Cutting down on meat.........
| By: Melanie
Mendelson,
(c)2004 |
Many people contemplate
becoming a vegetarian at one point
or another.
Some consider a meatless diet because they
feel
sorry for the animals. Others think a
vegetarian way of
eating will improve their
health.
However, out of those
well-intentioned people very few
actually
follow through and change their way of eating.
The
idea of completely giving up meat forms a
big stumbling
block for most.
For some
reason, when it comes to vegetarian cooking,
most
people only see the "extremist" approach:
either give up
meat completely or you might as
well include the meat in
every meal. This "all
or nothing" thinking becomes a mental
barrier
that keeps a lot of people from eating
more
vegetarian meals.
How about finding
a happy medium? Drastic changes to one's
diet
never last. Do not beat yourself up for eating
meat.
There is no need to give it up
completely. Just try eating
a little less of
it, that's all.
Start right now by making
one meatless dinner every week.
Keep everything
else the same. Eating just one
vegetarian
dinner every week is definitely
doable and easy. It will be
just a nice change
instead of deprivation!
If you think going
meatless one day a week would not make a
big
difference, consider these simple numbers: if
everyone
ate vegetarian meals just one day a
week, it would save one
out of seven animals.
Out of 92 million animals that are
consumed in
the United States alone every year, over
13
million animals would be spared. This is a
huge impact!
In addition to doing good for
our planet, you'll enjoy great
health benefits
by including more fruits and vegetables in
your
diet. Fruits and vegetables are rich in
vitamins,
nutrients, anti-oxidants and fiber -
all the things that are
good for us. They can
help with weight loss and prevent
diseases.
Numerous studies show that diets high in
fruits
and vegetables reduce the risks of
deadly diseases such as
cancer, heart attack
and stroke.
Also, by trying out new dishes,
you will break your food
routine and discover
new tasty recipes and food
combinations. It's
really nice to eat something different
once in
a while instead of being stuck in a food
rut.
This simple shift of mindset from "all
or nothing" to a
happy middle ground will do
wonders. Vegetarian eating does
not need to be
a full-time commitment, sacrifice and
strive
for unattainable perfection. Just do
what you can to eat a
little less meat, have
fun trying new vegetarian meals and
enjoy the
benefits.
------------------------------------------------------------
Melanie
Mendelson is the author of "Vegetarian Main Dishes
-
Yummy Recipes That Even Meat Eaters Will
Love". Visit her
website at http://www.vegetarian-recipes-cookbook.com
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