The Vegetarian Lifestyle
By Dee Phillips
Published by Dee Phillips at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Dee Phillips
Smashwords Edition, License Notes.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
The Vegetarian Lifestyle
This ebook contains 76 articles and over 50 recipes, and has been created for those people wishing to be vegetarians or those who already are. Vegetarianism is a healthy way to eat and a healthy lifestyle choice. The following articles and recipes are designed to help you understand what vegetarianism means and to help you achieve a successful vegetarian lifestyle.
Vegetarian Articles:
1. The Decision to Become a Vegetarian is a Lifestyle Choice
Back in the dawn of time, cavemen ate meat to survive. They supplemented their diets with grasses and roots only when meat was short or unavailable. They ate grasses and roots when they were hungry as a means to survive. Your ancestors were definitely not vegetarians, but they had no choice. It was eat meat to survive, or don’t survive at all. Meat played an important role in their diet giving them much needed energy and nutrition.
Today you have a choice in what you eat. There is a vast amount of varied foods available that will sustain and keep you healthy so that you can choose not to eat meat if you wish. You can get foods that will take the place that meat once held in your ancestor’s lives—foods that will give you the protein and nutrition once provided only in a meat source. That makes it your decision on whether you want to become a vegetarian or not. It is basically your life and your choice.
There are many reasons why you may wish to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. Some people do not eat meat because of religious reasons. Some people do not eat meat because of their feelings about animals. Others choose not to eat meat as a means of supporting the environment or others, for health-related reasons. The reason you may want to choose a vegetarian lifestyle is up to you and is strictly personal.
The decision to become a vegetarian, whatever your reason, is a difficult one to make. It involves a commitment that may be hard to keep for some people. It involves making choices that are out of the normal realm and that will be constantly tested. Temptations to stray from your vegetarian lifestyle will abound, and other people will question your decision as well. In many instances (when you go out of your home environment) the choices of food that you are allowed to eat may be limited.
Becoming a vegetarian is a total lifestyle choice. It involves a decision that is a commitment to a certain type of lifestyle. You have to be able to choose foods that will give you all the nutrition and vitamins you need from wholly fruit, dairy and vegetable sources. That means that you have to be more aware of the food you eat and be more knowledgeable of the nutritional value of the food you intake. You have to change the way you eat and be able to make conscious choices in everything you eat.
Becoming a vegetarian and changing your total lifestyle is not for everyone. Not everyone has the commitment it takes to adopt of total vegetarian lifestyle. You have to examine your own wants and needs to decide whether or not to become a vegetarian. The decision is yours. Are you willing to make vegetarianism your lifestyle choice?
2. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is becoming more popular around the world each day as being the key to a healthier lifestyle. You may have your own reasons for becoming a vegetarian, whether it be for animal rights, for religious reasons, under doctor’s orders, social implications, or whatever, but is being a vegetarian really the healthiest way to eat? Can a vegetarian diet fulfill all the nutritional and dietary requirements that you body needs? As with most things, there are disadvantages and advantages to being a vegetarian.
Let’s look at the advantages first. The foods eaten in a vegetarian diet are considered very healthy food choices, and ones that are believed to ward off many diseases. Those foods can include everything your body needs in the line of nutrition and vitamins. For instance, a vegetarian diet (which includes grains, nuts, cereals, seeds, beans, vegetables and fruits) is rich in fibre, folate and Vitamin C. Beans, tofu (which is made from soy beans) and seeds are good sources of protein. A good mix of vegetables and fruits can provide all the vitamins and minerals the body needs. They also contain natural sugars, beneficial enzymes and trace elements.
Vegetables can help ward off many diseases because they consist of phytochemicals. Green leafy vegetables are rich in antioxidants, which are also believed to help guard against various diseases, including cancer, foods rich in antioxidants are considered to be the healthiest and most nutritious. It is believed they not only improve health but also increase your life span and help boost your immune system.
A vegetarian diet also typically contains low amounts of fat, cholesterol and saturated fats. This helps you to keep your weight in check, which also helps reduce the risk of developing health problems caused by being overweight. In fact, being a vegetarian can help you in a weight loss plan. Having lower cholesterol in the foods you eat also decreases your risk of various disorders like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, kidney disease, gallstones and cancer. Also because a vegetarian diet is generally high in fiber, your digestive health is improved.
Being a vegetarian also protects you from some food-borne diseases, such as bird flu, mad cow disease or intestinal parasites.
On the other side, there are some disadvantages to being a vegetarian. A typical vegetarian diet is found to be low in proteins, calcium, Vitamin B12, iron and zinc. Meat contains greater quantities of all of these essential nutrients than can be obtained in most individual sources on a vegetarian diet. For example, meat is considered a major source of Vitamin B12, but it can also be found in soy products or fortified cereals. Greater care on your part is needed to ensure that the levels of these essential nutrients are included in your daily diet.
A vegetarian also needs to be aware of the amount of protein they intake, as well as carbohydrates. If you do not have sufficient carbohydrates or proteins in your diet, this can lead to anemia. Therefore foods containing these nutritional elements need to be carefully introduced into your daily food intake.
Another downside to a vegetarian diet is that bowel irregularities can commonly occur. This comes from a diet that does not have sufficient fat intake. Specific amounts of fat and cholesterol need to be included in your diet in order for the normal functioning of your body and nervous system.
One of the last things to mention as a disadvantage to a vegetarian diet lifestyle is the temptation to eat unwanted foods. Everywhere there are temptations, from fast food places to fancy restaurants to dinner at family and friends. Sometimes it is difficult to bear up under the pressure of being told that eating just one bite of something not on your vegetarian diet. It is also sometimes difficult to find enough vegetarian substance when eating away from home.
But even with the disadvantages that you may endure when you choose a vegetarian lifestyle, being a vegetarian is definitely considered a healthy way of eating (when done right). With careful planning and commitment, you can overcome the disadvantages to being a vegetarian. With healthy eating the vegetarian way, you can improve your overall health and physical fitness.
3. Why You Need to See Your Doctor or Nutritionist
With any change in your diet or health it is a good idea to see your doctor. This includes people who are thinking of becoming vegetarians. Although vegetarianism is considered a very healthy way to eat, there may be certain health concerns that your doctor can help you with. Your doctor may suggest that you start off slowly, reducing your meat intake and then eliminating it on a more gradual basis so it is not such a shock to your body’s systems. You doctor may also suggest that a total vegan or vegetarian diet may not be compatible to your particular health concerns.
There are various health concerns that may be involved with becoming vegetarian, about which you should discuss with your doctor. It is common for many vegetarians not to get enough protein in their diets, which could lead to an iron deficiency. Seeing your doctor on a regular basis can help you discover and treat this problem. Your iron status should be carefully monitored. This does not mean that you cannot be a vegetarian. It simply means that you need to modify your vegetarian diet to include more protein and iron-based foods.
Here is an example of what your doctor could recommend for an iron deficiency:
* Your doctor could recommend you avoid black or green tea, or coffee
* Your doctor could recommend you add Vitamin C at mealtimes
* Your doctor could recommend you increase your intake of legumes, like peanuts, beans, lentils or peas
* Your doctor may recommend you cook your food in cast iron skillets (especially water-based acidic foods such as tomato sauce)
In short, you doctor can provide you with ways to stay healthy and still live the vegetarian lifestyle.
Another problem some vegetarians face is stomach issues. Eating a lot of roughage and raw greens can cause stomach problems. Your doctor can help you and advise you on this.
You do need to be careful, however, of some of the medications that your doctor may prescribe because some of them may not be vegetarian or vegan friendly. For instance, chromagen, which may be prescribed to treat an iron deficiency, is made from cow’s stomach. Ask you doctor or pharmacist what is in any medications before you take them. There may be other alternatives that will fit into your vegetarian diet.
Your doctor may also be able to prescribe vitamins for you so that you are sure you are getting the vitamins and minerals you need. With the use of specific blood testing, he may advise you in which vitamin and minerals you may be lacking.
Seeing a nutritionist is also a good idea when you become a vegetarian. He will be able to help you set up menus and with meal planning to ensure you include all the nutrition your vegetarian diet needs. He will also be able to point you in the right direction for support groups, where to get vegetarian foods and recipes, tell you about new discoveries in food (which ones are good or bad) and advise you on all aspects of your diet. Of course, seeing a nutritionist is not a must, but you will gain a lot of beneficial information by visiting one. Visiting a nutritionist at least once a year is a good idea.
Being a vegetarian means you are concerned about your health and what you eat. Consulting your doctor and a nutritionist will only help you in that regard.
4. The Types of Vegetarianism and What They Mean
When you decide to choose a vegetarian lifestyle, you must also choose to what degree of vegetarianism you want to be. There are different types of vegetarians and they fall into different categories. You can choose the type of vegetarian you want to be based on your decisions on why you wish to be a vegetarian in the first place.
You may be choosing to be a vegetarian because of religious reasons, because of your feelings about animals (animal rights or animal testing), because you want to adopt a healthier lifestyle or as a way to promote the environment (animal farms for food purposes or the intrusion of chemicals into animals raised for food). Any of these reasons may prompt you to decide what type of vegetarian you want to be.
In order to make your decision easier, here is a breakdown of the primary types of vegetarianism:
Vegan: A vegan is a vegetarian that consumes no animals or products derived from animals at all. That means that they eat no meat, fish or poultry. They also abstain from eating any dairy products, eggs or other products gained from animals (like honey). This type of vegetarian diet is a bit more complex and challenging to follow than a more typical and relaxed form of vegetarianism. It may require extra effort to achieve the right nutrition to be healthy. As a further note, true vegans seek to exclude using animals for any purpose, such as in clothing or other materials.
Lacto Ovo: Vegetarians who fall into this category are the most common. This type of vegetarian does not eat meat from animals, such as beef, fish or poultry but they do, however, eat eggs and dairy products. This category of vegetarians can also be divided into Ovo Vegetarians who eat eggs but not dairy products, or Lacto Vegetarians who eat dairy products but not eggs.
Raw Vegetarians: This type of vegetarian only eats raw food. This does not include meat at all, but their diet consists mainly of raw vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruit.
Fruitarianism: Although this is still classed as a type of vegetarianism, this is a different type of vegetarianism in that the only foods eaten are the fruit and vegetables that actually fall from plants, such as tomatoes and cucumbers (as well as most fruits). This is a very rare form of vegetarianism that is extremely hard to follow. It is the least common type of vegetarianism.
The type of vegetarianism you choose to adopt is up to you. You have to decide which degree of vegetarianism is the one most suited to you, based on your decision to become a vegetarian.
5. Being a Vegan
Being a vegan is different than being a vegetarian. If you are a regular vegetarian, that means you eat no meat or meat by-products. You still eat dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, eggs, etc. And you can still eat other products gained from animals, like honey. If you are a vegan, these rules are thrown out the window.
A vegan consumes no animals (meat) or animal by-products at all. Being a vegan also means you abstain from eating any products derived from animals at all. That means that you eat no meat, fish or poultry. You do not eat any dairy products at all or any other products gained from animals (like honey).
The majority of vegans also take it to another level. Most vegans also believe that animals or animal products should not be used for other purposes either, like in clothing, shoes, belts, in the creation of hand creams, make-up, medicines, or any other materials.
Being a vegan is much more restrictive and harder than being a regular vegetarian. It is a more complex way of eating and the diet is much more challenging to execute correctly. As a vegan, you need to pay a lot more attention to what you are eating to get the right mix of vitamins, minerals and nutrition to get everything your body needs to keep healthy.
You also need to pay more attention to food labels when buying food and to know what they mean. There are many ingredients included in packaged foods that may not agree with your vegan lifestyle. For instance, food packaging will often list ‘natural flavors’, but that does not mean it is vegan friendly. ‘Natural’ foods can come from animals. Honey comes from animals, doesn’t it? And honey is not one of the things that you as a vegan want to eat.
Even products that state that they are ‘non-dairy’ does not mean they are dairy-free. The term ‘non-dairy’ came about to cater to lactose intolerant individuals. It only means that the food is not ‘primarily’ dairy based.
Another ingredient you should question if you are a vegan is a food product that contains Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 is not vegan friendly. Even certain medications that your doctor may prescribe may not be vegan (or even vegetarian) friendly. A common medication prescribed to help with an iron deficiency may contain chromagen which is made from cow’s stomach.
This all goes to show that you as a vegan need to be careful of everything that you put in your body. You need to be knowledgeable enough to be able to discern what goes into the processed and packaged food. You need to be able to ask questions to know what goes into the medications you are given. You need to be aware and have the ability to speak up to express your concerns and views about what goes into everything you ingest.
It also goes without saying, that as a vegan you need to plan your meals carefully to ensure that you get the right amount of nutrition to keep your body healthy. Be aware that as a vegan, you probably need to take a supplement or have a reliable source of B12 because you eat not dairy products or eggs. It also should be said that to keep your body in optimal health, you should get daily exercise, drink at least eight glasses of water daily and spend at least 10 minutes each day in sunlight to get the Vitamin D your body needs. You should consult a Vegan Food Pyramid to know exactly how many servings of grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, etc. that you need to include in your daily diet.
Being a vegan is not easy. It takes a tremendous amount of willpower, self-control and careful planning. But if being a vegan is your lifestyle choice, you can be reassured that if done correctly, it is a healthy choice.
6. The Social, Environmental, Political and Moral Implications of Becoming a Vegetarian
Becoming a vegetarian is a personal lifestyle choice, but there is more to it than that. Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle often has other implications of which you need to consider. Vegetarianism affects many life issues.
The first thing you need to consider when you become a vegetarian is the social implications of your choice. The general population in the North American way of life is omnivorous (which means meat-eaters), although more and more people choose vegetarianism every day. That means as a vegetarian you are out of the ‘norm’ and may be subject to some criticism from the general meat-eating population. You may be constantly goaded into giving up your vegetarian habits and tempted to eat meat. You will be subjected to a lot of advertising promoting meat and meat products everywhere you look—on T.V., on billboards, on the internet, at fast food places. Also when you go to restaurants or are invited to eat at friends homes, you may have difficulty in finding foods to eat that adhere to your dietary restrictions.
On an environmental level, vegetarianism is great. What better way to promote and protect the environment than in eating natural foods such as fruits and vegetables. You may even want to take it one step further if you become a vegetarian for health reasons and eat only organically grown foods. This helps the environment by promoting a no-chemical or pesticide use policy. And if more people became vegetarians, more plants would be grown, which releases more oxygen into the environment.
The political aspects of becoming a vegetarian are many. There can be two sides to this equation. One would be on the side of the meat producers and meat suppliers, as well as the restaurants, grocery stores, fast food places, etc. that provide food to the meat-eating public. Their profits would decrease if everyone became vegetarians. Of course, vegetable farmers would support vegetarianism.
On the upside to the political implications of vegetarianism is that since vegetarians are growing in number, more political decisions are being made to benefit vegetarians. The government is producing more research monies and promoting more studies in this field. One benefit is how the government is determining what acceptable vegetarian protein choices are and regulating products that are deemed vegetarian.
Another political aspect that involves vegetarians is that being vegetarian is considered a healthier way to eat. This can affect the health care system in that a healthy diet reduces the amount of people needing health care, as in less cancer, heart or other diseases requiring a huge amount of health care funding.
There are definite moral implications for vegetarians. The number one moral implication is that of animals and animal’s rights. Not only do vegetarians not eat meat or meat by-products, but most support the idea of not using animal products in any way…therefore leather belts, sheepskin caps, mink coats, crocodile boots, etc. are all offensive. Vegetarians are also typically against the way animals are treated when being raised for meat, which is usually under inhumane conditions.
The moral implications of vegetarians can also extend to religious beliefs. For example, in the many societies, meat-eating is not considered ethical. It is believed that killing is killing, and promotes more killing, even if it is only animals. Therefore many people become vegetarians on moral principle.
The long and short of it is that there may be implications in many aspects of society when you choose to become a vegetarian. You need to understand your own reasons for being a vegetarian so that you can defend your arguments to others who may not understand your life choice. You also need to be aware of why others may not agree with your decision.
7. What are the Health Benefits of Vegetarian Foods?
In the past being a vegetarian was considered a ‘fad’ and the health aspects of adopting a vegetarian lifestyle were not considered. As more and more people are changing over to vegetarianism, it is becoming more accepted. In fact, many studies show that the vegetarian diet is a very healthy way to eat and has significant health benefits. Even medical costs show that a vegetarian lifestyle has a major impact on the prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity and other food related illnesses compared with meat-eating counterparts.
In many major studies, vegetarian diets suggest that the consumption of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts and fruits have a high relation to the avoidance of meat and high-fat animal products. A vegetarian diet, along with a regular exercise program, is consistently associated with reduced blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, less obesity (which is also linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and mortality).
The World Cancer Research Fund published a major report in 1997 that recommended a predominantly plant-based diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and minimally processed foods to help lower the risk of cancer. They suggested eating less grilled, cured or smoked meats and fish. (Meat prepared in those ways produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines that are carcinogenic.) In fact, over 200 studies have proved that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cancer by about half. A high consumption of whole grains also helps reduce the risk of cancer by about 20-50%.
The best cancer-protecting are the cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower, umbelliferous vegetables and herbs, such as carrots, celery, cilantro, caraway, dill and parsley, other fruits and vegetables, like citrus, tomatoes, cucumber, grapes, cantaloupe and berries, beans and soybeans, whole grain such as brown rice, oats, and whole wheat, flaxseed, nuts and various seasoning herbs, like garlic, scallions, onions and chives, along with ginger, turmeric, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and basil. Those foods contain the cancer-preventing phytochemical's which also stimulate the immune system and are considered antioxidants.
With respect to heart disease, a British study found that daily consumption of fresh fruit was associated with a 24% reduction of mortality and a 32% reduction in death from cerebrovascular disease. The study also showed that eating raw salads produced a 26% reduction in mortality from heart disease.
Other studies have shown other significant lowering of incidence of coronary heart disease compared to regular meat eaters. This is mainly due to the fact that a vegetarian diet has less calories, and better cholesterol and triglyceride ratios. Other contributing factors include folic acid, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, carotenoid, phytosterols, flavonoids and other polyphenolic antioxidant levels.
Berries, beans and grains (like strawberries, cherries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes and black currants) commonly included in vegetarian diets are effective in scavenging free radicals and in inhibiting LDL cholesterol oxidation and platelet aggregation.
Other studies show that legumes lower blood cholesterol levels, improve control of blood sugar and lower triglyceride levels. Beans, which are good sources of fibre, protein, saponins, phytosterols and polyunsaturated fat, are also shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. One study revealed that regular consumption of whole wheat bread actually reduced the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart disease by 40-50%.
Other studies have also shown that the frequent consumption of nuts (also common on vegetarian diets) is associated with a 30-60% risk reduction of coronary heart disease. Although nuts are known to be high in fat, they are naturally low in saturated fat and most of them are rich in mono-unsaturated fat. They also contain a number of vitamins and minerals, along with other substances, that are good for cardiovascular health.
Studies done on stroke and diabetes also prove that there is a significant relationship between fruit and vegetable consumption, stating that cruciferous and green leafy vegetables, along with citrus fruits, were the most protective.
All of the studies so far have proved that a vegetarian style diet is the healthiest and protects the body the most for most major health risks. Vegetarians were found to have lower body weights, higher potassium and lower sodium intakes and lower mean blood pressures than their meat-eating counterparts resulting in reduced risks for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
8. 10 Steps to Becoming a Vegetarian
Deciding to become a vegetarian is not a decision to be taken lightly. It takes a lot of commitment, self-discipline and extra effort to become a successful vegetarian. If you are serious about adopting a vegetarian lifestyle, here is a list of 10 steps to help you get started.
The first step is making your decision to become a vegetarian. You should examine your reasons for taking this new step in your life. Are you becoming a vegetarian because of your feelings towards animals? Is it for health reasons? Or perhaps you have religious reasons for becoming vegetarian. Whatever you reason, you have to make a conscious effort to make the commitment toward the change in your eating habits and lifestyle.
Your second step is to decide what type of vegetarianism you wish to adopt. You can choose to be a person who only abstains from eating meat, but still eats eggs and milk products. You can choose to be a vegan and eat no animal or animal products at all. You can choose to only eat fruits. The type of vegetarian you become can affect your next steps.
Before you go whole-hog into the vegetarian lifestyle it may be a good idea to consult your doctor first. You may have health issues that can affect your decision either way. Your doctor may find your dietary restrictions not suitable to your particular health situation, or he may adamantly agree that vegetarianism is the right choice for you. He may also help you decide on what type of vegetarian you should become.
Your next step should be to research a vegetarian’s dietary requirements. You need to ensure that becoming a vegetarian is a healthy choice for your body so you need to know what you should be eating to get in your daily nutritional requirements. Search the web for information, visit your library, find a Vegetarian Food Pyramid, or consult with a nutritionist.
Next you should learn to read food product labels. You need to know what is in the food you are eating so that you can avoid products that contain animal by-products that you may not want in your diet.
Search through your food cupboards and refrigerator at home and remove any products that are not on your vegetarian diet list. If meat products or by-products are not in your home, you will not inadvertently eat them or be tempted by them.
Set up your kitchen to be vegetarian friendly. Get kitchen equipment that will make making vegetarian meals easier (like blenders, food processors, a grill, etc.) If there are other meat eaters in the house, you may want to separate your cooking equipment from theirs so your food is not contaminated by being in contact with any meat products. You may also want to invest in a
couple of good vegetarian cookbooks.
Plan your meals ahead of time. Look through recipe books or online to find tempting vegetarian dishes that look appealing. Refer to your Vegetarian Food Pyramid to ensure you are getting all your daily requirements in. Make a weekly menu plan to refer to. If you do, you will know exactly what you should be eating for that week and will be less likely to stray.
After you have made up your weekly menu plan, make a list of all the foods that you need to purchase. Visit your local grocery store or market and purchase only the items on the list. Don’t even go near the meat aisles. And be sure to read your product labels and purchase only vegetarian or vegan friendly items. You will have gained the knowledge of how to do this with your previous research.
Be sure to inform your family and friends of your new lifestyle choice. You want to ensure their support of your decision to become a vegetarian.
Of course you can do other things to make adjusting to a vegetarian lifestyle easier—like planting your own garden to supply you with fresh vegetables. If you follow the steps above, however, you will have a good start on your new healthy lifestyle.
9. How to Overcome Temptation as a Vegetarian Newbie