Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism may be defined as the belief and practice of eating vegetable foods, (nuts, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains), and refraining from any food made with animal products. Vegetarianism focuses on a diet that focuses on dry beans and lentils as rich sources of protein.
Vegetarianism is increasingly becoming a way of life for more and more people every day. The advantages of today are being established by researchers in this field, and properly planned vegetarian diets have now come to be recognized by most people as being a wholesome nutritious diet. Vegetarianism has many health benefits, such as preventing and curing many life-threatening diseases.
Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons. In addition to ethical reasons, some other reasons for vegetarianism include better health, religious beliefs, political or environmental concerns, cultural influences, aesthetics, or economic benefits. There are varieties of diets as well. An ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs, but not dairy products. A lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs. An ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. Lastly, a strict vegetarian diet, or vegan diet, excludes all animal products such as eggs, dairy, and honey.
Just as people are vegetarians for different reasons, the diets of vegetarians are not all the same. With careful planning, a vegetarian diet can be healthy, no matter which type of vegetarian diet is chosen.
To know more about vegetarianism, its benefits, and reasons for becoming a vegetarian, we interviewed two vegetarians here at the ALC. Check them out under the "Interview" section.
By Meryam Alami & Houria Achibane, Advanced 2