Students who choose to eliminate meat products could
experience more than just health benefits.

I recently underwent a surgery to remove my gallbladder. Since then I’ve been forced to completely change my diet since I no longer have the help of that intestine to break down fatty foods.

I’ve always enjoyed eating every kind of meat, and have never really considered myself a picky eater so when I realized that it was hard for my body to break things like beef and pork down, I decided to just give meat up as a whole.

Sure it was difficult at first, especially when I gave up my obsession with In-N-Out Burger. However, since starting my new diet I’ve noticed that I feel more energized and awake throughout the day.

I’m learning new and healthier ways to cook that are affordable for any college student. It has also given me an opportunity to expose myself to certain foods that I didn’t care to eat too much, such as vegetables. I now find myself eating about four to five different veggies a day, which makes it easier for me not to get bored of having the same ones that I’m used to eating.

It’s been a little over three months now that I’ve been a vegetarian and I still consider it to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I don’t think about the fact that I’m missing out on a burger, because I know that in the end, my body will thank me.

It’s definitely a hard commitment to make, but I think that everyone should consider giving up even one kind of meat for at least a month to realize that the body doesn’t need it as much as one would think.

Veronica De La Cruz could be reached at [email protected] or @Veronica_dlc on Twitter.