Becoming a vegetarian was for me something that took a lot of effort. It all started two summers ago in the city of Everett at Outback Steak House. We were welcomed in and sat down by a man with a fake Australian accent. After that unsettling experience I proceeded to order the bacon burger. After consumption I felt good about my decision…until I left the restaurant. Fast forward 24 hours later, and I’m going through the worst experience of food poisoning in my life. After three days without eating anything, I came to the realization that I never wanted that to happen to me ever again. After that day, I only ate beef one more time, on my seventeenth birthday. Over a six-month period I slowly started to remove meat from my diet beginning whit red meet and Pork. During this experience, I have had to find different ways to get protein into my diet. Such as beans, tree nuts, and spirulina (a high protein supplement).

 Over time I looked in to becoming a vegetarian and how the modern food system supports the massive amount of ridiculously inexpensive meat on our store shelves. One major reason meet is so cheep and readily available is the production of corn. The Government subsidizes the production of corn and makes it so even if the farmer doesn’t sell all of their corn, the government will buy it back. This creates a situation for the beef industry to be able to have an extremely cheap and constant supply of food as well as a multitude of other food industries. Cows stomachs are designed to digest grass; their digestives systems are not equipped to consume only corn. Because of this new diet, the majority of cows generate diseases and wreaked immune systems. The food system deals with this problem by giving cows antibiotics to try to keep the cow alive long enough to slaughter. Over 80% of antibiotics are feed to live stock (Rep. Louise Slaughter).  The corn and drug industries are huge moneymakers with drug industry profits exceeding 710 billion dollars in 2013. Without the production of meat there is no doubt the stock market would tumble.

Cows and livestock are massive polluters to the water air and the single largest contributor to heart disease, which is the number one killer in America. In 1996 the Centers for Disease Control established a link between spontaneous abortions and high nitrate levels in Indiana drinking water wells located close to feedlots (NRDC). There are hundreds of cases like that which never make the news and are pushed off.

After researching about the true price of cheap meet I Completely changed my eating habits, all because of a burger. After this huge change in my life I have lost 95 pounds all without spending a dime one weight loss programs or fitness DVD’s.  Truly, Becoming a vegetarian has been the greatest change I have ever made in my life and I have no desire to go back.