Transitioning to A Vegetarian Lifestyle

According to VeggieCircle, there are four general reasons why people go vegetarian.

1. Health , those people who would like to become slim or more healthy.

2. Environment, it’s a fact that being vegetarian is the best way to contribute to Mother Earth.

3. Ethics/Morals , there are people who acknowledge that animals also feel the same way, just like you and I , they don’t want to get hurt. They feel pain.

4. Religion, some are obliged because meat eating is not allowed in their religion.

Personally speaking, the transitioning to a vegetarian lifestyle is much more of an environmentally-inclined choice for me. I want to help Mother Earth and, in my own little way, contribute how we could overcome the overwhelming effects of global warming and climate change. It's a decision. My point-of-view. No one can ever change that! Each day passes, my concern, not just with the environment but for my health and other animals, grew increasingly stronger. I've been an affiliate and a donor for "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals" and "World Wildlife Fund" believing in myself that, again, through this we can still help to be part of a big change that we all want for this planet and for our generations to come.

I salute all vegetarians out there who stood up for their own principles. Kudos!

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN?

Honestly, my first worry was getting enough protein as I could. Although I know that what i usually eat from plants everday have proteins on them still it's a concern for me since I am an active person and an ectomorph at the same time. It means I have fast metabolism which burns up calories very quickly which is why it's hard for me to gain weight (can be an advantage sometimes lols ). The key? It's a well-balanced education of the vegan foods that's all out there to consume.

It is very easy for a vegetarian diet to meet the recommendations for protein, as long as calorie intake is adequate. Strict protein combining is not necessary; it is more important to eat a varied diet throughout the day. How much protein do we need? The RDA recommends that we take in 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that we weigh (or about 0.36 grams of protein per pound that we weigh) 1. This recommendation includes a generous safety factor for most people. When we make a few adjustments to account for some plant proteins being digested somewhat differently from animal proteins and for the amino acid mix in some plant proteins, we arrive at a level of 1 gram of protein per kilogram body weight (0.45 grams of protein per pound that we weigh). Since vegetarians eat a variety of plant protein sources, somewhere between 0.8 and 1 gram of protein per kilogram would be a protein recommendation for vegans. If we do a few calculations we see that the protein recommendation for vegans amounts to close to 10% of calories coming from protein. (source: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm)Yet I say, we all have our own reasons? So what's yours? Are you feeling the inclination to try or attempt to be a vegetarian? Follow your heart... =)

Tips on how to succeed in becoming vegetarian.

1. Have a strong determination

2. Some people tend to give up becoming vegetarian because they are not determined.

3. It takes months, years to become vegetarian, so don’t rush. Take it real slow.

4. Survival 101 if you are in a military academy : Rice, Toyo, Peanuts, Dingdong, Nesvita.

5. Most people are allergic to Eggs and Seafoods, shifting to plant based diet is a better choice.

Vegetarian Athletes (www.vegetarianfighter.com)

From Left to Right: Carl Lewis (Olympic Gold Medalist), Mike Tyson (Champion Boxer), Carmelo Anthony (NBA Superstar), Hank Aaron (Baseball Legend), Joe Namath (NFL Legend)