Many people believe the idea of living on just vegetables is an inconceivable concept that they would never even consider. However, while true vegetarians refrain from eating meat, including beef, poultry and pork, many enjoy eggs, fish and dairy products so there are significant options to investigate when choosing a life as a vegetarian.
Types of Vegetarian Diets
According Dictionary.com a vegetarian is “a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.” But even within the dictionary definition, there are several levels of vegetarianism.
Possibly the easiest way to transition into this new lifestyle is to begin as a semi-vegetarian. A semi-vegetarian is someone who eats a primarily vegetable based diet, but includes eggs and dairy, occasionally eats poultry and fish and in limited cases, beef. While this type of diet is not considered truly vegetarian by purists it is still an excellent way to explore a vegetarian diet without feeling deprived.
Often people will find that once started on a semi-vegetarian diet it can be easy to slowly reduce the amount of meat they eat. For example, many will eliminate red meat and poultry first, relying on fish to satisfy carnivorous desires. While this still does not meet the qualifications for a true vegetarian it does provide an opportunity for a slow, steady step down into eliminating meat from the diet.
For those who want to jump into a true vegetarian diet, the least restrictive is the one followed by lacto-octo vegetarians. This type of vegetarianism does not allow meat, but does allow dairy, eggs and honey. The diner can then decide to split into just the lacto-vegetarian diet that allows dairy but no eggs, or the octo-vegetarian diet that eliminates dairy but allows eggs. Both of these variations include honey as part of the diet.
The strictest of the vegetarians is the vegan. A vegan is someone who excludes all animal products, including dairy, eggs and honey. In addition, many vegans eschew any product made of animals such as leather. As within basic vegetarianism, there are more extreme levels including raw vegans, who eat only uncooked fruit and vegetables, and su vegetarians who exclude any vegetables from the alliums family, such as garlic and onions.
Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
In the article “57 Health Benefits of Going Vegan” on the Nursing Degree.net’s blog, a vegetarian diet can provide many benefits, including lowered levels of saturated fat and cholesterol, lowered body weight and reduced risk of heart disease, so it may be well worth investigating. With the many variations of vegetarian diets available, finding one that provides the opportunity to explore vegetarianism, without feeling deprived, is easy.
No longer shunned as a lifestyle of eccentrics, vegetarianism has become an acceptable lifestyle for just about anyone who is interested in better health. For those interested in moving to a vegetarian diet, there is a wealth of information available both online and in the community. Web sites such as The Vegetarian Society and also mainstream medical sites like WebMD offer easy to understand recipes and suggestions to get started.
Kelly Sharp - Kelly Sharp holds a Master's degree in Education and a Bachelor's degree in Communication, and has been involved in training in a variety ...
Join the Conversation