There are numerous benefits to vegetarianism, if you are interested of course. A vegetarian diet can be very good for you. A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat, poultry or fish. Grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables make up a vegetarian meal. The majority of vegetarians eat dairy products, eggs, and hidden animal products, but on the other hand, there are those, who are stricter with their diet.
According to the American Dietetic Association there are three types of vegetarians: vegan, lacto vegetarians, and lacto-ovo vegetarians. Observation:
The strictest of them all is the vegan, who doesn’t eat any animal products including meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, not even dairy products, such as milk, cheese and even honey.
Soy products compensate for the dairy products in the vegan diet. Clothing is different also; vegans don’t wear wool or leather.
- A more sensible vegan lifestyle is the lacto vegetarian, who doesn’t eat meat and eggs, but consumes dairy products.
- A lacto-ovo vegetarian’s meal doesn’t include meat, poultry or fish. On the other hand they will eat eggs and dairy products. This is the most common type of vegetarianism.
Remark:
Vegetarians are better off as far as health goes, because they are at a lower risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and also high blood pressure, claims the American Dietetic Association.
Fibers are a key to a healthy vegan diet, which has to be low in fat, but high in fibers. Of course, if it’s not given a second thought it could be bad for you, just like eating junk food. A vegan needs to pay attention to five groups in order for him/her to meet their energy demand and these are protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B-12 and iron.
Why do they become vegetarians?
A lot of vegetarians are popping up these days, for ample reasons, for example spiritual beliefs, health, animal rights but also food and environment preferences.
- On the other hand, vegetarians don’t fancy the idea of injected sex hormones into animals. Sadly, cattle are given testosterone surrogates by their keeper, in order to make a better profit. Another hormone, estrogen is pumped into the livestock, which stops the reproductive system’s normal functioning so that the animal gains weight. This is unhealthy for girls; from it, they have a higher chance to get breast cancer; and also puberty kicks in earlier.
- Arsenic is also used, although illegal, the government says it’s ok if the stop just five days before the butcher the animal. In this way, the arsenic level is under the maximum allowed level. But farmers tend to stray from this law, studies showing that 16% of animals are over the legal limit.
Becoming a vegetarian is a personal decision and a very important one. To make sure you stay healthy, you should have a plan ready, when attempting to become a vegetarian. But in the end, it’s worth it, because the positive side is far greater than the negative and also, your body will thank you.
Jorge Reis is the author of how to become a vegetarian and how to choose between veganism and vegetarianism.
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