Vegetarian Challenge

I've been doing some research and experimenting with my diet lately. I have not eaten meat in a week, nor have I had cow's milk. Honestly...I feel great!

I found an interesting article about the effect of vegetarianism on the planet and thought I would share. This article can be found wannaveg.com . According to this source (and several others that I found) going vegetarian for one day a week can have a significant impact on our environment. The article gives the

Top 10 Reasons to Go Vegetarian One Day A Week:

1. In one year, you will save 84,000 gallons of water. Animals and animal culture consume a lot of water, it takes 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. 


2. In one year, you will save 245 pounds of grain. It takes 7 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef..that much grain and provide for an individual in a developing country for 6 months of more!


3.In one year, you will save 7,700 sq feet of rain forest. Millions of acres of land are used for livestock grazing and to produce food to feed the livestock.


4. In one year, you will help save a few of the 10 Billion animals slaughtered for food...that's in the U.S. alone


5. In one year, you will help save 15.5 gallons of gasoline. Fuel is used to transport and refrigerate meat and crops and many farms use petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides for crops.


6.In one year you will help reduce over 400 pounds of manure produced by food animals. Enough said.


7. You will reduce your contributions to global warming. Emissions from animal agriculture contributes to more greenhouse gases than all the cars on the planet combined.


8. By going vegetarian on day a week for one year...you will save 87 square feet of topsoil from erosion.  When animals are packed into small spaces, they erode top soil. Combine that with the erosion from the crops used to feed these animals and it quickly adds up.


9. You can reduce your impact on the ocean...even if you don't live near it!  A report published in the Journal Science in 2006 claimed that by 2048 we will see a near collapse of the oceans if we continue at the pace we’re on right now. Unfortunately, farmed fish isn’t the  answer either. Farmed fish produce high concentrations of waste that lead to environmental and health issues.


10. YOUR HEALTH--- A vegetarian diet, even one day a week will help reduce your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables greatly reduce heart disease and diabetes.

I've been on a vegetarian diet for about a week now, so I am no expert in the subject matter. But I can tell you that I feel great! My family has tried new foods, I've tried new recipes, we've had success, and we've had failures. All in All...I'm very happy with my new change. I haven't committed to a total switch, but it isn't out of the question either.

I challenge you to take it one step further. Try being a vegetarian for one week. Just one week. 

Keep me posted!

SMART Goals for 2012

Ringing in the new year gives you time to reflect on the year that has past...what was good, what didn't go as planned, and what you want to do differently. It is the time to set goals and make resolutions for the new year. 

The majority of new years resolutions don't last. Why??? Because they aren't smart...

S= Specific

M= Measurable

A= Attainable

R= Realistic

T= Timely

 Specific: Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to do. Be specific. WHAT do you want to do. WHY do you want to do it. HOW are you going to get it done.

Measurable: If you can't measure it, then you can't manage it. " I want to be healthier" is not measurable.  Instead try..."I want to loose 1/2 pound per week until my birthday." OR maybe.."I want to eat one vegetarian meal per day for the next 3 weeks."

Attainable: Setting goals helps you find out what is important to you, you begin to develop attitudes, strategies, and skills to help you make your goals a reality. A goal should stretch you slightly so it will take commitment and a feeling of success when you accomplish that goal. Aiming to lose 50 pounds by the end of the month isn't achievable so don't set yourself up for failure. Break it down to smaller, more attainable goals.

Realistic: Realistic does not mean easy. Realistic means do-able. A goal needs to be realistic to you  and where you are at in the moment. Vowing to never eat another sweet, cookie, or piece of cake....might not be realistic, especially if you have a sweet tooth like me. However, choosing to limit the amount of sweets you consume to one per week is much more realistic.

Timely: Set a time-frame to attain you goal. Putting an end point to your goal gives you a clear target to work for. If you don't set a time, the commitment is too vague. You can't lose 1/2 pound per week forever....but you can do it for the month a February or until those jeans in the back of the closet fit again.