There Are Many Ways To Be A Vegetarian

When people think of vegetarians what usually comes to their minds is one
homogeneous group that just does not eat meat. But that definition is too broad
and general too understand the truth of what is a vegetarian. There are many
different categories of vegetarians which are as diverse as the reasons for
going vegetarian in the first place.

Yes, a vegetarian is generally defined as someone who does not eat meat, but
there are many people who do not eat meat but still eat animal derived products
such as dairy, including items like milk, cheese, yogurt and even ice cream.
Eggs are also an animal derived product and consumes by many who identify
themselves as being vegetarians. A lacto-ovo vegetarian is defined as a
vegetarian who does not eat meat, fish or poultry, but does consume eggs, milk
or cheese. A lacto vegetarian consumes milk and cheese products, but does not
consume eggs. On the other hand, a vegetarian who eats eggs but abstains from
eating dairy is identified as an ovo vegetarian.

A vegan is someone who does not consume any animal product or animal by-product, including dairy food and eggs. They eat only vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains
and legumes. Most often they also do not use animal products, such as leather.
Vegans also do not use white sugar because it is often processed with a
substance derived from animal bones that whitens the sugar.

There are also many other categories within the vegetarian community.
Fruitarians, for example, will eat only fruit. The rationale behind this way of thinking is that fruits, including fruits such as tomatoes, are
self-perpetuating and do not need to be planted to create the food source. They consider consuming fruit to be the most natural way of eating and the path
which is most in balance and harmony with the earth and mother nature.

All the advocates of the above described styles of vegetarianism will eat cooked vegetables, fruits and legumes, but there are also people who are part of a
growing movement which advocates eating only raw or living foods. There way of thinking is based on the assumption that cooking food destroys or inactivates
most of the enzymes nutrients which are in the food. They feel that to get all
the nutritional value, vitamins and amino acids from food, it is best to consume
the food raw or juiced. Some believe that if any food should be cooked at all,
it should only be cooked to slightly over 100 degrees, as then a majority of the nutrients will still be retained.

Finally, there have been stories of a few individuals who have reached high
level of consciousness and are able to sustain themselves from just breathing in
energy from the air. Supposedly, these people are practitioners of esoteric
forms of yoga found in India or Nepal. These people are known as breatherians.

If you already are some kind of vegetarian or are considering becoming a
vegetarian it is a good idea to keep in mind that the more restrictive you
become with your diet, the more educated you need to become. The best advice for
anyone is to be sure you are getting all the necessary proteins, complex
carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and vitamins that you need to maintain good
health, including brain, muscle and heart health.


The author has a wide range of experience in many areas. He has been a vegetarian for 11 years. For the over a decade he has been involved in Information technology and the Internet. The Intenet is the ultimate source for information and rather than surfing back and for over hundreds of websites, go to the one website that that has it all, almost AllNewsInformation