Vegetarianism

What are Vegetarians?

Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat,
poultry, seafood, insects and the flesh of any other animal), and may also include
abstention from by-products of animal slaughter.

Why does a person choose to be a

vegetarian?
Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons. Many object to eating meat out
of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under
various religious beliefs, along with animal rights. Other motivations for
vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic,
economic, or personal preference. Various packaged or processed foods, including
cake, cookies, candies, chocolate, yogurt and marshmallows, often contain
unfamiliar animal ingredients, and may be a special concern for vegetarians due to
the likelihood of such additions. Often, products are reviewed by vegetarians for
animal-derived ingredients prior to purchase or consumption. Vegetarians vary in
their feelings regarding these ingredients, however. For example, while some
vegetarians may be unaware of animal-derived rennet's role in the usual production
of cheese and may therefore unknowingly consume the product other vegetarians
may not take issue with its consumption.

Types of Vegetarians:

Ovo -Vegetarian
Ovo vegetarianism is a type of vegetarianism which allows for the
consumption of eggs but not dairy products, in contrast with lacto
vegetarianism. Those who practice ovo vegetarianism are called ovo-
vegetarians or "eggetarians". "Ovo" comes from the Latin word for egg.
The word "ovo-vegetarian" is not particularly common in everyday
conversation, and, in fact, very few people follow an ovo-vegetarian diet
(compared to a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, a vegan diet, or even a lacto-
vegetarian diet).

An ovo-vegetarian diet would include foods such as: fruits, vegetables,

squashes, legumes, beans, and grains such as rice, quinoa, and barley; all
seeds, spices and fresh herbs, eggs and products containing eggs such as
egg whites, mayonnaise, egg noodles and some baked goods, and would
exclude all meat and animal flesh foods including beef, chicken, steak,
shrimp, fish, pork and would also exclude all animal milks and milk
products including cow milk, goat milk, buffalo cheese, ice cream, butter,
and all products made from these dairy products, including cheese pizza,
whey protein, cream cheese, sour cream, many baked goods, etc.

Ovo-vegetarians chose this way of eating because they wanted to go

vegetarian but were also lactose-intolerant and could not consume
dairy, whether or not they were vegetarian. Thus, most people follow an
ovo-vegetarian diet for health reasons, as opposed to lacto-vegetarians
who often have religious or cultural reasons for choosing their diet, or
vegans, who generally have ethical and environmental reasons, in
addition to health concerns, which shape their food choices.

Lacto-Vegetarian
A lacto vegetarian (sometimes referred to as a lactarian ; from the Latin
root lact-, milk) diet is a diet that includes vegetables as well as dairy
products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, cream, and kefir, but
excludes eggs. The concept and practice of lacto-vegetarianism among a
significant number of people comes from ancient India.

In other words, a lacto-vegetarian diet includes all plant-based foods,

including fruits, vegetables, grains and beans, as well as dairy products
such as milk, cheese, butter, goat cheese, goat's milk and any other
products made from these foods such as ice cream.

In yet other words, a lacto-vegetarian is a diet which is "vegan plus

dairy."

A lacto vegetarian diet would include meals such as vegetarian cheese

pizza, bean and cheese burritos, vegetable curries, grilled cheese
sandwiches, for example, while excluding scrambled eggs, omelettes,
and other foods containing eggs such as mayonnaise, egg noodles, egg
whites and meringue.

Lacto-Ovo
Vegetarianism
An ovo-lacto vegetarian (or lacto-ovo vegetarian) is a vegetarian who does not eat
any meat, fish, or poultry. A typical ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes fruits,
vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy, and egg products. Most
vegetarians are lacto-ovo vegetarians who exclude all kinds of meat, poultry and
fish from their diets, but there is the addition of eggs which adds variety and
flexibility. Eggs provide nutrients such as protein, vitamin D and some B-vitamins,
as well as antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin that prevent macular degeneration.
Well-planned lacto-ovo vegetarian diets are healthy and nutritious because they
contain a variety of foods from the different food groups.
In the Western World, ovo-lacto vegetarians are the most common type of
vegetarian. Generally speaking, when one uses the term vegetarian an ovo-lacto
vegetarian is assumed. Ovo-lacto vegetarians are often well-catered to in
restaurants and shops, especially in some parts of Europe and metropolitan cities
in North America.
Vegan
Veganism is both the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products,
particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity
status of animals. A follower of either the diet or the philosophy is known as a
vegan.

Distinctions are sometimes made between several categories of veganism. Dietary

vegans (or strict vegetarians) refrain from consuming animal products, not only
meat but also eggs, dairy products and other animal-derived substances. The term
ethical vegan is often applied to those who not only follow a vegan diet but extend
the philosophy into other areas of their lives, and oppose the use of animal
products for any purpose.[n 1] Another term is environmental veganism, which
refers to the avoidance of animal products on the premise that the harvesting or
industrial farming of animals is environmentally damaging and unsustainable.[15]

The term vegan was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he co-founded the
Vegan Society in England, at first to mean "non-dairy vegetarian" and later "the
doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals." Interest in veganism
increased in the 2010s; vegan stores opened, and vegan options became available
in more supermarkets and restaurants in many countries.

Vegan diets tend to be higher in dietary fibre, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C,
vitamin E, iron and phytochemicals, and lower in calories, saturated fat,
cholesterol, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, zinc and vitamin
B12. Well-planned vegan diets can reduce the risk of some types of chronic disease,
including heart disease, and are regarded as appropriate for all stages of the life-
cycle by the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Australian
National Health and Medical Research Council, and Dietitians of Canada. Because
uncontaminated plant foods do not provide vitamin B12 (which is produced by
microorganisms such as bacteria), researchers agree that vegans should eat B12-
fortified foods or take a supplement. Vegan food examples include, chickpeas,
tofu, , peanut butter, soy milk, almonds, spinach, whole wheat bread, potatoes,
broccoli and kale etc.
Raw Veganism
A raw vegan diet consists of unprocessed, raw plant foods that have not
been heated above 46 °C (115 °F). “Raw foodists” believe that foods
cooked above this temperature have lost much of their nutritional
value and are less healthy or even harmful to the body. Typical foods
include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains and legumes.
Some raw vegans can be subdivided into fruitarians, juicearians, or
sproutarians. Fruitarians eat primarily or exclusively fruits and nuts.
Juicearians process their raw plant foods into juice. Sproutarians
adhere to a diet consisting mainly of sprouted seeds.

Personal claims have been made following a raw vegan diet, including
weight loss, more energy, clear skin, improved insulin tolerance, and
improved overall health. Raw food will have higher contents of intact
enzymes, acids and proteins as chemistry dictates these fragile
nutrients denature during extreme conditions and temperatures of
cooking. Raw vegans must ensure that their intake of vitamin B12 is
adequate, since it does not occur reliably in plant foods. Vitamin B12
deficiency can have serious consequences such as anemia and
neurodegenerative disease.
In addition to the ethics of eating meat, dairy, eggs and honey, raw
vegans may be motivated by health, spiritual, financial, or
environmental reasons, or any combination of these.In terms of health,
some raw vegans believe that cooking foods destroys the complex
balance of micronutrients. They may also believe that, in the cooking
process, dangerous chemicals are produced by the heat interaction
with fat, protein, and carbohydrates such as advanced glycation end-
products (AGEs) and others. Other followers of a raw vegan diet place
importance on spiritual gain. For example, Ruthann Russo, Ph.D,
(author of two books on the raw foods diet) says that the movement
aims to look at "the way food, living, treatment of the earth, our
treatment of each other, and our quest for physical, spiritual, and
mental health all fit together."
Semi Vegetarianism/Flexatarain

, A semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet is one that is plant-based with the occasional

[1][2]

inclusion of meat products. [3][4][5][6]

In 2003, the American Dialect Society voted flexitarian as the
year's most useful word.[7]

Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat. In

addition to the term flexitarian, which was listed in the mainstream Merriam-
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in 2012,[8] another neologism for semi-
vegetarianism is "reducetarianism".[9][10][11]

Common reasons for adopting a flexitarian diet may be ethical issues relating to
animal welfare (including health) or animal rights, the environment (see
environmental vegetarianism) or reduction of resource consumption (see economic
vegetarianism), which are also arguments in favor of adopting a fully vegetarian
diet. While flexitarians may view the meat or animal products as occasional
indulgences,[12] staunch vegetarians may resent the term or view it as cheating or as
a moral lapse.[13] On the other hand, many proponents of veganism embrace
flexitarianism/reducetarianism as a way to get a broader section of the general
public to act on arguments for veganism, with the consequence that more animal
suffering and environmental devastation will be prevented than if the public
viewed meat-reduction as all-or-nothing.[14]

A ranking by U.S. News & World Report, involving a panel of experts, evaluated
32 popular diets based on overarching factors including health, weight loss, and
ease of following; on the 2014 list, the flexitarian diet came in sixth place, ahead of
both the vegan and vegetarian diets.[15] Specific flexitarian diets include:

 Pollotarian: someone who eats chicken or other poultry, but not meat from
mammals, often for environmental, health or food justice reasons[16][17]
 Pescetarian: someone who eats fish and/or other seafood, but not poultry or
meat from mammals.
 The macrobiotic diet is plant-based, and may or may not include the
occasional addition of fish or other seafood.[18]