Archive for category Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism Facts
Posted by in Vegetarianism on June 29, 2011
‘We are what we eat’, this is not to say that when we eat meat or poultry, we become goats and chickens, I basically mean that what ever we eat, it is responsible for our health and over all wellness. A diet that sustains the body purely on all plant based or derived foods like fruits, vegetables, cereal, nuts, etc. is known as a vegetarian diet. Vegetarianism facts include the types of vegetarianism and vegetarianism pros and cons in regards to its health benefits.
Facts about Vegetarianism
There are types or levels of being a vegetarian, meaning that what is excluded and/or included in our diet is more or less dependent on our personal, cultural or religious belief, economic reasons and/or to derive medical/health benefits.
* Veganism Diet: A Veganism diet excludes all animal products, including eggs, honey and all dairy products
* Ovo-vegetarian Diet: Includes eggs but not a single dairy product
* Lacto-vegetarian Diet: Includes all dairy products, but excludes eggs
* Lacto-ovo Vegetarian Diet: Includes both; dairy products and eggs
Read here to know more about the different types of vegetarians.
The concept of vegetarianism is primarily an Asian, more specifically an Indian one. Though records show that this practice was quite prevalent in ancient Greece. Before compounding on the benefits of vegetarianism, let us understand who is a vegetarian. The concept of vegetarianism is based on the premise that all life is precious and cannot be taken for the purpose of consumption. This concept was widely promoted by Indian religious groups and philosophers. This practice hardly saw light beyond Indian shores until the 19th and 20th centuries, when it become fashionable to be a ‘vegetarian’. This practice became such a rage, that more and more people wanted to try it out. But there was absolute confusion as the concepts of semi-vegetarianism (some meats were included), pescetarianism (inclusion of fish) and others started taking root. To address the needs and these particular confusions, the first Vegetarian Society was founded in England in 1847, and the International Vegetarian Union, a union of the national societies, in 1908. According to these societies, meat, fish, or any other form of meat and products derived from them were not considered as vegetarianism and or its form. Read the rest of this entry »
Vegetarianism
Posted by in Vegetarianism on June 29, 2011
Living with a diet that excludes all the animals and slaughter byproducts is termed as vegetarianism. Every now and then we come across people who have either been following a vegetarian diet since birth or have switched to a non-vegetarian diet and the reasons are varied. Many people do it because of their love for animals, some people are simply used to following it, few do it because it is what their religion or culture says, the reasons might be moral, social, health related or even economical for that matter.
History and Origins of Vegetarianism
The promotion of a vegetarian diet or a diet devoid of meat and flesh can be traced back to the 1st millennium BC in India. Also in the eastern Mediterranean, the concept of vegetarianism was being preached as a part of the teachings of the philosopher Pythagoras of Samos (c. 530 BC). Thereafter, the concept of vegetarianism has been an integral part of many belief systems, religions and cultures. Some of the prominent religions and cultures that believe in vegetarianism include Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. The First Vegetarian Society was founded in England in the year 1847, which was later embraced by countries and by 1853 the Society already had 889 members. Soon, the concept of Vegetarianism was spread on the global scenario, which perhaps led to the formation of the International Vegetarian Union in 1908, which was a union of several national vegetarian societies. However it is only in the twentieth century that the popularity of vegetarianism increased in the western world, due to nutritional, ethical, and also environmental and economic concerns.
Variations of Vegetarianism
Many a times people get confused about the accurate definitions and implications of a vegetarian diet, mainly because there exist several variations of Vegetarianism, which have minute differences about inclusion of dairy and poultry products. Often we hear customized terms like vegans, or even eggitarians, these are the variant diet patterns that stem from the basics of vegetarianism. Here are all the variations of vegetarianism:
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism: Vegetarians who do not include any meat, fish or poultry but allow the inclusion of other animal-obtained products like eggs, dairy and honey in their diet are termed as ‘lacto-ovo vegetarians’. Lacto-Ovo vegetarians believe in consumption of animal products that are given by the animals by will.
Lacto Vegetarianism: Vegetarians who do not include any meat, fish or poultry but allow the inclusion of dairy and honey in their diet are termed as lacto-vegetarians. Lacto-vegetarians do not include eggs in their diet due to their belief that consumption of eggs is synonymous with the murder of an unborn young one.
Ovo Vegetarianism: Vegetarians who do not include any meat, fish or poultry but allow the inclusion of eggs and honey in their diet are termed as Ovo-vegetarians. Ovo-vegetarians do not consume the dairy and dairy products derived from animal milk.
Veganism: Known as strict-vegetarianism or pure vegetarianism – Veganism is perhaps a concept that is far more stringent than all the other variations about the use of animals and animal related products for consumption. It does not allow any type of meat or poultry, nor does it allow the consumption of eggs, dairy and other animal-derived products like honey. Not just food, vegans also abhor the use of animals for clothing or any other purpose of mankind. Read the rest of this entry »