The Health Benefits of Being a Vegetarian

There have been countless studies done to compare the overall health of vegetarians vs. meat-eaters. These studies have repeatedly found that the vegetarian diet yields a lower number of coronary artery disease, gallstones, cancer (particularly lung and colon cancer), kidney stones, colon disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. And if that doesn't mean much to you, then get this: Vegetarian diets can actually cure these diseases.

with that said, I've been a vegetarian for almost 4 years now, and I can't tell you how beneficial it has been for my body, mind and overall well-being. More often than not, people choose to cut meat out of their diet as a protest for animal rights. If that's your main reason, I say all the power to you! But did you know that being a vegetarian has other benefits as well? Check out these benefits of being a herbivore!

weight loss

When I cut the meat from my diet I lost a noticeable amount of weight in a few weeks. I realized that my main source of meat intake was from fast food. Since maintaining a non-meat diet I have avoided fast food almost completely. There simply isn't anything for me to eat!

In addition, the amount of fat and calories in a single serving is quite astonishing. The real problem is the fact that most people eat more than a serving and take in way more than what they are supposed to.

low cholesterol

You can decrease your level of cholesterol by .5 mmol/l just by avoiding meat. Lower cholesterol reduces your chances of suffering from a heart attack. Did you know that if you eat, say 2 hamburgers, right before your blood is drawn there will actually be a layer of visible fat in the container your blood is in? Yikes!

inexpensive

Many people think that begin a vegetarian is expensive but this is simply not true. It's actually much cheaper, so long as you do it right. What's the right way, you ask? Avoid packaged foods and purchase mostly fresh produce. Produce is quite cheap, is plentiful and also offers a lot of variety.

longer life expectancy

This is one of the most popular reasons why people become vegetarians. But in case you haven't heard, vegetarians (on average) live longer than those who consume meat on a regular basis. This is probably a result of vegetarians being much more healthy than carnivores in general. In fact, it is not uncommon for doctors to prescribe a vegetarian diet to patients suffering with any of the following: obesity, osteoporosis, arthritis, allergies, asthma, environmental illness, hypertension, gout, gallstones, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, ulcers, colitis, premenstrual syndrome, anxiety, and depression.

*It must be said that these benefits are true only for those vegetarians who have a healthy and wholesome diet. You can obviously be vegetarian and only eat potato chips, but that's not going to do your body any good. A good vegetarian consumes a generous amount of whole grains, nuts, raw produce and legumes.