Best Living Health

To be vegetarian can mean different things. Technically, the word Vegetarian means the theory or practice of living on a vegetarian diet (Merriam-Webster online dictionary). According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Vegetarianism means the theory or practice of living solely upon vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts - with or without the addition of milk products and eggs. According to many resources, there are different types of Vegetarianism. Let me explain the different definitions:

1. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism - Does not eat any meat, poultry, or fish but does eat eggs, dairy, and honey.

2. Lacto vegetarianism - Does not eat any meat, poultry, fish, or eggs but does eat dairy and honey.

3. Ovo vegetarianism - Does not eat any meat, poultry, fish, or dairy but does eat eggs and honey.

4. Veganism - Does not eat any meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey. Technically, vegans are also strict on what goods they use and do not use any animal products in their day to day lives (for example, do not use leather shoes).

5. Fruitarianism - Only eats fruit, nuts, seeds, and other plant matter that can be gathered without harming the plant.

6. Raw veganism - Only eats fresh and uncooked fruit, nuts, seeds, and vegetables

7. Dietary veganism - This diet follows veganism, but differs from veganism as other animal products (such as, belts and shoes) may be used in their daily lives..

8. Semi-vegetarianism - Only eats seafood and/or poultry in limited amounts (may also include dairy, eggs and honey).

9. Pescetarianism - Only eats fish or other seafood (may include dairy, eggs and honey).

10. Pollotarianism - Only eats fowl and poultry (may include dairy, eggs and honey).

11. Flexitarianism - Vegetarian diet primarily but allows occasional exceptions.

The last type of Vegetarianism I would like to bring to light is the Psuedo-vegetarian, these are the types that claim to be vegetarian but aren’t. This term may also be used by other vegetarians to describe semi-vegetarians including Pescetarians, Pollotarians, and Flexitarians.

There are many different reasons on why a person could become or chooses to be vegetarian, which can include personal beliefs, religion, and personal health concerns. Of course there are always different reasons for each person on why he/she should or is vegetarian in some form or another.

If you review the definition of vegetarianism in Wikipedia you will see all the different listed sources in the footnotes that relate to this topic. Various studies have been taken to prove that vegetarianism may help in the longevity of life, improvement of health, and it may significantly lower risks of cancer and other diseases.

For many, vegetarianism is a scary thing. People believe that one cannot live on this type of diet, but it has been done for thousands of years. Religious groups such as Hindus, and some Sikhs and Buddhists follow the ways of vegetarianism. Of course this diet does take getting used to and it is worth seeing all the options out there. These diets can be followed by increasing nut consumption, eating tofu or soya, as well as introducing yourself to a lot of new vegetables and fruit.

I myself, love animals, and I was ignorant. I could never kill an animal. I could not see them suffer for my benefit. Thanks to many videos out there today I was able to confront these issues and decide once and for all (considering I have tried and failed a few times at being vegetarian) that I was going to stick to it. I have no cravings and no desires because this is what I want.

It is very possible to be vegetarian in Toronto and in Canada itself. I know you may be thinking, well that means I cannot eat out anymore. That is not true. I have visited many restaurants that do not serve much, if any vegetarian meals. All I do is let them know that I am strictly vegetarian and see if they can fix me something. I have never had a place that does not cater to that. I have found once you tell people that, they are very understanding and will usually go the extra mile to cater to your needs.

If you have any doubts of the animals you are eating, or the items you are consuming, maybe it is time to gain some knowledge about what you are putting in your body. There are always ways to make this work, if this is what you want. By the ways, I do not hang out with other vegetarians as I do not know any, this may be a milestone, but like I said if you do want it then that is all that matters. Mind over matter, like our mothers used to say.

Jennifer Calpu
http://www.jennifercalpu.com
http://www.debtandtaxes.ca