Vegetarianism is a choice people make for various reasons. Be it for a healthier lifestyle, religious purposes, to live longer, or to reduce pollution and help save the planet, there are many different motives. With that being said, World Meat Free day passed this week, but how many of us were actually aware that this worldwide day was taking place? Your guess is as good as mine. The purpose of WMF day is to encourage everyone around the globe to give up meat for just one day and become more aware of how certain diets affect the world we live in.
But why go meat-free for just a day, why not opt for a vegetarian lifestyle forever? Like most meat-eaters, it will probably be a tough and life-changing decision to completely cut meat out from your diet altogether, and that’s fine. There are many ways to modify your eating habits in a way that can simply substitute certain meats for plant-based foods, to serve as one example.
With that being said, here are 3 reasons why you should at least consider vegetarianism:
Keeps you healthy
Through scientific research, it has been validated that vegetarians intake a lot less saturated fat and have lower cholesterol compared to meat eaters, particularly those who enjoy their red meats. This also means that the health benefits of a meat-free diet reduces the chances of diseases, cancers, heart problems and high blood pressure, as 70 percent of these illnesses are down to nutrition and rich foods. Although an abundance of research has been conducted, that is not to say that a vegetarian diet influences long-term health, however it certainly does decrease the likelihood for chronic degenerative diseases, as well as obesity and lower body mass index (BMI) which are all relative to contracting the risk of illnesses.
Discover new places
After a while, eating out can become boring. I mean, how many times can you visit your local Chinese or Indian take-away? Opting to eat vegetarian cuisine will open up a unique variety of places to visit and experience new dining and foods to try. One example is The Gate Restaurant, one of London’s finest vegetarian places to eat and ranked in the top 25 vegetarian restaurants in the world. “Avoiding all clichés of vegetarian eating” according to a judge from the London Restaurant Festival Awards, and priding itself solely on the quality of its food and service, you can find a variety of delicious wild foods personally attained by the restaurant’s chefs. “From something that started as a blind ambition, I’m constantly checking the quality of food being served. This place is all about delivering great food and experiencing great service,” proud owner Michael Daniel says.
Live a longer life
According to residents living in Okinawa, Japan, their secret to living a long life is fibre-rich fruits and vegs, unrefined complex carbs and a low-calorie diet, making them some of the longest living people worldwide according to a 30-year study. “People who consume saturated, four-legged fat have a shorter life span and more disability at the end of their lives. Animal products clog your arteries, zap your energy and slow down your immune system,” says Michael F. Roizen, MD, author of The Real Age Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat. Although red meat consumption has been linked to a high mortality rate, it’s not to say that other factors don’t also influence this. For example, you could lead a vegetarian lifestyle of fries, fizzy drinks and chocolate, but there is no health benefit to this diet. The consumption of plant-based foods is vital in reducing mortality, as well as portion control and regular physical activity.
These are just a few ways vegetarianism can influence your lifestyle and health in a positive way. So, if you’re looking to live longer, reduce your risk of illness and explore new foods, it’s never too late to change the way you eat.
Sources:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/why-go-veg-learn-about-becoming-a-vegetarian/
http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian
http://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/7-reasons-vegetarians-live-longer
