Do you have what it takes to be a vegetarian?


Kimberly Franco, Staff Writer

Becoming a vegetarian in a fast food world can be very difficult. In the city meat is all around us burgers here, hamburgers there, hot dogs and chicken everywhere. Why would someone pick veggies? When they can have meat, right? No meat for me please and for many reasons. I to once was a carnivore. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with meat eaters but do they associate meat with the animals behind them? Do they understand what excessive amounts of meat do to the body? Do they really know what’s going into their body’s?
I wasn’t born a vegetarian and those are some of the questions that I started to ask. I always loved animals and always wanted to become a vegetarian. However I am a Brazilian and we are famous for churrasco. Churrasco is a Portuguese term for grill meats severed rotisserie style. In a typical churrasco guest are served slices of fresh meat upon request. In layman’s terms it is an all you can eat barbecue buffet. I used to love churrasco.
How did I go from meat to veggies?
With all my trial and error it allowed me to come up with a better technique to become a vegetarian. At first I would try to cut-out meat completely. I went from carnivore to plant eater cold turkey and I never succeeded. So I came up with a new strategy. The first step to becoming a vegetarian was easing off the meat. Much like cigarettes, it’s best to let go little by little. The first thing I cut out was pork, than followed by red meat. The hard part was when I went from eating chicken everyday to only weekends. I was never much of a fish-eater so I could skip that step. However chicken was very difficult to give up. The most difficult part was cutting out chicken. The first month I would crave chicken. However I was devoted to this new life style.
I ended up going to restaurants telling myself that I was going to eat meat and give myself a break and as the waitress asked me what I wanted I found myself ordering veggies again and again. The more I did this the easier it became and eventually it just progressed into my lifestyle. However there were some hiccups, 3 months into being a vegetarian I took a break one day and ate a cheeseburger. The aroma filled the air  and I couldn’t resist. After the esting the cheeseburger, I felt sick and nauseous. The cheeseburger was heavy on my stomach. I fell asleep not to long after eating it as well. I believe just because a person ate one cheeseburger doesn’t change that there’re vegetarian. The only person they have to prove anything to is themselves. The point is to slowly making the decision to stop eating meat and if a person decide to eat meat once, it is completely up to them. A label, should not hold to anything. We define the labels and we decide what we are, and who we choose to be. More importantly it’s not about how many times a person fails but rather how many times they kept trying.
I learned that eating is to give energy and meat can slow someone down. My stomach had developed the habit of eating veggies and not meat. The stomach is a muscle and it can stretch. I also came across a few other roadblocks. At first I replaced meat with carbs. I would find myself stuffing my face with bread. However the point of being vegetarian is to eat vegetables.
I also learned about portion. I learn to choose better foods so that I can eat all day. Now when I’m hungry I eat! I have less fear about calories because the foods that I eat are very low in calories. My morning starts with one large glass of ice water with lemon, followed by a cup of green tea. I than eat oatmeal with chopped fruits and honey. I may have a handful or nuts as a snack. For lunch I’ll have baby spinach with mushrooms chopped peppers, onions, cucumbers and tomato sauce, I may add quinoa or whole wheat pasta. I’ll drink lots of water throughout the day and as I eat. For diner I might have a vegetable stir-fry served on a whole wheat tortilla served with beans and Avocado. The internet has been very helpful for coming up with healthy vegetarian meals. I find myself cooking more. I’m exploring with my taste buds, trying foods I may have never tried before. Being a vegetarian allows me to be more creative with my food and way more colorful.
I honestly haven’t lost so much weight while eating so much food in my life. I don’t feel hungry and when I do I eat or drink water.

Right now I’m working on cutting back on cheese to slowly go vegan but it’s not a race or a competition, I will do it at my own pace. I love where I’m at now and I’m getting better each day. I am slowly choosing better choices every day and it starts with better food in my life. If you want a quick fix then being vegetarian is not for you. But if you want to live longer feel better and work hard to achieve a goal then this is perfect. Nothing worth having is easy but the benefits will last forever. You’re not just helping your body, you’re also helping the planet and the animals. You’re choosing to eat foods that are actually living and come from the ground. Food that bacteria will eat and the bacteria in your stomach will eat as well. Food that doesn’t stay in the shelf for years. A fresh taste packed with vitamins in each bite. Being a vegetarian is not for the weak it’s for the strong-willed and loving. The question is do you have what it takes to be a vegetarian?