What is a Vegetarian?

What is a Vegetarian?

In its most general sense, a vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat. There are four main classifications of vegetarians.

• Pescetarian vegetarian – This is someone who is also called a semi-vegetarian since they do eat fish. They do not eat any other kind of meat.
• Lacto-Ovo vegetarian – This is someone who does not eat red meat, chicken, or fish but who does eat dairy products and chicken eggs. This is by far the most common form of vegetarianism.
• Lacto vegetarian – This is someone who drinks milk but does not eat meat of any kind or chicken eggs.
• Vegan – There are many types of vegans but the most general definition is someone who eats no meat, no dairy products, and no eggs. Vegans often abstain from using any animal product or by-products.

There are many health benefits of a vegetarian diet, including simply living longer. For a variety of reasons, Vegetarians have been shown in many studies to flat out live longer than carnivores.
Vegetarians tend to have lower:

• Cholesterol counts
• Blood Pressure
• Body Mass Index (BMI)
• Risk of Diabetes
• Risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia

There are many misconceptions about vegetarian diets.

Misconceptions about vegetarianism:

• I can’t get enough protein.
• I can’t get enough iron.
• I can’t get enough calories.
• I’ll always feel tired.
• You can’t be an athlete on a vegetarian diet.

Truths about vegetarianism:

• Proteins are formed from amino acids and a complete protein can be formed by the intake of the eight types of essential amino acids. There are vegetarian sources that are complete proteins such as soy, quinoa, hempseed, etc. But getting partial protein sources in combinations throughout the day from sources like hummus and pita provide complete proteins as well and have been shown to be equally as effective.
• There are many ways for Vegetarians to get enough iron in their diet. Most breakfast cereals are fortified with iron and other minerals. Additionally many types of seeds, beans, and lentils provide quality foods with high iron content.
• Most people who switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet and follow a quality diet plan will feel considerably energized. There is usually a period of adjustment as your body gets used to processing different food. Once this short period is over (maybe 1-2 weeks) the vast majority of people who stick with the diet report higher levels of energy and vitality.
• Most American diets are too high in calories, which is one of the reasons that the US has such an issue with obesity and weight control. Vegetarian diets can have just as high caloric intake as carnivorous diets without any additional effort. Even the high calorie needs of an athlete can be met with a properly planned vegetarian diet.
• There are countless examples of famous vegetarian athletes. Interestingly enough, sports that require significant endurance like running and cycling have long lists of top athletes that follow vegetarian diets. Famed Olympian Carl Lewis is a vegan. He actually claims that the vegan diet is better suited for him because it allows him to consume larger quantities of food without affecting his athleticism.

What is a Vegetarian? A vegetarian is someone who doesn’t eat meat. The specifics might vary from person to person, but that is the definition in a nut shell.