Friday, September 23, 2011

Embracing Vegetarianism

By Tiffany Nash


Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular. People become vegetarians because of health issues, animal rights issues, or due to their distaste of meat. There are several types of vegetarians which include semi vegetarians, who still eat meat, but eat meat and all animal products in small amounts. This is usually due to various health problems like hypertension, obesity, or heart disease. Lacto-ovo vegetarians don't consume meat, but they do eat dairy products and eggs, and this type of vegetarian is most common in Western cultures.

Lacto vegetarians eat dairy but not eggs. The vegan is the most extreme type of vegetarian. This type of vegetarian doesn't include any type of animal products in their diet, including honey and gelatin. They often avoid wearing clothing made out of leather or wool and only use products which are not tested on animals. Most vegans become vegetarians because of issues concerning animal rights. Some vegetarians will only eat white meats, such as chicken or fish, or will only eat meat that is labelled free range, which indicates that the animals were not raised under cruel conditions.

A lot of people who eat meat can't understand how a vegetarian can be healthy. In reality, most vegetarians are a lot healthier than meat eaters. Statistics show that meat eaters are three times more likely to develop heart disease or breast cancer than vegetarians. Colon cancer is a more likely development by 400% in meat eaters. Eating too much meat has also been linked to obesity and excess weight. Vegetarians will averagely outlive meat eaters by about 6 years.

If you decide you want to become vegetarian, you have to make sure you are consuming enough healthy foods. A vegetarian can't eat just white bread and pasta. You should eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, beans, legumes, soy products, nuts, and whole grain pastas, breads, and rice. There are plenty of calcium sources that you can eat, like spinach, tofu, kale, and soymilk. If you are still consuming dairy products and eggs, then be sure you are taking them in the right quantities.

Becoming a vegetarian will be good for your health. You can go online to read about vegetarianism so you can choose which type you want to be.




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