Understanding Vegetarianism

Like the Sun, Moon, and Earth, there are three kinds of vegetarians in existence: ovo-lacto, a vegetarian that eats vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts, as well as eggs and dairy products. Lacto, a vegetarian that eats everything the "ovo-lacto" does, except eggs. Finally, we have vegans, a vegetarian that eats what the rest of the others eat, except for any kind of animal products, period. Each group of vegetarian is unique, but branches from the same tree of life.

Why would anyone want to be a vegetarian? Well there are many reasons as there are stars in the heavens. Some reasons are for health purposes, religious/spiritual, environmental, and the love and protection of animals. Other reasons may be for very personal ones. No matter the reason, we all meet at the same intersection on the road of health.

What Can Vegetarianism Do For Me?

Science has proven time and again that vegetarians are among the healthiest people on the planet. They live longer and are less prone to chronic diseases. Eating a low fat vegetarian diet can also help in losing excess weight. Obesity can lead to adult onset diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Eating a vegetarian type diet can reverse heart disease and other health complaints such as arthritis. In addition, the vegetarian diet can lower blood pressure. Because potassium is plentiful in fruits and vegetables, the vegetarian diet lowers blood pressure by helping the kidneys abolish sodium and modify blood pressure-regulating enzymes.

A vegetarian diet decreases the thickness of blood. As a result, it flows more easily through blood vessels. This in turn means the heart works less to push the blood. Further more, a vegetarian diet benefits you by using millions of kidney cells to filter and purify your blood. A meat diet over works the kidneys and slowly kills off the kidney cells called nephrons. Animal protein, when broken down in the body, produces waste products that strain the filtering power of the kidneys. If you've lost any kind of kidney function, due to infection, diabetes or even high blood pressure, your increased chances of nephrons damaging your kidneys are high. Plant based proteins on the other hand, do not damage or harm your kidneys in anyway.

Nutritional Vegetarians

As a new vegetarian, no doubt you'll be wondering if you'll be getting the right nutrition and certainly enough of it. Yes and yes, there's no reason why you would be under nourished being a vegetarian. Fruits and vegetables provide crucial nutrients such as vitamins C and E, beta carotene and lycopene. Such nutrients are referred to as antioxidants and their function is to help fight diseases by neutralizing substances called free radicals. Antioxidants contain disease fighting properties that protect cells from damage.

Religious & Spiritual Paths

Many religions practice some form of vegetarianism. In the East, you have the Hindus and Buddhists. In the West, you have Christians like the Seventh Day Adventist. Many Eastern and Western Mystics also follow the vegetarian path. Through meditation and other spiritual practices, they have gained a greater awareness of how they should be eating and treating their bodies. Even Jewish Mystics follow the vegetarian lifestyle.

For The Love of Planet & Animals

Among other reasons for becoming a vegetarian are environmental and animal rights issues. Raising animals for food causes topsoil loss, erosion and isn't a light matter. This sort of farming (livestock agriculture) is rapidly deteriorating the world's crop lands. It takes 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat, compared to 390 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef. Livestock produce massive amounts of excrement, which has been shown to pollute soil, water, and air. Animals such as chickens, pigs and cows are forced to live in In-Humane conditions which cultivate disease and emotional, physical, and mental pain, as well as discomfort. The methods used to kill these creatures for the sake of feeding the masses are usually pretty violent and heart breaking. Scientist has proven that animals have feelings too and they surely feel pain.

Eat Right -- Live Well

That's right, many people just want to eat healthy and feel better in there lives. It truly feels good to be a vegetarian in everyway. You can't go wrong with better health, helping the planet and its creatures. You also share a common bond with some of the world's most famous people: Pythagoras, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Gandhi, and Charles Darwin. There are plenty of other famous people such as actors and actresses of our time, that are vegetarians and proud of it.

A New Beginning

Vegetarianism isn't just something that you do or way of eating, but also a state of being that illuminates your mind, spirit, emotion and body in a way of existing, that allows you to experience life in a very rewarding and positive way. To be a vegetarian, is to see the hidden harmony in a world of disguised chaos. I can assure you, we're unique individuals.

Gabriel Foster is the editor for http://www.gabrielfoster.com, the online magazine for both vegetarians and natural health enthusiasts.

Related News:

5 Reasons Why Being Vegetarian Rocks
Being a vegetarian, we are blessed with a healthier life, lighter body, more affordable meals and much more ...

Related Articles:

Peanut Allergy ? What You Need To Know
The peanut problem continues to grow and that?s partially a result of peanuts being a cheap source of dietary protein. At one time it was mainly found in peanut butter but because it is so cheap it is used in many different products. Since there are so many people suffering from a peanut allergy here?s what you need to know.

The Dreaded Peanut Allergy
One of the best dietary proteins consumed in the United States is peanut butter. Even with its high level of popularity, eating peanuts at the local sports arena or rodeo, sitting around with the family snacking in front of a fire, or sending a child off to school with the ultimate – peanut butter and jelly sandwich, peanuts are one of America's highest allergenic foods.

Vegetarianism And The Vegetarian Movement Beliefs
With the growing interest in the health benefits of the vegetarian diets, it is easy to forget why vegetarianism was invented in the first place. The vegetarian websites are full of information why vegetarianism is good for us ? it lowers our Body Mass Index, makes us healthier and better-looking. In this flood of information it is easy to miss the fact that the first vegetarians weren't interested in their health at all. There were other, more serious, reasons to quit eating meat.

Wheat Gluten Allergies
Nobody wants to live with an allergy. Its especially troubling when youre allergic to a particular type of food. An allergy to wheat can be especially troubling since its found in so many foods. Gluten is a rubbery protein thats contained in grains. Its common in breads that are made from wheat, barley, rye and oats. Its these proteins that people are allergic to. Albumin, globulin, gluetnin and gliadin are the four basic proteins that can be found in wheat.

Vegetarianism Guide to Types of Vegetarians
Usually, when you think of vegetarians, you think of people who avoid eating any type of animal flesh including beef, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, etc. There are several types and variations to vegetarianism. While many of the vegetarians are lacto ovo vegetarians who will everything but any kind of meat, some others will avoid eating eggs and dairy products and others will say no to beef, pork and poultry but will include fish and other seafood in their diet.

Cow?s Milk Allergy And Babies
Allergy to cow?s milk is the most prevalent form of food allergy that primarily affects children. Most infants and babies fortunately outgrow cow?s milk allergy during their second to third year of formula milk intake.

Peanut Allergies - When Halloween Treats are a Halloween Fright
Kid's Fashion Line Addresses the Dangers of Peanuts in Snacks to Allergic Children.

Environmentalists Say Google Shows Rise of Vegans and Vegetarians for World Vegan Day
As part of the World Vegan Day celebrations Vegans cite Google and food manufacturers to reveal a dramatic upward trend in the popularity of healthy, planet friendly vegan foods and lifestyles. World Vegan Day 1st November is expected to be the most influential ever. Vegan organisations are predicting the number of consumers regularly buying vegan products will have doubled by the end of the year as they realise the environmental and health benefits.

10 Tips For Avoiding Peanut Allergy Reactions
It has been estimated that up to 1 percent of the population of the United States or as many as 3 million people suffer from peanut allergies. More people in America suffer from peanut allergy than any other food allergy and for some of them exposure to even a very small amount could be fatal. Peanut allergies result in 80 of those afflicted grow out of it, for the rest of them it's a very serious problem. Even the tiniest contact with a peanut or peanut product could cause major problems for many sufferers. A strange thing about peanut allergies is that the first time someone is exposed to a peanut they don't have a problem, but the second time they could have a reaction. The reason is the first time the immune system develops antibod...

Food Allergy Versus Food Intolerance
Among the allergies rampant in American lives today, food allergy is one of the top three. However, some people misdiagnose food allergy as food intolerance. There are certain similarities but one must be careful in administering medicines to a person with an allergy.

Major Summer Offensive: Over 25 Vegan Organisations Form Super Team to Turn Everyone Into Vegetarians
Hold onto your BBQ's - Top UK vegetarian and vegan NGOs in the UK are joining forces this summer to create a formidable team to promote the benefits of a vegan lifestyle, it's lighter carbon footprint, veganism's solution for cruelty free sustainable living and to double the number of vegans in the UK by the end of the year. They want to change the way we eat and the status quo whether we like it or not.

Wheat Allergy Versus Wheat Intolerance
Many food allergies are confused with a food intolerance. A wheat allergy typically is confused with a wheat intolerance and if you dig even further can be confused with a gluten allergy as well as celiac disease. How you manage your reactions or intolerance can be very different so it is very important to know the difference between a wheat allergy and a wheat intolerance.

Peanut Allergy Symptoms
A peanut allergy is an illness that is caused by the body's reaction to particular substances. Everytime the body comes into contact with a substance it considers as harmful, it reacts by releasing histamines to fight off these allergens. As the body fights these allergens, the person exhibits the classic symptoms of an allergic reaction. There are many substances that can cause allergy like insect bites, pollen, dust and food. Aside from shellfish, fish and eggs, allergy to peanuts is the most common.

The Vegetarian Dog - Feeding Your Dog A Healthy Vegetarian Diet
The Vegetarian Dog Many dog owners are looking for a healthy way to feed their dog One way to do that is with a vegetarian diet

The Peanut Allergy Problem
More than 3 million people in America have a peanut allergy which translates into 1 out of every 90 people or 1.10% of the population. The peanut allergy problem continues to grow.