Veggies Rule!

Keith Comfort, a science teacher at Jamesville-DeWitt High School, proudly doesn't eat anything with a face "except animal crackers."

He has steered clear from meat for 20 years and counting. "My two main reasons why I am a vegetarian are health and ethics," says Mr. Comfort. "Being a vegetarian is healthier. When I lived in Colorado, there was a meat processing plant near by. I used to see truckloads of meat being brought to the plant and I saw the cows that were kept in such packed areas- it did not look like a happy life."

There are also a few other teachers who follow a vegetarian diet along with Mr. Comfort. Within the science department, teachers Theresa Groman, and Amy Boettger live life meat free. Ms. Boettger's son, Jimmy, recently became vegetarian- making the whole family herbivorous. "I have been a vegetarian for three and a half years. My daughter, Rita, evangelized me to become one. Veggies rule!"

Ms. Boettger agrees that being a vegetarian provides a healthier lifestyle. "In a short amount of time I began to feel healthier and even lose some weight!"

While many people are familiar with the term "vegetarian," some are unaware of its real meaning and significance. Many associate the word "vegetarian" with a non-meat lifestyle. This is true; however, there is much more to the vegetarian way of life than just staying clear of meat.

In general, being a vegetarian means that a person follows a diet that does not include specific animal products. However, there are a variety of kinds of vegetarians, some of these different kinds of vegetarians are lacto vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarians, pesca vegetarians, and vegans. None of these types of vegetarians eat meat or poultry; pesca vegetarians are the only vegetarians that eat fish. Lacto vegetarians are vegetarians that eat dairy products, however, they do not eat eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarians are like lacto vegetarians, except they include eggs in their diet. Pesca vegetarians eat everything that lacto-ovo vegetarians do but they also consume fish, where as vegans do not eat any animal products, including dairy products.

People have different reasons for becoming a vegetarian, and as a result there are different kinds of vegetarians. Various people become vegetarians for reasons relating to animal rights, others are health-conscious eaters, and some even become vegetarians based on religious reasons.

Many students in Jamesville-DeWitt High School are unaware of these finer details of vegetarianism, and they may be surprised to hear that some of their fellow peers follow a vegetarian diet.

"I feel bad eating meat," says vegetarian and senior Elisa Iribarne. "In sixth grade I just wanted to become a vegetarian because I wanted to do something with my time. Then, I realized after a while that there were different reasons I really wanted to be a vegetarian and I decided to stay with it."

So, what were those reasons? Why do people want to become a part of the vegetarian lifestyle?

One is impact. "It's better for the environment to be a vegetarian," says Iribarne. "You leave less of a carbon footprint."

The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have "lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; "¦ lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type two diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer and vegetarians are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese."

Another popular reason people decide to switch to the vegetarian lifestyle is the idea that they will help protect animals.

"In Buddhism, every single living thing is a part of God within themselves," says Iribarne. "That's why Buddhist monks walk down the streets with brooms in front of them so they don't step on insects."

Vegetarians are found in all walks of life, all around the world. Even celebrities such as Alicia Silverstone, Pamela Anderson, Sir Paul McCartney, and Russell Simmons are all devotees of the vegetarian lifestyle.

However, with this change in diet come major health concerns that people need to be aware of if they are thinking of making this change to vegetarianism. Vegetarians need to be sure to get enough protein to keep their muscles strong, iron to keep the formation of red blood cells intact, calcium for strong bones and teeth, Vitamin B12 to prevent anemia, and Vitamin D to help the body use calcium. Protein can be found in foods such as tofu, beans, nuts, and soy products. Foods that are high in iron include spinach, beet greens, prunes, and dried beans. Good sources of calcium as well as Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D for vegetarians are milk products.

In order to make up for these lost nutrients, Mr. Comfort eats plenty of nutrient-rich substitutes. "I eat eggs and tofu which supplements my protein intake," says Mr. Comfort. Ms. Boettger says gets her lost nutrients from a special vitamin. "I need to take a supplement that is made for vegetarians."

Making the change to the vegetarian lifestyle is not a simple task. This lifestyle requires a person to make changes to their diet that has an immediate impact on his or her body. Although there are many benefits to becoming a vegetarian, people need to make sure that they are still receiving the proper nutrients in order to maintain a healthy, functioning body.