Transitioning to a Vegetarian Lifestyle

Living a vegetarian lifestyle is not only rewarding from an environmental aspect, but also for the benefits to your body and health. Some people are naturally born vegetarian. Either they were raised that way from birth or while growing up, through the influence of surrounding family and friends. But otherwise people transition into the life of a vegetarian at some point in their life.

As you transition into this new lifestyle, it can be common for people to misunderstand the reasons and the benefits, and they may very well question why you would want to eat this way. If you were not previously a vegetarian, at some point you too may also have thought that is was unusual for people to choose not to include meat into their meals! Keep this in mind when people question you about your lifestyle choice, and just explain to them as best you can why you made this decision for transition.

There are a number of reasons you may have chosen to become a vegetarian such as to lose weight, compassion for animals, save money or you’re just curious what it would be like to be a vegetarian. Whatever the reason is, it’s important that you know why you’re doing it and believe in it so you’re able to stick to your decision.

In the past, society was not quite as accepting of vegetarian and catering for this particular meal type. People who were not exposed to this philosophy found it hard to understand, and the meat industry did not assist with their increasing pressure to keep us addicted to meat to increase produce and sales – regardless of the impact this may or may not have on your health. Unfortunately the impact of this would be to turn people off from making the decision to become a vegetarian, or to question their choice of making this change.

I personally remember the limited options available at restaurants and functions. I found it frustrating going out with people to events, and having to eat when I got home as there was not enough at the event. However, the good news is that lately there are an increasing variety of vegetarian options available not only at events and functions, but also at your local supermarket. Even the freezer section of your supermarket typically has a section dedicated to vegan and vegetarian friendly foods. It is now exciting exploring the options available to cater for your meals at home.

People now are becoming more aware of the vegetarian way of life, and therefore now this culture is really starting to thrive. Vegetarianism is becoming widely accepted and the popularity is increasing. This is great news for a civilization that has been widely meat based for such a long time.

Making the decision to transition to vegetarianism can come more easily to some than others. If you have been eating a strong meat-based diet for a long period of your life, you may find the transition more difficult to someone who had a lighter meat-based diet. Do not despair! Rather than thinking of the meat-based food you are giving up, focus your attention to the health benefits you will experience. Over time you will start to feel lighter, more energetic and with a clearer mind. As you experience these positive changes – celebrate! You are rewarding your body with good nutrition and an increased quality of life. Focus on this positively as you work towards transitioning to a life of a vegetarian.