Becoming vegetarian is clearly one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.  In fact, I knew it was the right decision within just a few days.  Within weeks, I was significantly changed on many levels.  It was like night and day in terms of how I felt emotionally, spiritually and later physically.  I felt inside much like the calm after a storm.  It was a great sensation and I carry it with me today.

So what are the benefits of being a vegetarian?  Experience has taught me three key benefits of being vegetarian:

1.  Improved Physical Health – While some may consider a vegetarian lifestyle “weak’, I can assure you that nothing is further from the truth.  There is an abundance of information available showing the harmful effects of animal flesh in the diet.  My body is more efficient and functions better on many levels.  Over the years, I’ve noticed that my body needs less medication when I catch a cold.  I am sick far less often and recover quickly.  Herbal remedies seem more effective.  In general, I’m more in touch with my body.  Admittedly, I cannot compare my situation to any other.  There aren’t two of me, one who ate meat, one who did not.  However, based on how I felt and looked prior to my decision and today, there is no comparison needed for me.

2.  Enhanced Spiritual Connections – As odd as it may seem, I found a sense of peace with my decision.  An undercurrent of acceptance flowed through and I was able to relax more than ever before.  It was as if a part of me woke up to the reality that I could spend my time on this earth without harming another animal.

Today, I have a special needs dog, Liberty, who is completely deaf and blind in one eye.  She’s very special and is perhaps the happiest animal I’ve ever seen.  She was born that way and is quite unique.  She’s a gentle dog and I have a strong bond with her.  I doubt I would have that without my deep appreciation for animals.  It’s not something I expected to gain from my transition, but it’s strong enough that I consider it part of who I am now.

In time, I realized that I had a much deeper connection with the planet.  I felt I was a visitor, not a destroyer.  This was odd because I had never considered that point of view before.  I came to this realization on my own and it has stayed with me through the years.  While I certainly cannot “prove” this benefit, I have found many other vegetarians share this experience.

3.  Variety and Education – These two go hand-in-hand.  Changing forced me to try new things.  Rather than the same old dishes, I had to try new things.  Sometimes I had to leave restaurants I frequented because they simply didn’t have enough options.  In time, I learned to speak up and ask the chef for what I wanted.  To my amazement (and I talk about this in my book), ever chef was excited to create something not on the menu.

As my body became more accustomed to healthier options, it was less likely to crave poor ones.  New fruits and vegetables I had not tried were suddenly staples.  Restaurants I had not given a second thought to were new adventures.  Dishes I would have ignored turned out tasting fantastic.

The variety was an enjoyable change.  However much work was needed with regards to proper nutrition.  I had to find new ways of getting the nutrition my body needed.  At that time, there was less information on the web.  I looked to vegetarian cultures for information and modeled the foods I ate after theirs.  I learned about how to eat so that I could safely and effectively live a vegetarian lifestyle.  I was fortunate in that I found a few books along the way.  These books helped me make the change and I use them today as continued resources:

Unlimited Power –  Tony Robbins: Tony’s chapter on fueling your body will provide a paradigm shift for most people.  Highly recommended.

Nutritional Healing –  Balch and Balch: - From cover to cover, you’ll find plenty of quality, well researched information on foods to eat that provide the nutrition you need.  While not strictly dedicated to a vegetarian way of life, this book offers a wealth of expertise and knowledge.  It is a cornerstone of my library.

Vegan Planet – Robertson: Filled with recipes from all over, this is a must-have for the newbie.

Becoming Vegan – Davis and Melina: While this focuses on the vegan perspective, I picked it up in 2008 and found it would certainly help anyone making a change to either vegetarian or vegan.

Juicing for Life – Avery: This book is about juicing.  However there is plenty of nutritional information included that involves fruits and vegetables.

The Juiceman’s Power of Juicing – Jay Kordich: Jay Kordich was first introduced to me through an infomercial.  I confess I went right out an bought his Juiceman Jr.  It’s the most important appliance I have in the kitchen.  I use it to juice all the time.  His book includes recipes and ideas for combining fruit and vegetable juice for maximum health and wellness.

These are just a few of the resources I recommend – but I want to get this out there since several of you have asked for information like this.  In time, I’ll include other information on the books and resources available out there today.  In the meantime, please let me know what else you’d like to see  and how I can help you make this positive switch.