The Importance Of Eating Meat

Sitting at my lunch table in my sophomore of high school, I looked at my chicken sandwich and truly questioned what exactly existed inside the deliciousness between the two slices of bread. I thought about the life form that this meal came from, and I began to consider my habits of eating meat in my daily life. Learning about the animal industry, I have started a journey of discovery of the world around me. Being a vegetarian is possibly the most life-changing characteristic about myself-- since this point, I have made dramatic changes in the way I live my life that have affected my overall views of the world and of humankind.

Ever since I was born, my parents instilled in me a compassionate heart towards the lives of animals. I grew up having

I was never a huge fan of meat growing up; I rarely ate red meats and I only really liked to eat chicken. After that day of high school when the thought crossed my mind, I went home and began to research everything I could on giving up meat from my diet. I learned about the meat industry and what eating meat does to the human body. At first, I believe I was only motivated by my sympathy for the animals. A part of my brain could not wrap my head around the fact that such cute animals were being killed for my benefit; however, the fact of how cute animals are could not have fueled my passion for years to come. Remaining with my vegetarian diet for the rest of high school and still doing it today, I have come far in my knowledge of the meat industry to supplement my endurance in this transition. Giving up eating the physical meats like chicken sandwiches was easy enough, but I wanted to take my consumption a step further by truly analyzing the ingredients of what I was eating. There are plenty of hidden ingredients used in food that are animal derived. For example, derived from the bones of animals, gelatin is a common ingredient used as a gelling agent in foods like

On the contrary, I have always loved wearing makeup and buying various products that claim to take care of my skin. I realized that another way I wanted to incorporate this lifestyle is in the area of cosmetics. Animal products are used directly in cosmetics and indirectly through the testing of these products on animals. Animal testing, while it has gotten better, is still a prominently used technique in the world of skin care and makeup. Since I learned of this, I have given up the majority of brands that I know test on animals. This is a recent decision as I have only been doing it for about a year, but I am just as passionate about this area as I am with the food industry. Just as much as I do not need a hot dog to improve my life, I do not need cosmetics to do the same. For example, one discovery I have made is that of coconut oil. It is a natural and organic product harvested from the meat of a coconut that I use as a moisturizer, shaving cream, and even conditioner for my hair. There are also plenty of other ways to get around using chemical products for these needs. As for other needs in life such as the need for medications, unfortunately, the FDA strongly advises the testing of all medications on animals. Luckily, I do not regularly require any sort of prescribed medication. My view on this issue is that if medication is required, I will