Benefits of Vegetarian diet

 This is my 8th speech in toastmasters. I thought it would be interesting if I start with a story(imaginative) and a question.:)

"Tharu ! This function does not seem to work. Do you  have any idea?" Said my team mate  me: "Sorry.I'm caught up in a tricky issue.Please give me a few mins. I'll come there" After a few seconds, "Somebody's birthday treat is there in the lunch room." Me: "What?! Treat ?! Where?" Let's run before it finishes. "What happened to your issue?"  My answer : "Food is first.Work is next."
Ok.We ran to the lunch room. They had Cake,Fish cutlet and chicken Samosa. I was like "What?! No single vegetarian item?" No :(   Vegetarian problems :)


How many vegetarians are here? Please raise your hands. Have you ever come across the same situation? Despite the discomforts, there are many advantages in being a vegetarian. We are going to look at 4 main ideas today.

Body weight - Vegetarians are less likely to be overweight: Research shows that vegetarians tend to be leaner than their meat-eating counterparts, and that they also tend to have lower cholesterol and body mass index (BMI). Some data suggests that a vegetarian diet can help with weight loss and be better for maintaining a healthy weight over time.Again I would like to stress on the word "likely". Less likely to be overweight. And we should not forget the fact that our genetics also plays a vital role in body composition and weight.

Personal Finances -Health care costs. Being healthier on a vegetarian diet means spending less on health care. Vegetarian foods tend to cost less than meat based items. There are people that consume less meat/non-veg items because of their financial conditions.A person leading a vegetarian lifestyle can spend much less than their meat eating counterparts. Vegetarian food is often cheaper, this includes both the raw ingredients purchased from supermarkets and meals taken in restaurants and other eateries. Meat makes up a significant proportion of a typical household food bill. By taking meat from the equation, a large saving can be had. Of course, replacing meat with expensive vegetarian meat substitutes may not result in quite the same saving. If a household, however, replaces meat with lentils and other low cost forms of nutritious and natural foods, a greater saving will be realized.


Health
There are many real health advantages of being a vegetarian. Over recent years the impact of meat in our diets has been studied and researched. Some people will say that it is unnatural for humans to eat meat, others will say that it is a totally natural process. What is certain, however, is the modern meat-eaters diet includes a greater proportion of meat than that of our ancestors. This increase can cause health problems for a variety of reasons.

Meat can be difficult to digest
The fats are unhealthy
Meat can contribute to high cholesterol levels.
Some cancers such as bowel cancer are more prevalent in meat eaters.
In contrast, a vegetarian diet is typically high in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals, which is important to a healthy diet.  However just being a vegetarian make us a healthy person. We should have a balanced diet which contains all kinds of nutrients especially the ones that are enormously available in fish and meat.
Have better cholesterol levels - scientists at the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital demonstrated that a vegetarian diet made up of specific plant foods can lower cholesterol as effectively as a drug treatment. 

Ethics

It helps us keep a clear conscience.Clear conscience. I know what I'm doing is right. I feel good inside about my decision to remain "meatless" To live this way is to protect the underlying values of those around me. Not to hurt any living beings except the ones that are harmful which you are forced to kill.I believe in nonviolence.Slaughter isn't.  

 
Being a vegetarian or non-vegetarian was rarely a conscious choice and I understand it would be difficult even if we are willing to convert ourselves in the middle. I tend to believe that regardless of our eating habits our thoughts and intentions are good. So Let's ignore those creatures with 5 senses or less than that and atleast let's respect ,understand and love those creatures with 6 senses or more than 6 senses. Thank you !