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Some people think it is impossible to live without eating meat. They think there would be nothing they can enjoy eating, or they would be unhealthy, or perhaps they think life would just be ÒplainÓ and ÒboringÓ. I am 19 years old and I have never eaten meat. I am extremely healthy. I hardly ever get sick, and I hold records in high school cross-country running. My life has always been interesting and exciting. And most of all, I am still very aliveJ. Both my parents are vegetarians, and ever since I can remember, people have asked me, ÒDonÕt you ever want to eat meat?Ó The truth is, I have never thought of eating meat, primarily because it never existed in our house. I never ate meat at restaurants, parties, or school. Meat was never a part of my life. When I was young, I never thought about why we didnÕt eat meat, so when I was asked the ÒWhy donÕt you eat meatÓ question, I simply answered, ÒMy Mom and Dad donÕt, so I donÕt.Ó As I grew older, in addition to why I didnÕt eat meat, people started tried persuade me to eat meat. They started telling me that I should. Then, when I was 18, I started to wonder why my parents chose not to eat meat. I wanted more than just an answer to the question; I wanted to be able to push back when they told me that I should eat meat. Now, after doing a bit of research on vegetarianism, I not only understand why my parents are vegetarians, I know why I am. Today, more and more people are adopting a vegetarian life style and itÕs definitely not just to loose weight. Vegetarianism is much deeper than that: it is kinder to our planet earth, helps reduce global hunger prevents the cruel abuse of animals, and it is also extremely healthy. HEALTH REASONS A common criticism of vegetarians is that they donÕt get enough nutrients, including protein, calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc, which are all easily acquired by eating meat, eggs and dairy products. Despite what is said, a large number of people adopt a vegetarian diet particularly because of its health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol and reducing the chance of heart attacks. If a vegetarian diet is lacking so many of the important nutrients needed to sustain good health, why are more and more people converting to a vegetarian diet primarily for the health benefits? According to Murphy Dee (2002) in ÒThe Great American Meat Out,Ó Ò[r]ecent research proves that vegetarians can meet their protein needs by eating a variety of foods each day.Ó Unfortunately, people seem to be stuck on the old ideas. Getting enough protein, calcium, and vitamins without eating meat and/dairy products is easier than some may think. One does not necessarily need to drink special protein shakes, or eat only fruit and raw vegetables. A USA Today Magazine article, titled ÒVegans lack sufficient calcium,Ó says, ÒThe amount of calcium in vegetables is very low compared to dairy products,Ó which is why ÒvegansÓ who give up dairy products, she adds, Òwould need to eat as many as 20 servings of broccoli each day to get enough of the nutrientÓ (Òvegan diets lack sufficient calcium,Ó 2001).
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