Several factors influenced my decision to stop eating meat. Environmentally it is better to eat plants than meats. The majority of grain grown in the US is grown for animal feed. It takes somewhere around 1000lbs of feed to make one pound of meat. That thousand pounds of feed could go towards feeding people. Also, grain would require less transportation if it went straight to market as opposed to feeding animals which are then shipped to the slaughterhouse then shipped to market. Large feed lots contaminate soil and water. It is no different than very crowded cities without proper sanitation and sewage systems.

Health reasons also influenced my decision. By eating a diet based on whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits with no animal fats or proteins my body will be more resistant to cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease and type II diabetes. By not eating meat I'm less likely to contract e coli and other meat borne bacteria. I've suffered from far less colds and fevers since becoming veggie and rarely have GI issues.

The only supplements I take are vitamin C, B, and iron. These supplements are recommended for most women veggie or not.

It is not hard to eat out with family and friends, they respect my dietary choices just as I respect their choice to continue eating meat. Most restaurants have veggie choices of some type and you can often have various dishes made without meat upon request. I prefer to eat in ethnic restaurants where it is even easier to have veggie choices. I also enjoy cooking and make it a point to cook delicious food for my family so they realize I'm not missing out by not eating meat and to open their eyes to healthy meat free food.

What drives my passion? The thought that I can have less impact on the environment and lead a healthy long life through a simple dietary choice.