In simple terms, a vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat or any kind of animal flesh. Someone who eats poultry or fish and says they are a vegetarian is sadly mistaken. Birds and fish are animals and someone who eats their flesh cannot be considered vegetarian, although it is a good first step toward venturing into a meatless lifestyle. But not all vegetarians are the same. Today vegetarians fall into three different categories. A Lacto-ovo Vegetarian is a person who decides to eat no meat, poultry or fish, but includes dairy products and eggs in the diet along with plant-based foods. A Lacto Vegetarian is someone who eats no meat or eggs but does eat dairy products. Then the

Vegetarianism is not new, and it is not a trend that will go out of style. Non-meat eaters themselves are probably unaware that the compassion craze actually dates back all the way to ancient Indian and Greek civilizations. “Pythagorus, born 580 BC, is given the credit as being the Father of Vegetarianism. Since the word vegetarian was not used until the late 19th century, vegetarians were previously known as Pythagoreans” (Vegetarian History Bytes). Pythagorus also had an influence on other philosophers such as Socrates and Plato who also decided upon the virtues of the meatless lifestyle. Another notable vegetarian was the painter, sculptor and inventor Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). “Da Vinci believed that using animals for clothing and food was brutal and showed a lack of mercy. Da Vinci also rejected the idea of using any animal products for food or clothing.” (Everything you need to know about being a vegetarian, pg.13) The playwright and great artist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is credited with the vegetarian movement that exists today. He turned away from meat when he was in his early twenties and stayed that way until he died at the ripe old age of ninety-four. In Western society in the 1960’s, vegetarianism became popular. With the people’s desire for the Vietnam War to end, the call for people to care for the environment and the world around us began. Health food stores and vegetarian restaurants began to pop up in some cities and college towns, as did communes, which developed in remote areas of the nation where idealistic youths could set up alternative communities; in other words, their own paradise. The word vegetarian, however, became associated with being a hippie or a crazy radical, or someone who would prance around naked high on marijuana or some other sort of drug singing the wonders of the earth and all its creatures. Obviously, this is a false and unfair stereotype, as vegetarians can be found in all shapes, sizes, races and creeds.

Soy protein is a great plant protein. Human studies in Boston have shown that nitrogen balance is sufficient whether the protein source is totally from meat, milk, egg, or soy protein. In the 1970’s tofu became popular as an “environmentally friendly” food alternative to beef. “The soybean is a legume, and one of the few plant foods that contain the proper balance of eight essential amino acids.”(Mindell 19) The Chinese call soy the meat without bones. It is low in fat as compared to most forms of meat, has no cholesterol, and may protect against cancer and heart disease.

Aside from the physical, mental and spiritual perks of turning away from meat let’s simply take a look at how many animals die each year due to factory farming. In 2001 alone over 9.8 billion animals were killed for food in the United States. This includes 41.6 million cows, 118 pigs, 8.9 billion “broiler” chickens, 450 million “laying” hens, 4.2 million sheep, 309 million turkeys, and 27.7 million ducks. Most men and women, vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians, find it hard to injure or kill animals. However, many people eat meat because of their lack of awareness of the process of meat production.

That is the business of using animals for food and meeting the high demand. Factory Farming is a fast and easy way of getting the “product” out. Factory Farming is cruel, but its profitability makes it very popular. The best way to stop factory farming is to stop eating meat, milk and eggs. But even meat eaters can do their part to help out. Buying locally-produced organic foods reduce the pollution caused by transporting food, and decrease the pesticides that pollute our water, while stopping the suffering of these innocent animals on “factory farms.” Adding more plant-based foods to one’s diet and consuming smaller portions of food in general, is better for the planet and one’s health.

There are also mental illnesses and dise

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