Vegetarian

 

 

Vegetarians eat basically anything that doesn't have eyes. Some vegetarians will eat eggs, drink dairy or/and eat cheese to get their protein. So no red meat, poultry or seafood. They may have chosen their life-style based on animal rights, health reasons, religious ways or for environmental reasons.

 

Vegetarians are constantly checking ingredients for hidden animal products that you wouldn't normally think would be in foods, such as cookies, cakes, bars, chocolate, yogurt and candy. There are many semi-vegetarians who eat fish or chicken occasionally. 

 

Being vegetarian is a healthy life-style choice because you refrain from eating meat and refined sugars. Meat is full of antibiotics and hormones, making it not safe to eat. It also raises the risk of getting cancer, disease and causes weight gain.

 

Vegetarians get high levels of dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, and magnesium, and a low consumption of saturated fat. Vegetarian foods rich in iron include black beans, cashews, hempseed, kidney beans, broccoli, lentils, oatmeal, raisins, spinach, cabbage, lettuce, black eyed peas, many breakfast cereals, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, tomato juice, tempeh, molasses, and thyme. Vegetarians get more iron then non vegetarians because dairy products are low in iron. If you are worried about not getting enough iron, calcium and protein it would be because meals are poorly planned. Vegetarians are able to keep up their healthy intake levels of both minerals and vitamins.

 

Benefits of having a vegetarian life-style:

• lower incidence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, obesity, diverti-cular disease, gallstones,  rheumatoid arthritis and disease

• loose weight easily and maintain a healthy weight for your body

• increased iron levels

• more polyunsaturated fat (healthy) and less saturated fats (unhealthy)

• reduce heart disease

• shrinks your risk of getting cancer

• going green - being eco-friendly

• animal rights

• easier grocery shopping

• clear skin

• more energy

• live longer

 

There are a number of types of vegetarianism, which exclude or include various foods.

• Ovo vegetarianism includes eggs but not dairy products.

• Lacto vegetarianism includes dairy products but not eggs.

• Ovo-lacto vegetarianism (or lacto-ovo vegetarianism) includes animal/dairy products such as eggs, milk, and honey.

• Veganism excludes all animal flesh and products, such as milk, honey, and eggs, as well as items refined or manufactured through any such product, such as bone-char refined white sugar or animal-tested baking soda.

• Raw veganism includes only fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables. Vegetables can only be cooked up to a certain temperature.

• Fruitarianism permits only fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant.

• Sattvic diet (also known as yogic diet), a plant based diet which may also include dairy (not eggs) and honey, but excludes anything from the onion or leek family, red lentils, durian fruit, mushrooms, blue cheeses, fermented foods or sauces, alcoholic drinks and often also excludes coffee, black or green tea, chocolate, nutmeg or any other type of stimulant such as excess sharp spices.

• Buddhist vegetarianism. Different Buddhist traditions have differing teachings on diet, which may also vary for ordained monks and nuns compared to others. Many interpret the precept 'not to kill' to require abstinence from meat, but not all. In Taiwan, su vegetarianism excludes not only all animal products but also vegetables in the allium family (which have the characteristic aroma of onion and garlic): onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, chives, or shallots.

• Jain vegetarianism includes dairy but excludes eggs and honey, as well as root vegetables.

• Macrobiotic diets consist mostly of whole grains and beans.

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Semi-vegetarian diets include:

• pescetarianism, which includes fish and possibly other forms of seafood;

• pollotarianism, which includes chicken and possibly other poultry;

• "pollo-pescetarian", which includes poultry and fish, or "white meat" only;

• macrobiotic diets consisting mostly of whole grains and beans, but may sometimes include fish.

 

 

Website Sources:

 

wikipedia.org

womenshealthmag.com

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

Book Sources:

 

Conscious Health by Ron Garner