The past year has been a year of increased personal awareness of issues surrounding health and the environment. I have taken the time to do research surrounding these areas as they have started to make their way into mainstream culture. As a result, I have found myself refining how I live my day-to-day life. It is no secret that our culture emphasizes a very wasteful way of living that can be harmful on both an individual and a worldwide level. One step that I have taken to improve my own contribution to this issue is cutting out meat and transitioning to a pescatarian lifestyle (pescatarians still eat seafood, unlike vegetarians). If you have also considered changing your lifestyle, take this as a sign to do so.
The first factor motivating my decision has been the current attention being given to the connection between the agricultural industry and its impact on the environment. In light of this media coverage surrounding climate change and our Earth’s dire circumstances, many people have become aware of the consequences of animal agriculture on the environment. I have never eaten a lot of meat, but when I learned about these environmental consequences, I was pushed to cut it out for good. For instance, one highly-cited environmental concern stemming from the agricultural industry is the production of soy; growing this crop has caused great deforestation throughout regions in Central and South America. While this crop is typically associated with meat-alternatives such as tofu, in reality, only approximately 6% of the world’s soy is eaten by humans with the rest of it used for livestock feed. This means that choosing animal products may contribute more to this environmental concern than meat alternatives, even ones including soy.
An equally important component of this is the impact meat consumption has on one’s physical health. This aspect came into focus for me when someone on Instagram recommended the documentary The Game Changers. The film follows a former UFC fighter in recovery as he unravels the nuances of meat consumption versus a plant-based diet. He essentially discovers that it is possible to eat a vegan diet and remain a top-tier athlete, whether you’re an Olympic cyclist or a bodybuilder. This documentary debunks the popular myth that animal protein is required to build muscle; it is very informative, and I felt much more educated on this topic after watching. Essentially, cutting meat from your diet doesn’t mean you are going to lose progress as an athlete or lack essential vitamins, as some have claimed. Moreover, red meat and processed meat have both been classified as carcinogens, meaning any progress towards cutting down their consumption will improve your long-term health. The personal health factor of a plant-based diet was certainly the primary component that motivated me to make the transition, and it is also what holds me accountable on days when I still find myself craving McDonald’s.
I firmly believe that awareness is the first step to change. Whether you’re ready to make the leap to a vegetarian lifestyle, you’re starting by cutting red meat out, or even if you’re still doing research and you don’t feel ready to make any dietary changes yet, any step towards greater education on the topic is a positive action! I am interested to see how my personal journey with food continues to adapt and evolve as I do more research on living a plant-based lifestyle.