2. There are different reasons for
picking up a vegetarian diet.
Some people do so to lose
weight and improve health.
Others feel the safety of meat
due to recent outbreaks of
salmonella and e. coli bacteria.
Some believe it is a moral or
spiritual issue.
A lot of individuals renounce
the brutal treatment of animals
in modern factory farms.
Some are also concerned about
the environment and problems
(i.e. world hunger); some
simply dislike meat.
3. Vegan – Stays away from all foods made from animal
origin
Ovo-Vegetarian – Omits all animal flesh and milk but
consumes eggs
Lacto-Vegetarian - Omits all animal flesh and eggs but
consumes milk
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian – Stays away from all animal flesh
but consumes eggs and milk
Pesco-Vegetarian – Stays away from red meat and fowl
but consumes fish and seafood
Semi or Partial-Vegetarian – Does use some milk
products, eggs, poultry, and fish, but consumes mainly
plant based foods
4. Eat a variety of foods
(legumes, nuts/seeds, and
vegetables) to gain a good
supply of amino acids on any
given day.
Increase your body’s process
of iron by eating Vitamin C
rich foods (beans, pasta,
wheat germs, and broccoli).
Closely read food labels and
make sure that products are
full of calcium, iron, or
vitamin B12.
Stay away from excess
protein, salt, alcohol, and
caffeine; these can be
calcium “thieves.”
5. Vegetarian diets are low in saturated fats, cholesterol, and
animal protein and high in folate, anti-oxidant vitamins
including C and E, carotenoids, and phytochemicals.
For the most part, vegetarians have strongly smaller risks for
obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus,
osteoporosis, hypertension, and a few kinds of cancer – in
particular lung and colon cancer.
Vegetarian diets that are not high in saturated fats have
successfully been used to reverse severe coronary artery
disease.
7. To be a healthy vegetarian requires more than only
omitting foods from animal origin.
When appropriately planned, vegetarian diets are
healthy and nutritious.
Like an omnivorous diet, a balance vegetarian diet
needs to have a big variety of foods such as grains,
cereals, breads, legumes, fresh fruits, and
vegetables.
A person who omits all foods from animal origins
needs to pay special attention to five nutrients:
protein, iron, vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D.
8. Depends on the person.
Some people simply choose to do it and never look back.
Others slowly change their diets.
They may start this by having one or two meatless meals a
day to try it out.
Some people put aside one or two days every week to go
veggie, or even at least one day every week to eat meat.
Some people start by omitting red meat and go on from
there.
Others just cut back on the meat in their diets and choose to
use it as a condiment rather than the main course.
