But there are many other reasons why going vegetarian is a good thing.
I only went vegetarian for a month, but the experience has made me more aware of the food I eat and the products I buy. I actually don't eat as much meat as I used to, and in fact, I have opted for the vegetarian option when out in restaurants.
I'm going to try going dairy-free next time!
I'd love to find out if you guys would ever consider going vegetarian? Maybe you're vegetarian already; what made you switch?
Until next time!
LAILA
