What It Means to Be & The Benefits of Being a Vegetarian

Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular and teens all over the place are declaring their refusal to eat meat, for many different reasons. There are many different types of vegetarianism, and before choosing to completely drop meat from your diet, you should be informed about what kind of vegetarian you plan on becoming.

A few of the different types of vegetarianism are. . .

• Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: is someone who eats dairy products (butter, cheese) as well as eggs and of course, all plant based foods (veggies, fruits, grains, etc.), but refrains from animal meat.
• Lacto Vegetarian: is someone who eats dairy products and plant based products but they do not eat eggs or animal meat.
• Ovo Vegetarian: is someone who eats eggs but they do not eat dairy products or animal meat.
• Vegan: is someone who does not eat any dairy products, animal meat, or eggs -- no animal products, only plant based foods.
• Pescatarian: someone who does not eat any meat or animal product other than fish and seafood  -- they also eat dairy products and eggs.

If executed properly, vegetarianism can be a extremely healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. There are many reasons why people choose to become vegetarians.
 
People often become vegetarians for...

•Health reasons - excessive meat eating has been linked to cancer and multiple illnesses, also meat is frequently pumped up with many steroids and chemicals while the animal is still living and when you eat that meat, you're ingesting all the poisons put into that poor animal. Vegetarians usually have fewer weight issues, lower rates of cancer and live longer. The Ornish diet (low fat vegetarian) has been proved to possibly reverse heart disease. Further health benefits include lower risk of lung and colorectal cnacer, prevention of type 2 diabetes, healthy skin (less acne), increased energy, lower blood pressure, improved digestion, healthy amino acids, lower risk of cancer, longer life span, appreciation of simple flavors, etc.
•Environmental reasons- meat production destroys endangered rain forests and produces carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide which cause and contribute greatly to global warming. 2 pounds of beef produces more greenhouse-gas emissions than driving a car for three hours does. Half of all the water in the US is used to raise livestock. Meat production creates about half of the worlds pollution.



 •Ethical reasons - The meat industry wants to make their products as quickly, cheaply, and take up the least amount of space that they possibly can. This results in abusive cruelty to the animals that are being farmed for our food. Animals are kept in small, cramped, and uncomfortable cages for their entire lives. Animals are killed quickly and often in painful and inhumane ways. They are also dismembered and mutilated so that they take up less space (dehorning, debeaking). Animals are genetically altered with damaging drugs that make them grow faster.

Here's a video showing animal cruelty in slaughter houses, it's an excerpt from a movie called Meet Your Meat.

Sources: http://teenhealth.about.com/od/fitnessandnutrition/a/vegetarian.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/405912/17_benefits_of_being_a_vegetarian.html?cat=5
http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutrition/veggieteens.html