Food Documentaries & How They Changed My Life

Around the age of 12 or 13, I began to be more aware of how I ate and how I took care of my body. My whole life I had been a skinny little thing, and not having a care in the world about what I ate because to be honest, it didn't affect my weight. After going through puberty and seeing some scary changes happen in my body, I decided I wanted to take control of that. I tried my best to pick the healthy options at school lunch, like salads and baked chicken instead of fried chicken. Growing up, the word "organic" never made an appearance in my household. My mom bought us fruits and veggies, but it was whatever she could afford, which to be honest, is non organic produce. When I went to college, it was my turn to purchase whatever I wanted to. I was determined not to gain the "Freshman 15" and I didn't! I made good food choices, but I was still curious about the organic/vegetarian lifestyle. I did my research and explored the supermarkets and realized that it was still difficult to find these kinds of alternatives (mind you, this was 2 years ago). But within the past year, I was very determined to become a vegetarian. What pushed me over the edge was watching a documentary on Netflix called "Vegucated." This documentary takes 3 people from different lifestyles and a vegan expert tries to convert them to veganism. It is obviously very hard for these people to do it, since they're used to a full fat, red meat diet. But after this lady expert took them to slaughter houses and gave them the facts, it seemed to click with them that this is a real problem in the United States, if not the world. At this point in the film, I was bawling! I had cut out red meat out of my life for about 6 years at this point, but after watching this film, I knew it was time for me to cut out all meat and discover new and exciting alternatives. The reason I became a vegetarian is half because I do not want to contribute to the wrongful killing of animals and half for health and diet reasons. I have been a successful vegetarian for about 6 months now and I do not plan on going back. I encourage everyone to at least give it a try and take note of the amazing difference your body will feel! Also, on a side note, I try my best to eat organically, which has an amazing difference on your body! Yes, organic groceries can be more expensive, but I look at it as putting the best possible food in your body without the pesticides, which in turn will give you more energy and fuel for the days ahead. I love my new lifestyle and I think everyone should try it for at least a week!