A healthy vegetarian diet can be a highly effective solution to several health issues people face daily. From losing weight, to lowering high cholesterol in the body, becoming a vegetarian is a complete lifestyle change that several people choose to employ. A healthy vegetarian diet is basically broken down as simply restricting your food intake to non-meat items. There are several layers to these types of diets which allow certain meats to be eaten like:
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarian: which allows you to eat eggs and dairy products
- Pescetarian or Fishetarian: which permits the consumption of fish
- Flexitarian: where you can eat fish but no red meat
For many people, the choice to start a healthy vegetarian diet is simply a personal decision about environmental or ethical choices the individual may have about the treatment of animals. Because of these philosophies, many people are choosing to start this type of diet. However, for people who are trying to lose weight, choosing to begin a healthy vegetarian diet might provide the individual with a stronger conviction to stick with this type of diet program.
Back in 2005, the American Journal of Medicine stated information from a medical survey about a healthy vegetarian diet showing a plant based, low fat diet is highly effective at helping people improve insulin sensitivity and lose weight. The study also concluded that this kind of diet is more effective for helping in these two areas than an omnivorous diet (which is when people eat both meat and plants). The study also concluded that countries and individuals who do not consume meat for cultural or religious reasons had lower rates of diabetes, high-blood pressure and heart disease.
One thing that all medical experts can agree on is that in order for a healthy vegetarian diet to be effective, it must be followed correctly. Simply not eating meat but choosing to eat potato chips, pasta and cheese is not being a vegetarian. Another hurdle that individuals who choose the vegetarian lifestyle deal with are stereo-types the community has battled over the past few decades, such as being labeled as 'tree-huggers' or 'hippies'. No matter what labels have been applied over the years, the fact remains that several health studies have confirmed that consuming a vegetarian foods is becoming mainstream. And more scientific evidence supports that living a vegetarian lifestyle is a great way not only to lose weight, but to remain healthy for years to come.
Here are some of the PROS:
- Vegetarians traditionally have lower BMI's (body mass index) or overall weight rates than people who are omnivorous or carnivores
- The retail consumer marketing has embraced it as mainstream and has adjusted their branding accordingly
- A healthy vegetarian diet reduces the risk of heart disease, and other diseases related to obesity
- There are several types of vegetarian diets a person can follow
- It is more eco-friendly and promotes more plant growth, which is great for our environment
Here are some of the CONS:
- People who engage in a healthy vegetarian diet have to be well educated on how grains and other products are important for complete protein or they might develop nutritional deficiencies
- A healthy vegetarian diet might be expensive for some people
- It restricts ALL meats, fish and chicken intake in many cases
- Those who oppose suggest that people deny their bodies of important nutrients found in meats
More Information
As vegetarianism gains momentum, the mainstream media has parlayed this into hundreds of books, support groups, videos, websites and even clothing which provide important information about the effectiveness of being vegetarian. Simply put, it allows people to lose weight by eating leafy greens, legumes, soy proteins, whole grains and nuts. However, restrictions of products not to eat during a healthy vegetarian diet include:
- Pork products
- Red Meat products
- Fish or seafood products
- Chicken products
As the world begins to expand its awareness of vegetarianism, your available options expand as well. More restaurants, cookbooks and retail outlets are providing more ingredients and meals to support the vegetarian lifestyle. If you are looking to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, choosing a healthy vegetarian diet might be a good choice for you.
Starting a healthy vegetarian diet [http://ahealthyvegetariandiet.com/] is as simple as finding a good source of information to guide you to a better lifestyle. Be sure to visit the web's best vegetarian guide at [http://ahealthyvegetariandiet.com/] to get started on a healthier "you" today!
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