Monday, July 25, 2022

to veg or not to veg?

 Albert Einstein once said “ Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” The vegetarian/vegan lifestyle wasn't always a common option for people to choose. In today’s world, it has become much more commonplace and welcoming because of the various beneficial factors that are involved with it. Vegetarians have acquired a variety of different stereotypes over the years and many of these ideologies and narratives are false. The impact of animal agriculture has had a tremendous effect on our environment. All of the protein necessary for life can be acquired through plants, contrary to a popular misconception that the only way to receive the daily dietary needs for protein is through eating animals.  

There are many different reasons for one to become a vegetarian. Whether it be for the financial aspect, global preservation or for reasons of morality the vegetarian diet can benefit everyone. The main goal is to teach others that animal cruelty is wrong, and together as a whole we can change the environment just by eating green. One question at hand is does a vegetarian lifestyle really have an impact on the world? Are the nutritional benefits really as profound as some scientists and dieticians have claimed? 

All over the world people misinterpret what a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle may be. Vegetarians and Vegans are characterized to appear a certain way. All throughout life there are stereotypes and judgments made subconsciously and this applies to vegans as wells. However, stereotyping can be extremely negative because it’s important to be able to understand the world around us with clarity and without prejudice. For example some people believe vegetarians/vegans have a protein deficiency. This common misconception is false, there are many ways a vegetarian/vegan can get a blanched protein diet and still acquire all the nutrients required for a daily balance diet. It’s all about the balance and how one embraces complementary protein combinationsnThere are several long term effects of a vegetarian diet that are beneficial. The main causes of mortality in the US are diet affiliated. However, vegetarians and vegans have lower risk of many chronic diseases according to the Accend program. Which is also known as All Accreditation For Education In Nutrition And Dietetics. I have been a vegetarian since I was about 8 years old and love my diet and feel like in the long term it has many benefits with my health as well.



  Krpan, H. (2020). To veg or not to veg? The impact of framing on vegetarian food choice. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 67, 101391–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101391


4 comments:

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  4. Hi Shayla! I thought this post was very interesting because I personally believed some of those false claims about iron deficiency in vegans or vegetarians. However, my sister has been vegan for about 10 years and I found it really interesting to see what she is eating and how she is getting all the proper nutrients in her meals. She makes really delicious food without depriving herself of the proteins or other necessities.

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