Did you know that October is National Vegetarian Awareness Month? First, I promise that I am not going to tell you that you must stop eating meat if that is something you have no desire to do. I do, however, hope to increase your knowledge and understanding of what it means to be vegetarian, reasons why people choose this lifestyle, and how you could improve your health by taking a few vegetarian tips.
First, what is a vegetarian? These individuals build their meals and snacks around plant-based foods. To clarify certain terms you may have heard, a lacto-ovo vegetarian does not eat meat, fish or poultry, a lacto vegetarian adds eggs to the list of foods to avoid, while a vegan avoids all foods that are animal-based or contain animal products. A newer classification term is flexitarian, which is a semi-vegetarian who mainly eats a vegetarian diet with the occasional intake of meat products.
Reasons for eating a vegetarian diet range from ethical, environmental, religious, and economic to personal preference and health-related. If you are reading this blog, I am going to assume that you are interested in maximizing your health options and so I will give you a few tidbits and stats related to health. Research shows that people who eat red eat red meat (2 servings per day) have a 40 percent higher risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke than individuals who eat one serving of red meat every two to four days. When you remove a certain degree of meat from your typical diet, you have to replace it with something else. When you replace meat with healthy, plant-based alternatives such as beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and seed, you will be adding such a large variety of antioxidants and fiber, both of which have known health benefits and can aid in weight management.
Personally, I like to experiment with different eating options so that I can relate to people that am providing nutrition counseling to and hopefully share tips and insights that I learn. Honestly, I am not a big meat eater. I often choose from the vegetarian options when dining out and cook little meat in my home. But if I do want meat, I will have it. But I have taken months at a time that I have specifically worked to follow a vegetarian diet. When doing so, I find that I plan healthier options and discover healthy options I had not noticed before.
Health, as well as environmental benefits, can be gained from going vegetarian just a few days per week. Look at the foods that are vegetarian that you already enjoy and find ways to increase those. Consider preparing a vegetarian chili that is full of bean and veggies to warm you up on as the days get cooler. Try a veggie wrap and fruit for lunch one day per week. Don’t be scared off with the thought that it is “all or nothing”. Experiment with your eating, try new veggie entrées and don’t miss out on some health benefits just because you don’t think you can! Sure you can! Below are some great websites that offer further tips, recipes, and information. And if you have more questions or concerns on this topic, please feel free to comment!
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