Becoming vegetarian

Around five years ago, I became a vegetarian, eating no meat or fish and only free range organic eggs and milk. Almost immediately, I noticed that my stomach troubles became easier- I lost the bloated feeling and was able to eat a meal without having to rush off and find the nearest loo!

I became a vegetarian for ethical and moral reasons, I realised that I don't have to eat animals to remain healthy and in some cases, I would probably be better off not eating animals. I have done a lot of reading over the last few years and realise that animals are often routinely given antibiotics and other chemicals to promote rapid growth and development, while keeping disease at bay. When we eat an animal, we ingest some of those chemicals. After reading a number of books on the subject, I have to wonder whether eating meat and animal products can make the use of antibiotics less effective and whether some cancers can be caused by eating meat which contains traces of drugs. I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject and have only read the same books as others, but the content certainly makes you wonder.

Although I don't know whether meat will have an impact on your health, I do know that in the last five years, I have had only two colds and rarely get sick at all. This could be down to the increased amount of fruit and vegetables which I have eaten, or it could be due to the healthier diet I now eat.

For anyone who is toying with the idea of becoming vegetarian, I am hoping to include some recipes in this blog during the coming weeks which may tempt you. It can be daunting initially, especially if you don't know anyone else who is vegetarian ( I found that people would question me and give me strange looks at first-almost as though I belonged in a freak show!). There's more vegetarian products available in the main supermarkets and you certainly save money by not eating meat and fish.

For those of you who are wondering whether I miss meat and fish, I can definitely say I don't miss any meat, but I do miss some fresh tuna, salmon or swordfish. Sadly, these are also farmed intensively, so I don't eat them.

If you are a vegetarian, please leave me a comment to let me know what your favourite dish is or whether you have noticed any benefits to not eating meat and fish.