“Let food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. » said Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, 460-377 BC (Silverstone 15). Every American should live by this quote, but things have changed dramatically since Hippocrates uttered this divine declaration. These days, people's personification of health has nothing to do with what we consume on a daily basis. Our generation will most likely head straight to McDonald's for a Big Mac without a second thought about the damage it does to your body. Health education is essential; people need to know what they are eating and how it will affect them in the long run. Because of big corporations and very wealthy institutions, they keep us all in this denial because they spend millions of dollars on efforts to keep us from knowing what is really going on (Silverstone 16). Whether it's reducing your risk of disease or simply improving your health, completely excluding livestock from your diet is an easy and beneficial decision for life. Plant-based diets will strengthen your immune system, beautify your skin, increase your energy, and reduce the risk of various diseases (Silverstone 1). Being vegetarian is a step in the right direction in protecting your health, that of your animals and the environment. As humans, are we inherently meant to be meat eaters? Giehl et al. states that “it has been discovered that the diet of any animal in its natural state adapts to its established anatomical structure and bodily functions. With careful analysis, it is evident that humans are not naturally adapted to a diet that includes meat. For example, when you look at meat animals such as wolves, lions, hyenas, etc., their teeth are designed to tear flesh and devour meat. It would be vir...... middle of paper ...... only I feel healthier every day, my body hasn't been seriously ill since I became vegetarian. In fact, I was convinced to give up meat for good after reading the book “The Kind Diet” by Alicia Silverstone. I never liked killing animals, but once I was educated, I knew I could never go back to eating meat. Being healthy, protecting animals and preserving the environment are the main reasons to become vegetarian. Adapting to a vegetarian lifestyle will benefit you in many ways and help make our society more livable. You make a difference and stand up for what you believe in. There are many mouth-watering recipes for a vegetarian, you will never run out of an inefficient amount of food. Whether you choose to eat meat or not, considering vegetarianism can only nourish your body with nutrients and prolong your delicate life..