What exactly does being a vegetarian mean?
Vegetarianism is the custom of taking in a diet composed generally or wholly of foodstuff that comes from plant sources (such as grains, nuts, fruit and vegetables). A vegetarian can thus broadly be referred to as anybody who does not ingest meat, fish, poultry or any slaughterhouse by-product such as gelatin – mainly for moral, religious, political or health reasons. Environmentalism and vegetarianism are also often practised together.
However, vegetarians are usually sub-categorised by the type of foodstuffs they are or are not ready to eat. Naturally, vegetarian diets will vary greatly and there are lots of different kinds of vegetarians.
Semi-vegetarians
Semi-vegetarian diet habits are made up mostly of vegetarian foods, but may include fish or poultry, or some other meats on an occasional basis.
In such cases, the vegetarians under consideration are likely to define “meat” only as mammalian tissue. A pescetarian diet, for instance, is said to feature fish, but not meat – so there is clearly believed to be a difference between the two.
The common use association and uncertainty between such diets and true vegetarianism has directed vegetarian communities (like the Vegetarian Society) to state that eating regimens comprising these foods aren’t in actual fact vegetarian, attributable to fish and birds being animals.
Ovo-vegetarians
Here, the diet plan includes eggs, but excludes dairy products.
Ethical motivations for excluding dairy products relate to apprehensions with the industrial practices. Such as, the practice of trying to keep a cow continuously pregnant to enable her to lactate and the killing of unwanted male calves. Other sorts of concerns include the standard practice of splitting the mother from her calf and denying the calf its natural source of milk.
This contrasts with the industrial practices around egg-laying hens, which yield eggs for human ingestion without having to be fertilized. However, ovo-vegetarians generally opt for free-range eggs, in particular those made by uncaged hens.
Individuals that practice ovo vegetarianism are known as ovo-vegetarians or “eggetarians.”
Lacto-vegetarian
A lacto vegetarian (quite often known as a lactarian) food regimen features dairy products (such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream etc), but excludes eggs. Lacto-vegetarians also refrain from cheeses that include animal rennet and yoghurts which contain gelatin.
The theory and exercise of lacto-vegetarianism amidst a considerable amount of people emanates from ancient India and was originally based on religious beliefs. To this day, lacto-vegetarian eating plans are often favoured by a large number of admirers of Eastern religious customs such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The primary principle driving a lacto-vegetarian diet is the law of ahimsa, or non-violence.
Ovo-lacto vegetarian
An ovo-lacto vegetarian (or lacto-ovo vegetarian) is a vegetarian who does not ingest animal tissue of any kind, but is willing to have dairy and egg products. This manner of vegetarianism, as with the others, is often encouraged by values. Even so, the inclusion of dairy and egg products is allowed on the basis that they don’t require the killing of the animals (though refer to the objections of ovo-vegetarians and lacto-vegetarians respectively regarding the treatment of dairy cows and hens).
In the Western world, ovo-lacto vegetarians are the most usual kind of vegetarian. In general, any time a person uses the phrase “vegetarian”, an ovo-lacto vegetarian is presumed.
Vegan
Veganism is the individual course of action of eliminating the use and intake of animal products. A vegan food plan hence excludes all animal products, including eggs, dairy and honey.
Additionally, veganism is likely also to exclude animal products even where these do not involve the demise of the animal (e . g . wool). In comparison, the vast majority of vegetarians simply do not wear clothes made of leather, fur, or any type of animal product which required the destruction of the animal.
Ethical vegans deny the commodity status of animals and the utilisation of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians remove them from their diet only.
The expression “vegan” was created in England in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of the British Vegan Society, to mean “non-dairy vegetarian“; the society likewise rejected the use of eggs as food. It extended its definition in 1951 to mean “the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals,” and in 1960 H. Jay Dinshah started the American Vegan Society, linking veganism to the Jainist concept of ahimsa, the avoidance of violence against living things.
Veganism is a small, but increasing, movement. In 2007, 2% of the UK population described themselves vegans.
The Vegetarian Society
The Vegetarian Society is an educational charity “working to support, represent and increase the number of vegetarians in the UK”. Established in 1847, it is the oldest vegetarian organisation on the globe.
Diet and supplementation
If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll possibly know how complicated it is sometimes to ensure that you’re getting all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you need each day.
Plant-based eating regimens lead to certain health challenges that ought to be borne in mind. For instance, they frequently have a particularly low intake of protein (not surprisingly), vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. There are also particular nutrients (most notably B12) which are observed primarily in animal-based products or don’t seem to be absorbed as efficiently in their plant form.
Step one
The first thing is to actively create a nourishing and well balanced diet regime, which mirrors both the advantages and the difficulties of a vegetarian or vegan way of living. If you are finding it too hard to keep up the necessary amount of calories and/or protein (for instance, you might not like legumes!), you could look at dietary health supplements.
Meal replacement powders and protein powders are perfect ways to boost the nutritional content of a vegetarian or vegan diet and make certain that you’re obtaining all of the protein, healthy calories, vitamins and minerals you must have on a daily basis.
Take a look at our terrific dairy and gluten free meal replacement, MEALtime Protein Drink. MEALtime is a soya-based protein drink liquid meal rich in excellent protein, complex carbohydrates and nutrients. This protein drink powder (with added psyllium husks for colon detoxification and cleansing), is the perfect solution for vegetarians and vegans looking to maintain ideal nutrient intake and high energy levels. On top of that, it is dairy and gluten free, which makes it suitable for individuals with very sensitive stomachs and those who suffer from coeliac disease and dairy allergies.
Your second step
The second step is to check your weight. One common problem is that, oftentimes, vegetarians and vegans don’t take in enough calories or protein to maintain their weight. Once again, if your are finding it an issue to meet these requirements through food, dietary supplementation (through meal replacements, protein powders or health supplements) can offer a fast and easy way to top-up on nutrients.
The third step
The third step is to start exercising regularly.
Vegetarian and vegan diets can be perfectly healthy, but care must be taken to ensure optimum nutritional content. Let us help you do that! Visit Specialist Supplements Ltd at www.specialistsupplements.co.uk.
Posted by admin on August 25th, 2011 :: Filed under
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