I have always been an animal lover and ate meat very moderately throughout my younger life.  After watching a documentary about the hormones and the terrible conditions animals that are destined to kitchen tables live in, it wasn’t a hard to commit to a vegetarian lifestyle. 

Here is a brief preview of Food Inc., the documentary that made me make the transition.

The first couple months after committing were a little challenging because I loved grilling chicken, vegetables, and having BBQ’s.  I had to train my brain to be cognizant of saying no to meats.  It was very difficult at social events in the beginning, I felt the the pressures of my past favorite foods around me and everyone eating them.  Now my friends and family understand my lifestyle and always try to have vegetarian options available. 

I also had to learn a new way to cook.  Meals where I began to switch meat to alternatives, I often cooked two meals because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. 

I ended up watching a few YouTube videos about vegetarian cooking and ended up learning a lot.  I continue to enjoy the Hilah Cooking Channel on YouTube….check it out!

Becoming a vegetarian was a huge milestone in my life.  I began by slowly eliminating red meats, then chicken, then finally seafood until I didn’t even think about putting meat on my plate.  It was then, when I realized becoming a vegetarian isn’t something that changes over night, it is a full body transformation. 

My commitment to my health and my love for animals helped me reach my goal.  I felt physically great and emotionally well.  After a couple of months I could officially call myself a full blown vegetarian, I couldn’t have felt better.  I wouldn’t change it for the world, I love being a vegetarian!

It wasn’t hard for me to feel compassion for animals and decide to become a vegetarian.  Once I devoted myself to the change and began learning how to suppress my cravings and find alternatives for some of my past favorite foods, it was a breeze.

I knew I wanted to become a vegetarian, not only for myself but for the love of animals. 

I want to leave you with a statistic; according to peta.org, “by switching to a vegetarian diet, you can save more than 100 animals a year from this misery.” 

Go Green and Stay Keen,

Julie