If you have decided to become a vegetarian, or have been thinking about going "vegan" either for the health benefits or as a stand against the cruelty of animals, then you're making a smart choice.  Most people don't realize that a lot of their health issues stem from what they put inside their bodies.Being a vegetarian results in becoming more conscientious about the foods and products you buy and consume.  Vegetarians are often healthier eaters and their diets are hydrophilic and rich in antioxidants. A vegetarian diet can help to lower your risks for heart disease, cancer (ovarian and breast cancer, among other forms), diabetes and high blood pressure. A vegetarian diet can also improve your skin complexion, and the condition of your hair and nails. Since most vegetarian diets are full of fiber, vegetarians usually have a more efficient digestive system. A high fiber diet has many holistic health benefits, including regular elimination, detoxification, and decreased risk of colon and rectal cancers. Lowering your cholesterol helps reduce weight gain, obesity and helps prevent heart and kidney diseases. On the conscientious side of vegetarianism, consider that the conditions in the slaughterhouses of the animals we eat are horrific. Industrialized cruelty is a very profitable business for meat producing companies. Unfortunately in many various meat production factories and some animal farms, the animals are not properly cared for. The animals are fed animal byproducts along with grain to increase their weight and meat yield. The areas that the animals are kept in are undersized and unsanitary, increasing the risks of disease transference between animals, and increasing the fatality rates of animals before slaughter. If the animals are not properly fed, sick with disease and open sores, housed around other dead animals, and then slaughtered and sold, it raises the question: is this the kind of meat products that we as a society want passed along to the consumer? That's the risk we take when we consume meat; and yes, this is inhumane treatment towards animals and raises very scary concerns about our long-term health. This issue eventually affects the planet's environmental stability. It takes more energy to feed a carnivorous consumer than it takes to feed an herbivorous one. I hope that after reading this article that these benefits will give you better insight into the beginnings of a healthier lifestyle.   Published: Saturday, February 25, 2012 Updated: Sunday, February 26, 2012 02:02...