Why Become A Vegetarian?

There are many reasons that people become vegetarians. Some people become vegetarians for moral reasons such as, saving animals. Others go vegetarian to be healthier. Becoming vegetarian can…
•Lower your chances of getting heart disease:
Vegetarians have been shown to have a 24% lower risk of dying of heart disease than non-vegetarians. (Down to Earth). This is because non-vegetarians may eat red meat, which causes heart disease.
•Reduce Global Warming:
Live stock is one of the main distributors of greenhouse gases, by not eating meat you can help reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses.
•Humans are naturally vegetarians:
Humans have flat teeth that were made for grinding plants and grains, and not for ripping apart meat. Our hands are made perfectly to gather things not tear them apart. There is also an enzyme found in human saliva that is used to break apart the carbohydrates in plants , this enzyme is not found in carnivore's saliva. Also humans evolved from apes, which are vegetarian mammals.
•Live longer:
A study reviewed by the Electronic Plant Information Center at Oxford showed that vegetarians outlive non-vegetarians by approximately six years. It is not a good idea to go vegetarian as a diet because eating lettuce all day is not becoming a vegetarian it's starving your self. Teenagers who are vegetarian need to make sure they are eating enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates because they are in one of the most important stages of growth.


Reference:
1) "Top 10 Reasons for Going Veggie | Down to Earth." Down to Earth | ALL VEGETARIAN
Organic and Natural. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2011. <http://www.downtoearth.org/go-veggie/top-10-reasons>.
2) Matthews, Christopher. "Livestock a major threat to environment ." FAO: FAO Home.
N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2011. <http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/
index.html>.
3) Key, Timothy J. "Mortality in British vegetarians: review and preliminary results from EPIC-Oxford ." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2011. <http://www.ajcn.org/content/78/3/533S.full>.

Conclusion

If you plan on going vegie make sure you get enough macronutrients. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are very important for a growing teenager. Although being a vegetarian may be difficult at times, get creative! Instead of getting a double cheeseburger from McDonalds, walk to the next store and buy a organic garden burger. If you're going out to dinner and everyone is eating steak, get a hardy salad with soup instead. Just tell your self to stay strong and you will be able to pull it off.

If you do become a vegetarian, good luck!