Why I'm a Vegetarian

I love animals. That's why I'm a vegetarian. Simple as that. About six or seven years ago my love for animals was becoming so overwhelming that I was finding it harder and harder to eat meat. Tommie felt the same way, so we decided to try eating meat-free meals a couple times a week. Over time we realized that we really preferred those meat-free meals.

At the same time, I was extremely ill with recurring digestive problems that years later were determined to be symptoms from a tumor on my pancreas. By the end of the summer of 2005 (I believe it was) we decided to stop eating all meat. I did so with one caveat though. I was so sick, that I couldn't bare the thought of feeling worse, so I decided to become a vegetarian as long as it didn't make me more ill. My exact words were, "I'll switch to being a full-time vegetarian so long as I can do so and still be healthy." (Emphasis now shows the irony of that word, since I was sick as a dog back then.)

Here I am five and a half years later, and I haven't once questioned my decision. As you can see from the food I'm eating from this blog, I'm enjoying a rainbow of delicious foods that are fueling my body to be stronger than I  have ever been in my life. Without medical intervention my immune system is strong enough now to fight the cancer on its own, and I am sure that it is my whole foods, plant-based diet in conjunction with exercise, that is making me so strong.

Most of my friends eat meat. Most Americans eat meat. Many of my friends are overweight and unhealthy, and something like one third of all Americans are the same. I know that I'm not going to change the world, and I'm not going to change the minds of my friends, but here's some food for thought:

If you could eat delicious food that makes you feel and look amazing and can help you reduce many of the medicines you need to take, while at the same time save the lives of helpless animals, wouldn't you want to do this? Would you consider at least trying this?

I'll help if you want to give it a try. Your body, your taste buds, and countless animals will thank you.