What would it take for you to become a vegan?

Would you become a vegan to protect your heart health? Studies have shown that if you eat less meat, your heart will thank you for it. From lower blood pressure to less heart disease and cancer, a vegetarian lifestyle could work for some people.

If you are thinking of cutting some animal products out of your diet, ThirdAge's article gives lots of alternatives to meats so that you can be sure you are balancing your nutrition. Get your iron from lentils, for example, or your calcium from leafy greens.

Is vegan the way to go for everyone? If you are like me, your body may just not do well on an all-plant diet. I need animal protein for energy. But I am not talking about eating the steak that John Candy devoured in The great Outdoors (am I dating myself with that reference?) every night. Instead, small amounts of healthy meats each week, intermingled with vegetarian choices, work for me. What do I mean by healthy meats? I mean grass fed beef, free range poultry, naturally raised game meats and wild Alaskan salmon.

Some expert opinions don't believe veganism is the way to go at all for optimum health. For another point of view, peruse Weston Price's website, especially this article about the myths of beef. Maybe beef is the health food after all . . .

So I ask again, would you become a vegan to protect your heart health?