While the foods and drinks individuals have consumed over hundreds of years have changed, so have the eating lifestyles people have chosen to practice.

People are generally omnivores, or a person or animal who consumes both meats and foods from plants. Although humans are wired to eat this way, some people decided to change what they allow themselves to eat for reasons of improving the environment or because the lifestyle is healthier physically and mentally.

In 2013, during her freshman year of high school, senior Molly Leyda decided to transform her eating lifestyle to become a pescatarian.

A pescetarian diet excludes meat, except for fish.

Pescetarianism caught Leyda’s attention when she saw a video about how badly animals were treated during the process of making them into meals. She was also influenced by three of her cousins.

“When I was younger, seeing them inspired me to be like that,” Leyda said.

Since family has been a major influence on Leyda, they have continually supported her decision to change how she eats. Her friends also support her decision.

“At first, they thought it was a phase and sometimes people joke around about eating meat, but everyone is generally supportive,” Leyda said.

With change comes challenges. After beginning her journey towards pescetarianism, Leyda missed eating meats such as hamburgers and bacon, but has now adapted to avoiding the meat food group altogether. Leyda has noticed unexpected changes in the health of her hair.

“My hair grows slower and I have to work harder to keep it healthy,” Leyda said. “I had to get repairing shampoo and conditioner, and also use less heat.”

Leyda’s slower hair growth is the result of eating a less protein-filled diet. To include all of the nutrients she needs from her diet, she takes iron supplements, must eat a lot of protein-rich foods and ensure that she is getting everything she needs to stay energized throughout the day.

Leyda has enjoyed switching up her eating lifestyle and recommends pescetarianism to anyone curious in trying it.

“I don’t think it hurts to try, at least for a few days, because I didn’t think I’d like it at first, but now I can’t imagine going back to the way I was before,” Leyda said.

While Leyda’s eating lifestyle was by choice, senior Caroline Doel’s was because of health reasons.

Doel has been eating gluten-free since her sixth grade year of school because she has celiac disease. Celiac disease is a disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine.

The disease was stopping Doel’s natural growth and development, and if she continued to eat gluten in foods, she would become ill.

“[Before changing diets,] I was small enough that I was off the growth charts, so [once I stopped eating gluten], I grew a lot and am now bigger than I was,” Doel said.

Adjusting to the new eating lifestyle was not easy for Doel, but she now feels better and healthier. A difficult part of the disease has been going out to eat.

“Trying to find restaurants I can eat at with friends is hard,” Doel said.

At restaurants, Doel has to ask for specially prepared meals and for the cooks to change their gloves. While some restaurants have gluten-free menus, others do not.

Although asking for a more specific food request is sometimes embarrassing, Doel has found positives when eating out.

“Managers or waitresses at restaurants come out to talk sometimes, so I have met cool people and have become friends with other gluten-free people,” Doel said.

Yet, the most common change in an eating lifestyle is the switch to vegetarianism.

Junior Darby Holroyd has been a vegetarian for five years, beginning during sixth grade.

As a vegetarian, she will eat any food that does not include meat. She began her lifestyle after researching the process of how meat becomes edible.

“I originally started because I didn’t want to eat something that was living, but now I would say it’s more of animal cruelty, [which is] gruesome and inhumane,” Holroyd said.

A difficult part of Holroyd’s lifestyle is staying on track with a healthy diet, but her family helps her along her journey.

“It is very hard to find a meal that supports both my diet and appeals to other members in my family. My dad is incredible with cooking and helping me stay on track with a healthy eating routine,” Holroyd said.

Veganism is a step farther than vegetarianism. Vegans do not eat or wear clothing items made with products from real animals. Holroyd would like to become vegan after she is fully grown.

“Once the switch happens, I expect to be vegan for the rest of my life,” Holroyd said.