When most people hear the word ‘vegetarian’ they automatically assume that there is only one kind. But, being a vegetarian is like going to a shoe store, there are several sizes, shapes and colors that fit into the ’shoe’ store.
In 2000 4.8 million American adults ate a veggie diet according to the American Dietetic Association. Experts believe this number is growing more than ever.
The definition of vegetarian means eating fruits, vegetables, dried beans, peas, grains, nuts and seeds – avoiding meat, fish and fowl. But inside the vegetarian category there are quire a few subgroups provided by everydayhealth.com such as:
• Lacto-vegetarians who eat plant foods plus dairy products
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians who consume both dairy products and eggs
• Vegans who avoid all animal products — no dairy, no eggs — and eat only vegetables, fruits, and grains
• Semi-Vegetarians is a person who eats veggies but occasionally eats meat- maybe not read meats though.
• Raw Food Diet includes vegetables only, maybe a little fish, meat and eggs- but their are health risks for eating a raw only diet. Uncooked foods- some fish or meat- can cause food poisoning.
• Fruitarian Diet is the least common type of veggie diet. There is no strict definition of what it means to be a fruitarian but they usually eat ripe fruits of plants and trees.
“Semi-vegetarian does not have one standard definition,” says Susan B. Roberts, PhD, professor in the nutrition and psychiatry departments at Tufts University in Boston and author of The Instinct Diet. “People use it to describe their own practice of a largely, but not exclusively, vegetarian diet.”
People choose a veggie only diet to help lower their BMI, lower cholesterol, and help heart disease. Lower risk for constipation, diverticulosis, gallstones and appendicitis. Other people become vegetarians for religious beliefs, for environmental or animal welfare concerns or economic reasons.
Those who choose a vegetarian diet may not be getting enough vitamin B-12, protein, iron, Vitamin D, calcium or zinc. For those considering a veggie only diet are encouraged to talk to a nutritionist to make sure their receive the nutrients that are needed to be healthy.
Taking certain vitamin supplements and with mindful meal planning, being a veggie lover can be a healthy and rewarding way to eat and live.
Find a dietician near your home.
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