What does being a vegetarian mean?
Vegetarianism is the approach of eating a diet comprising generally or wholly of foodstuff that originates from plant sources (such as grains, nuts, fruit and vegetables). A vegetarian can thus broadly be described as somebody who does not eat meat, fish, poultry or any slaughterhouse by-product such as gelatin – principally for moral, religious, political or health reasons. Environmentalism and vegetarianism are also often practised together.
With that in mind, vegetarians are sometimes sub-categorised by the kind of food products they are or aren’t prepared to eat. Obviously, vegetarian dieting regimes may vary extensively and there are many different kinds of vegetarians.
Semi-vegetarians
Semi-vegetarian eating habits consist largely of vegetarian foods, but could include fish or poultry, or some other meats on an occasional basis.
In this case, the vegetarians under consideration will probably define “meat” only as mammalian flesh. A pescetarian diet, for example, is said consist of fish, but not meat – so there’s obviously thought to be a big difference between the two.
The common use affiliation and misunderstanding amongst such diets and true vegetarianism has encouraged vegetarian groups (like the Vegetarian Society) to state that diet plans including these food types are not in fact vegetarian, due to fish and birds being animals.
Ovo-vegetarians
In this instance, the eating regimen includes eggs, but excludes dairy products.
Ethical reasons for excluding dairy products link to worries with the industrial practices. Such as, the practice of trying to keep a cow continuously pregnant to enable her to lactate and the slaughter of unwanted male calves. Additional considerations are the customary practice of splitting up the mother from her calf and denying the calf its natural source of milk.
This contrasts with the industrial practices for egg-laying hens, which yield eggs for human usage without being fertilized. However, ovo-vegetarians typically have a preference for free-range eggs, specifically those generated by uncaged hens.
Those that practice ovo vegetarianism are called ovo-vegetarians or “eggetarians.”
Lacto-vegetarian
A lacto vegetarian (quite often known as lactarian) diet regime incorporates dairy products (for instance milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream etc), but excludes eggs. Lacto-vegetarians also avoid cheeses that include animal rennet and yogurts that contain gelatin.
The idea and practice of lacto-vegetarianism amidst a large number of individuals is from ancient India and was initially based upon spiritual convictions. Even now, lacto-vegetarian dietary plans are usually used often by several followers of Eastern religious customs such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The key belief 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 eat animal flesh of any sort, but is able to take dairy and egg produce. This type of vegetarianism, as with the others, is oftentimes driven by morals. Nonetheless, the inclusion of dairy and egg products is acceptable on the basis that they do not require the killing of the animals (however check out the objections of ovo-vegetarians and lacto-vegetarians respectively over the treatment of dairy cows and hens).
In the Western world, ovo-lacto vegetarians are the most typical kind of vegetarian. Usually, any time someone uses the expression “vegetarian”, an ovo-lacto vegetarian is presumed.
Vegan
Veganism is the individual practice of wiping out the use and intake of animal products. A vegan eating plan thus excludes all animal products, including eggs, dairy and honey.
On top of that, veganism tends also to exclude animal products even where these do not entail the demise of the animal (for example 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 death of the animal.
Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only.
The idea of “vegan” was created in England in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of the British Vegan Society, to mean “non-dairy vegetarian“; the society additionally opposed 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 thriving, movement. In 2007, 2% of the United kingdom population called 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 will undoubtedly know how challenging it is sometimes to ensure that you are receiving all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you need each day.
Plant-based eating regimens lead to particular health challenges that ought to be borne in mind. As an example, they often have a significantly low intake of protein (not surprisingly), vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. There are also particular nutrients (notably B12) that are seen primarily in animal-based products or aren’t taken in as well in their plant form.
The 1st step
The initial step is to try really hard to establish a nourishing and well balanced eating plan, which reflects both the benefits and the troubles of a vegetarian or vegan life-style. In case you are finding it too difficult to keep up the necessary amount of calories and/or protein (for instance, you might not like beans!), you could look at dietary supplements.
Meal replacement powders and protein powders are wonderful ways to raise the nutritional content of a vegetarian or vegan diet and make sure that you’re getting all of the protein, healthy calories, vitamins and minerals that you need on a daily basis.
Take a look at our great dairy and gluten free meal replacement, MEALtime Protein Drink. MEALtime is a soya-based protein drink liquid meal rich in top quality 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 aiming to maintain optimum nutrient intake and high levels of energy. Furthermore, it is dairy and gluten free, which makes it suitable for individuals with very sensitive stomachs and people who suffer from celiac disease and dairy allergies.
The next step
The second step is to check your weight. One common issue is that, frequently, vegetarians and vegans don’t take in sufficient calories or protein to keep up their weight. Once again, if your are finding it a challenge to meet these requirements through food, dietary supplementation (through meal replacements, protein powders or vitamin supplements) can provide a fast and easy method to top-up on nutrients.
The third step
The third step is to keep fit.
Vegetarian and vegan diets can be wonderfully healthy, but care should be taken to ensure optimum nutritional content. Let us help you do that! Visit Specialist Supplements Ltd at www.specialistsupplements.co.uk.
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