3 Reasons I went Veg.

This is something I just sent to MSNBC, and thought I'd share it with you all. I'll let you know if they post it. =)

I have been a vegetarian, on and off for 10 years, and most recently a strict vegetarian, almost vegan for the past 6 months. The desire for me to eat meat is just not there anymore. I have noticed it wane more and more as I have stuck with my lifestyle now since February.
I can't say it was one thing that prompted me to go Veg, it was 3 actually, and I felt morally obligated to stop eating meat, once and for all.
If you know anything about me, you know that I'm a sort of health fanatic, and nutrition and living vibrantly is very important to me. After reading John Robbins book, The Food Revolution, it was all very clear to me why meat really ain't so hot.

1. Health- Meat is really a toxic substance to our bodies. The synergistic chain of events that transpire in our bodies after eating a meal of dead, cooked, animal muscle, is hardly something I would want going on in my digestive tract.
Read and research on the toxicity of meat, the horrible farming practices of factory farms, how there's always animal fecal residue in or on all processed meat products, and I could go on. Not to mention the high levels of homocystine, fat, and cholesterol in meat. That turned me off in a big way as well. So, health reasons were at the top of my list for going Vegetarian.

2.Animal Welfare- As I mentioned above, the animal cruelty that takes place on typical factory farms is deplorable. It's really a waste dump with animals living in squalor, feces, urine, vomit, dead carcasses, darkness, and overcrowding. It does sound like Hell kind of, eh? I cannot consume or take part in that kind of environment with good conscience and I can't ignore the facts that it's happening. I can't pretend that I don't know anymore, because I do know, and I am not a willing participant in hypocrisy.

3.Environment- I learned that animal factory farming is responsible for more green-house gas emissions than all the vehicles on the roads, in all of the world. This astounded me.
Farmed animals by the billions are being raised inhumanely and without regard, just so we can kill them, cook them and eat their muscles and flesh, whilst dually being responsible for a HUGE portion of the warming up our planet to a situation so dire, we're looking at a global climate change that could be an end to our civilization as we know it. Well, that did it. The proverbial last straw if you will.

I could no longer face the fact that I was harming my body, participating in the killing of innocent lives, and destroying my planet, all for the sake of shoving something down my throat that I thought tasted good (which, by the way I no longer think. Actually the smell of meat now turns my stomach sour).

I have discovered the joys of eating a plant-based diet, and I haven't looked back! There are so many enjoyable foods to be had, all without being cruel to you, your animal neighbors or the planet.
Vegetarianism has really never been easier than it is today. Choices are insurmountable, and at the end of the day, you truly feel better, look better, and know inside that you are doing the right thing.

I think within every meat eater is a voice of reason, which they ignore or rationalize or just keep silent all of the time. I believe they know the truth, and yes the truth CAN set you free. But, it has yet to free them from the chains of years of the habit of eating animal flesh.

I believe eating habits are something you can learn and re-learn. Making choices for yourself, your health, and the environment is a personal thing, and I believe more and more people are waking up,smelling the bacon, and not liking it any longer. -JJM