Vegetarian...Definitely

Today marks a year since I became a vegetarian, and it's been such a positive change in my life that I thought it merited a post.

I hardly ever get headaches anymore.

I have more energy.

I feel better.

I've become more aware of issues surrounding the treatment of animals, and that awareness has led to more compassion and a greater sense of responsibility as a Christian to care for God's creatures and the planet he gave us.

I've only gotten sick once all year, and that was a mild little cold that only lasted a day or two. (I deal with sick children all the time since I'm a teacher, and not catching all the colds and flus has been fantastic! I used to get sick pretty frequently.)

I've lost weight (if you want to know how much, you can ask me), even though I have less time for exercise now than I used to.

I've learned a lot about nutrition.

And of course, I think vegetarian/vegan food is really delicious.

I actually eat an almost-vegan diet, since I'm lactose intolerant, and I've never liked dairy or eggs anyway. I do think that choosing to be vegan is a really admirable thing, but it takes such a high level of commitment to keep to that kind of diet when you're out at a restaurant or at a friend's. I avoid animal products when I'm cooking for myself at home, but I haven't made the leap to real veganism, although maybe someday I will.

I realize vegetarianism isn't for everyone. My Dad, for example, now adheres to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for health reasons, and has never felt better. He eats meat but can't eat grains, and rarely eats fruit. So I'm not trying to claim that it's the best for everyone, or that it will work miracles for you like it has for me (although it might).

But I'm a happier, healthier person than I was a year ago, and I think that kind of lifestyle change is worth mentioning.