Posted on November 12, 2007 in Latest News
Vegetarian diets are becoming more and more popular. This could be either for moral reasons, health reasons or, sometimes, popular culture reasons. However a vegetarian diet has a certain stigma surrounding it, though health professionals are discouraging the consumption of animal fats.
Environmentalists have a different set of reasons behind asking people to turn veggies:
- 2500 gallons of water, 10 pounds of grain, 33 pounds of topsoils and the energy equivalent to one gallon of gasoline is required to produce one pound of beef.
- In US alone, 70% of grain production is being fed to live stock.
- At least four million acres of forest is felled each year to create cattle pasture in South and Central America.
- Livestock grazing in the US harms fifteen percent of endangered species.
Who is vegetarian?
A vegetarian is the one who abstains from eating meat for religious or health purposes. There are various types of vegetarians - lacto vegetarians who consume dairy products, lacto-ova vegetarians who consume dairy products and eggs;…. However those who eat fish are not considered vegetarians, though in many parts of the world fish is considered water plant.
Being a vegetarian has many health protecting advantages:
- Reduces risk of degenerative diseases like heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and obesity.
- Meets dietary recommendations for percentage of carbohydrate, fat and protein than any other non-vegetarian diet.
- Has lesser chances of contracting animal-borne infections such as salmonella and E.coli
- Has lesser chances of being exposed to pesticides and other toxins that accumulate as one moves up the food chain.
- Reduces impact on the environment that includes the facts already stated.
- Gives a feeling of spiritual well-being.
To be a vegetarian keep these facts in mind:
- Foods that are emphasized in a vegetarian diet are grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, and nuts and seeds.
- If vegetarian diets are chosen then the consumption of the dairy products also has to come down to no more than two servings per day.
- A vegetarian meal provides all the essential nutrients needed for developing good health. It also gives high levels of fiber and phytochemical. The best part of a vegetarian meal is that if properly planned it can be lower in fat.
- Meat provides nutrients such as protein, iron and zinc. Vegetarian substitutes for meat are foods such as legumes, tofu and vegetable burgers. Nuts and seeds, veg-hotdogs and eggs easily substitute for a costly meaty diet. Fortified milks such as soymilk and nutritional yeast are good plant based sources.
- Research suggests that vegetarians live longer than non-vegetarians for around five to fifteen years. One need not be surprised by such research because vegetarian diets have the potential to decrease chronic diseases.
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