my reason for going vegetarian is also one of ethical issues. i rarely ever ate red meat and always hated the taste of pork. i never really thought of giving up chicken and fish, and ate the occassional hamburger because i just plain didn't think about what i was doing. then one day, i stumbled upon veggie substitutes in the grocery store. i figured i'd give them a try, and they were excellent! i then visited the websites of these products and from there, i learned about the cruelty towards animals.

at that point, it just clicked in my mind: it's not neccessary to eat meat. with literally hundreds of vegetarian meat substitutes, not to mention the healthy grains, fruits, and vegetables available but often forgotten, there is no reason to be killing animals for food! i believe that in a culture as advanced as ours today, we can choose to eat these substitutes.

i was entirely vegan for several months, but i found myself being very lethargic, and realized i am of the type that needs HIGH amounts of protein. i added back into my diet eggs and dairy (in moderate amounts) as well as fish, and i don't have regrets, as i feel much better today; however, i will never go back to eating red meat and chicken as there is just no need!