I’ve been vegetarian for 2 years next month. People often ask me why I chose to become a vegetarian, and I have to tell them that there are a variety of reasons. Some people choose to become vegetarian because they feel an affinity towards other animals and believe in the ethical treatment of animals. Others choose to because they just don’t like the taste of meat. As for myself, I came to the conclusion that as someone who wants to give back to the planet, and society, it was a reasonable choice to make, and one that would not only give back to my planet, but also benefit my own health. Whilst the implications of eating meat can be quite serious for the planet and for issues such as food shortages, it can also contribute to a lot of health problems, such as heart disease, colon and bowel cancer, cholesterol problems, etc. Whilst it may take me more effort to look after my health such as ensuring I eat enough vegetable proteins and getting my fill of iron (luckily I love mushrooms!), the choice is one I’ve chosen to stand by and follow quite strictly. Yes, I am vegetarian, and yes, that means I don’t eat any meat, and no fish either.

If ever there was a book that would encourage this stance on food, it is Eating Animals, by Jonathon Safran Foer. If you believe in the ethical treatment of animals, if you worry about the methods of producing so much meat on the environment, this is an enlightening book. It is truly disturbing to read about the treatment of the animals at the so called factory farms, and the amount of waste produced by mass overfishing of the oceans, especially when you think that some of these animals never make it to or leave the supermarket shelves. Probably the most notable vegetarian, Mahatma Ghandi, was a huge influence in my decision to become vegetarian. His views on living a peaceful existence and the acceptance for violence that is taught to us even from childhood through the eating of meat, really made me think about whether or not I need to be a meat eater. As someone who believes in doing whatever I can to make a difference in this world, no matter how small, I took this challenge, and my, has it ever been a challenge.