Last March, as many parts of the world entered quarantine for COVID-19, I scrolled through Netflix aimlessly, trying to find a show or movie to pass the endless amount of time I had in my home. I had just finished binging Tiger King and decided I might need something a bit educational after the purely entertaining experience of indulging in the dramatics of Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin. I have always been interested in health and nutrition, so I decided to watch some documentaries about plant-based diets such as Cowspiracy and The Game Changers.
These documentaries shocked me. I had never given much thought to being a vegetarian or vegan, as I saw it as something that would be too challenging. However, after watching these films, the benefits were very clear, and I was ready for the challenge.
The Global Burden of Disease Study, which is the largest study of disease risk factors in history, came to the conclusion that the main cause of premature death and disability in the United States is the standard American diet.
Not only were the health concerns with meat important to me, the overwhelming environmental impacts of the meat and dairy industry shocked me. Did you know that livestock and their byproducts account for 51% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions? Yeah, me neither. Or that the water used for animal agriculture can range from 34-76 trillion gallons annually? That’s roughly 80-90% of the United States’ water consumption.
Before learning about plant-based protein options, I was concerned I would not be getting enough protein in my diet. However, the information in these documentaries and articles I read online eased this anxiety, so I decided to give it a shot.
From that point on, I completely cut meat and fish out of my diet. I started eating more fruits, vegetables, and grains. In quarantine, I made a lot of fully plant-based meals. It was easy to cut out dairy almost entirely. However, I am from Wisconsin (and a total cheese head), so I missed eating cheese dearly and incorporated it back into my diet.
I have been vegetarian ever since I made the initial switch and have never felt better! Not only do I feel stronger and even look leaner, I feel much better on the inside too. I didn’t even realize that so many of my digestive pain came from eating meat! Do I ever miss meat? Honestly, I will think about it from time to time, but comparing how good I feel eating mostly plant-based meals to how I used to feel eating meat consistently, I could never make the switch back.
To anyone considering a vegetarian or plant-based diet, I would say, try it! The health and environmental benefits and my personal experience with it are extremely positive.