1. You’re likely to reverse heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Switching patients to a plant-based diet has been shown to not only treat heart disease, but also reverse its progression.

2. You’ll stay slim. Research has shown that eating meat has been linked to obesity.

3. You’ll save money. Vegetarian and vegan meals tend to be less expensive than meat.

4. You’ll reduce greenhouse gases. Animal agriculture is estimated to produce more greenhouse gases than the whole of the transportation industry combined. Lowering or eliminating your meat intake can have huge implications on climate change.

5. You’ll reduce animal cruelty. Millions of cattle and poultry are killed each year for meat, with a huge number of these being raised in factory farms. Switching to a less meat or no meat diet is voting to end the cruel treatment of animals.

6. You’ll be in good company. Join the likes of Natalie Portman, Ellen DeGeneres, Olivia Wilde, Paul McCartney, Carrie Underwood, and Betty White, as well as Bob and Fran German and many others at UUFH.

7. You’ll be aligning with some of the greatest minds in history. Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Gandhi, Charles Darwin, and George Bernard Shaw all thought it was a smart idea to follow a plant-based diet.

8. You’ll help save the Amazon from destruction. The Amazon is being destroyed to grow feed crops for cattle and make space for grazing. The situation is severe — the majority of Amazon deforestation can be attributed to animal agriculture. Switching to a no-meat or less-meat diet can help save the Amazon, the earth’s lungs.

9. You’ll discover more delicious recipes. Chicken for dinner again? Reducing the meat in your life allows you to expand your food horizons and discover exciting new main dishes.

Whether you’re non- religious, spiritual, or a God-fearing person, it says something that many world religions endorse a meatless diet in some form. For example, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism all encourage followers to adopt a plant-based diet.

Reducing or eliminating your meat intake has so many benefits: look better, feel better and save the planet. Eliminating meat from your life is one of the more significant things you can do for your health and especially for the planet. If you’re still on the journey of decreasing or eliminating meat from your diet, start taking baby steps today. Improve your health and the planet, one meatless meal at a time.