I have recently be considering to change about my lifestyle over the last couple of weeks. This consideration really began when I was assigned a project for my nutrition class, which was changing something about our diet and tracking that change at the end of the semester. The change I made to my diet was getting 4-5 cups of vegetables daily. This then evolved to adding more fruits to my diet as well. That was easy because I think most people like fruits, it’s just more convenient sometimes to get a muffin or sandwhich on the go before class. After watching Food Inc. as well as other documentaries in nutrition, I started thinking about converting to a majorly plant-based diet.

After learning about food production, population increase, meat production, and nutrition in class today, it’s seems like now really would be the perfect time to experiment with a new diet. School gets quite stressful around this time of year, and with projects and finals just around the corner, I want to be in the best health and mindset I can be in to succeed. Plus, sooner or later that summer body may come in handy for volleyball games on the beach and other fun summer activities. Also, I had considered my health history and headaches or head colds I’ve battled all semester, and it seems like investing in my health may be the perfect solution to conquer these common annoyances.

Plant-based diets would not only enrich my health, increasing my energy and nutrients my body gets, but is also really good for the environment. I wouldn’t be giving in to the unethical meat production industry any longer, which would be great for karma points (those definitely add up and may be useful to cash in before finals). It would also decrease my water footprint, as well as my carbon footprint. Then I would really be killing two birds with one stone, but not chickens because of course I wouldn’t be eating them anymore. With the money I save from buying animal products, I could even start buying more local produce and supporting farmers around the Charleston area. That way, the food I am eating wouldn’t have been driven thousands of miles, or flown from across the country. Limiting the miles attached to food is another great way of participating in more sustainable practices.

This project starts this week, so I have not actually applied these changes to my life quite yet. I did limit my animal consumption over the last year and a half however. Cutting out red meat was quite easy, and it was my way of standing up against the mistreatment of cows. I also do not drink or buy milk, so those two go hand in hand. I mostly eat fish if anything, and chicken here and there. I think previous changes I have made will make the transitioning into a plant-based diet much easier. After writing this blog post, I am quite convinced this will be a change worth keeping. I plan on doing it throughout the summer, and seeing what positive changes I notice by the time school starts again in the fall to see if I would like to keep the changes a part of my lifestyle. This blog post was really just the outlet I needed to argue my points, of which I really cannot see a negative aspect of changing my diet. After seeing the health outcomes when my project is finished in a couple of weeks, I hope it just enhances my inspiration to make positive lifestyle choices for myself, and for the environment.