75 Ways Going Vegetarian Has Made My Life Better Written by Matt Frazier I’ve been vegetarian for just about a year now (the actual date is fuzzy, since I phased out fish over time), and I can say without a doubt that this year represents the most my life has ever improved in such a short period of time. Granted, there have been a few sacrifices. But “no buffalo wings during the NCAA tournament” just doesn’t measure up to a list like this. Enjoy. 75 Ways Going Vegetarian Has Made My Life Better 75. I don’t have to clean up animal juices in the kitchen. 74. I don’t feel like passing out immediately after dinner. 73. My wife got pregnant right away, when the doctor told us it would be tough. 72. I love my dogs even more than I used to. 71. I took 10 minutes off my marathon time. 70. I discovered Thai and Indian food. 69. We have more grocery money to spend on expensive specialty foods. 68. There’s no reason for me to even think of stopping at McDonald’s. 67. I’m helping the environment without trying. 66. I spend less on vitamins and supplements because I need them less. 65. We’ve started recycling. 64. Erin’s pregnancy has been completely free of complications. 63. Random moles and bumps on my body have disappeared. 62. I haven’t gotten sick once. 61. It gave me a reason to start a blog (and maybe even help some people). 60. I have a cause to care about. 59. It has made me want to donate money to help animals, not do it out of guilt. 58. I pay way more attention to what I eat before and after runs. 57. When I wake up in the morning and forget for just a second that I’m vegetarian, I feel really good about myself when I remember. 56. Cheese, one of most unhealthy foods I still eat, isn’t nearly as appealing as it used to be. 55. I am sympathetic to people who feel passionately about other issues. 54. I don’t even have to think about adding vegetables to my meals. 53. We’ve started composting. 52. I ran my fastest mile, by a whole minute. 51. I ran my first ultramarathon. 50. I sleep a million times better when I don’t go to bed all bloated and full of animal parts. 49. I’ve discovered my local health food store (David’s!). 48. I spend 80% of my grocery shopping time in the produce section. 47. I’ve learned to appreciate nature a hell of a lot more than I used to. 46. Number of runs missed due to injury since going vegetarian = 0. 45. I discovered almond milk. 44. I haven’t weighed myself in months. 43. Sometimes people send me free cookbooks and fitness books. 42. I have more in common with my stepmom, who doesn’t eat mammals. 41. I am closer to my sister. 40. My dad eats so much more healthily than he used to. 39. My mom eats less red meat. 38. I realize that there are a lot of alternatives to the “common knowledge” about nutrition and health. 37. I discovered Michael Pollan, and went to see him speak. 36. Summer mornings at the farmers market with Erin and the dogs are the best. 35. We probably eat twice the variety of foods we used to. 34. We bought a juicer. 33. There’s a lot more room in the freezer. 32. I’ve never tried so many different smoothies. 31. I’ve started sprouting. 30. I think way more about the other stuff in food besides protein, carbs, and fat. 29. I discovered coconut oil. 28. I learned that I like kale, collards, lentils, quinoa, bulgur, and okra. 27. I’ve learned that starchy carbohydrates aren’t the best running fuel (for me). 26. I tried more new recipes this year than I ever have before. 25. When I went to the dentist after a 10-year hiatus, he attributed the cleanliness of my teeth to raw fruits and vegetables. 24. I don’t eat gross school food anymore. 23. Erin is very conscious of pesticides and hormones in the food she eats that feeds our baby. 22. 250 other people around the world wear No Meat Athlete shirts to show everyone else what you can do with plant power. 21. We put some serious miles on our food processor and blender, appliances that used to just sit on the counter. 20. I’ve gotten to talk to and exchange emails with pro athletes and authors. 19. I’ve learned the importance of supporting small farms. 18. I lost a lot of body fat without trying. 17. Almost none of my food comes in packages. 16. I discovered Ezekiel sprouted-grain breads. 15. I eat more nuts and beans than ever before. 14. Doctor visits last year (besides physical exam) = 2. Doctor visits this year (besides physical exam) = 0. 13. We’ve started using natural toothpaste, deodorant, and household cleaning products. 12. When I see a stray dog on the road, I stop. 11. I ran my fastest 5K. 10. I found motivation to quit drinking caffeine, because it’s the most unhealthy thing I do. (Still working on completely eliminating it, though.) 9. People at races yell, “No Meat!” 8. I make my sports drinks and gels at home now, instead of drinking commercial shit. 7. I got addicted to hemp (protein and oil). 6. I qualified for Boston, something that I had been trying to do for seven years. 5. Qualifying for Boston allowed me to get into trail running, through which I’ve met some incredible runners and people. 4. A friend of mine has become almost completely vegetarian. 3. Thanks to readers like you, I have a voice to share what I’m doing with lots of other motivated people. 2. When I hear about horrors of factory farms, I feel angrier, but less guilty. 1. Lots of people tell me “thanks,” something I’ve never experienced on this level before. What did I miss? What’s been the biggest impact reducing meat consumption has had on YOUR life? This post is part of a series on how to start eating a vegetarian diet, for new vegetarians or endurance athletes looking to take their performance to the next level. Related & Recommended Posts Could You Be at Risk for Protein Deficiency? 6 Simple Rules for Protecting Yourself How I Do Thanksgiving as a Vegan On the Subject of World Domination (and a Super Summer Sale) How to Go Plant-Based (When Your Partner Wont) 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan 90 Comments Dig this post? Spread the word! 541 27 755 Share Keep in touch: How to Stop Sleepwalking Through Life If youre tired of watching from the sidelines as others get the results you want, then Wake Up -- a 31-day, action-oriented program designed to help you change your mindset and your results, in any area of life that you choose -- was written for you. In the course of 31 action-packed and inspired days, youll: Decide what must change and what you will no longer tolerate Set massive, “unrealistic” and obsession-worthy goals (and understand why they’re the ones you’re most likely to achieve) Install the habits to ensure you follow through on your plans Figure out where your time is going, using the 80/20 principle Break through the procrastination that holds you back ... and much, much more. Click here to learn more about Wake Up. « Run Less, Run Faster ReviewSweet-Tooth Friday: Vegan Almond-Quinoa Muffins » Comments KJ says: March 18, 2010 at 9:26 am Great post! It’s amazing what can happen in year, isn’t it? I just feel better since going veg… It was awhile back, so I’m fuzzy, too. Reply belinda says: December 13, 2012 at 5:44 pm Wow, sounds great. I just became a vegetarian. It has not been that long only about 6 weeks. I can not tell u how much better I feel. I have more energy and I am sleeping better. I love all the dishes. I have tried several new recipes and they are great. I truly do not miss meat. I stopped eating eggs and milk. So so good. Thanks everyone for all the comments. This list of 75 ways thst has make life better is great! Reply Caleb says: March 18, 2010 at 9:30 am I can say the same on almost all of these, except of course the pregnancy thing since I’m not married. This one intrigued me though. 63. Random moles and bumps on my body have disappeared. I have ad some small benign tumors shrink, but not totally disappear and I’m high raw. I have had other moles I was hoping would go way, but have not. Maybe I’m still eating “too much” processed crap, which really isn’t much. I need to look at that more. Perhaps one of the things I like best about going Veg is something you mentioned, about family changing their diet. Although MY family still thinks I’m crazy a lot of my friend have started changing their diet. One even recently went all vegetarian. .-= Caleb´s last blog ..Mango Dwarfs, Stardeath Grapes and Flaming Strawberries =-. Reply Sam says: May 14, 2010 at 9:46 pm I’ve been a vegetarian for so long at this point, I tend to forget everything that it’s done for me and how much it’s changed my outlook on the world. Thank you for reminding me! This is truly an inspiring post. Reply Karin says: March 18, 2010 at 9:45 am Great post! I have no idea how everything’s changed because I’ve been a vegetarian since 14.. Too busy with puberty back then! Reply Aimee (I Tri To Be Me) says: March 18, 2010 at 9:49 am Great list! Thanks for sharing it with us and thanks for all of your great info/resources on vegetarian eating/living. I love reading your blog! Here are some of the great things for me about becoming a vegetarian (almost vegan!): * my husband and I just feel healthier, stronger, and more energetic. * My 2 1/2 yr. olds extreme eczema has decreased dramatically. * I am exposing my two boys to a variety of foods that most of their friends have never had (eggplant, chickpeas, kale, chard, portabellos, flaxseed, lentils, quinoa, etc…). And, they love it all. There are no picky eaters in my house and they are not afraid to try new things! * Knowing that I can do a half ironman without the huge amount of meat protein that a lot of people say is a necessity. It’s not!! * Exploring local farmer’s markets to get fresh produce There are a lot more reasons, but those are just some of the ones that popped into my head. Oh, and I totally want one of your shirts. I’ve been meaning to get one for awhile, but haven’t got around to it. I’ll order one soon! .-= Aimee (I Tri To Be Me)´s
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 07:28:35 +0000
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