Meat To A Vegetarian Diet example essay topic

To most people vegetarianism means the refraining of meat, primarily red meat, from personal consumption. Although the traditional vegetarian abstinence of red meat has grown into a group of varied lifestyles, little is known about them. To some people vegetarians are considered to be a drop out of the hippy era, or are labelled as 'weird' or 'feral'. Because of the misinterpretations surrounding vegetarianism in society I am going to outline the various diets which are recognized as vegetarianism. I hope by writing this I can change some attitudes and misunderstandings, of the motivations behind the vegetarian lifestyles. Plain vegetarianism; the first and most recognized is the general abstinence of red meat, some vegetarians see the consumption of white meats as acceptable, white meat includes fish, poultry and maybe even pork.

They also consume dairy produce, eggs and any other form of animal produce used in their everyday lives. Vegetarians replace the red meat in their diets with vegetables, fruit and other vegetarian alternatives, these are usually processed foods made from either soy a or gluten, there are also vegetarian burgers, which are made from formed vegetables. One of the variations of the red meat vegetarian, which closely follows the above description, is the ovo-lac to vegetarianism diet, which finds diary produce and eggs acceptable but no meat at all. Not even white meat, some ovo-lac to vegetarians consider fish to be acceptable, this is because categorically speaking fish is not considered meat, it is still flesh, and in my opinion constitutes as meat. Another recognized version of vegetarianism is the lac to vegetarian kind. These vegetarians consider meat; red and white, to be unacceptable, they also abstain from eggs.

Dairy products are also a part of the lac to vegetarian lifestyle, the lack of animal eggs in the diet of these vegetarians is made up in the form of egg replaces and even meat alternatives like tofu can be used to simulate some egg dishes. Another path taken by vegetarians is the, pure vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Which includes the abstinence of meat of all kinds, dairy produce, eggs, and all edible animal produce. To some vegans the diet exceeds the boundaries of food and takes on a full-scale animal product boycott. This comes in the abstinence of leather, fur, wool, silk and any other animal product. Your probably thinking that doesn't leave a whole lot of choices as far as food is concerned.

Well there is actually a growing market for vegan foods in super markets, as the benefits of soy a and gluten become more recognized. From soy milk to vegan sausage rolls to vegan pizza made with vegan cheese, its all there; and it all tastes, smells and looks just like the original, yet these alternatives are free of cholesterol and any animal products. The most disciplined vegetarian choice is the whole food vegetarian, which is based on the vegan diet, but which takes it to the extreme of abstaining from all highly processed foods: i.e. white bread, white sugar, white rice etc. They rely almost solely on nutrients from whole foods; fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds, wholemeal and wholegrain foods, soy produce and sometimes gluten based foods, such as vegan burgers.

Some vegans tend to lean towards this diet, but usually still use some foods which include processed flours or sugars. Although for health reasons it is always good to make use of wholemeal or wholegrain alternatives rather then more processed types of food. Most people don't actually base their entire diet around it due to the high discipline required. Of course these are just a handful of recognized vegetarian diets, there are no strict guidelines for being a vegetarian.

The discipline involved in the diet is really up to the person, there are many motivations for vegetarianism, everyone finds their own, and depending on your personal reasons the extent of your diet will be reflected. Some people may take price into consideration, a vegan diet can tend to be expensive at times, and it mainly depends on the availability of products in your area. But here are some of the easiest to come by in any area, more so because of lactose intolerance then vegetarianism, but they serve the same purpose, in most cases... Whole foods - Fresh vegetables and fruits, are essential to any diet, especially a vegetarian diet, unless you want to take loads of vitamin supplements for the rest of your vegetarian life (not recommended). Vitamins - Depending on how far you decide to take your vegetarianism, you will need vitamins... Tofu - A preferred and cheap food for vegetarians, which is a soy bean curd, available in an unflavored block it also comes seasoned, smoked, stuffed with vegetable chunks, deep fried, in both soft and firm textures, tofu also comes in flavour ed deserts.

Usually Tofu comes in a white almost colourless texture and is kept wet for preservation in an airtight plastic bag. It is cheap and easy to cook and use, tofu is on its own almost tasteless and takes on a taste of whatever its cooked with well... Soy Milk - An alternative made from the soy a bean, it almost tastes just as dairy milk does, the only difference is a nutty, creamier taste. It is also slightly higher in fat then dairy milk, but it contains no cholesterol, but if you are concerned about your weight, consider low fat soy milk. Another factor to keep in mind is the fortification of the milk, be sure to get milk which is fortified with at least calcium, you can usually find soy milk which is fortified in calcium and at least vitamins A and B 1. TVP; Textured Vegetable Protein - This is a vegan safe alternative to mince meat, and it can be used in many different ways, in vegetarian pasta sauce it makes a big difference.

It comes in a de-hydrated form and is mixed with hot water to create the desired effect of mince, although it doesn't carry the taste of blood that you find in normal mince. TVP can sometimes be found in refined styles which are especially used for sausage rolls, chicken nuggets etc... Gluten Meat Alternatives - These come in various mock products and foods, some of the best known are the hot dog alternatives, there are also burgers, sausages, various stir fry 'meats' and a large amount of meat slices, which are seasoned etc. A lot of gluten meat alternatives are only suitable for ovo-vegetarians, or vegetarians that eat eggs. One of the biggest motivations for a vegetarian change to a meat eater's diet is the health implication. Vegetarian diets are amongst the healthiest that you can ever choose to undertake, by avoiding meat you are reducing your risk of several health problems which may occur in both the early stages of life and the later.

One of the most important health factors of a vegetarian diet is the lowered amount of cholesterol intake, you will lower your cholesterol levels greatly by a vegetarian diet, and a vegan diet will stop your intake 100 percent. This is because cholesterol is only found in animal products, intern this makes the risks of heart disease much lower for vegetarians. A large number of studies, dating back to the early 1920's, show that vegetarians have lower blood pressure then non-vegetarians. In fact some studies have shown that adding meat to a vegetarian diet raises blood pressure levels rapidly and significantly.

The effect of a vegetarian diet occurs in addition to the benefits of reducing the sodium content of the diet. When patients with high blood pressure begin a vegetarian diet, many are able to eliminate their need for medication. One of the essential things to consider when undertaking any dietary abstention is to consider vitamin supplements. For general vegetarian diets, you will need some vitamin B 12 or a vitamin B complex, you should take these supplements for as long as you can, meat eaters can also benefit from the vitamin B 12.

You may also want to take iron supplements depending on what you are going to eat instead of meat. If for instance you eat a lot of vegetables you shouldn't need any iron supplements. For peace of mind some people simply take iron supplements, but this is not necessary for everyone. If you are still bothered by iron deficiency then be sure to take a lot of vitamin C, it promotes your body's ability to use iron from the food you eat. For instance drink orange juice everyday, but make sure it is real orange juice.

For a vegan diet a good multi vitamin, along with separate supplements of vitamin B 12 and iron, although; as said above; iron can be considered un-necessary. This doesn't mean that iron is not a requirement, its just that if you eat properly within the boundaries of veganism or vegetarianism on its own you will get enough iron from what you eat alone, probably even more then when you were a meat eater. But you should take the requirements of iron very seriously, not just those who are vegetarian or those who are vegetarian but meat eaters also, because iron deficiency is found more in meat eaters then it is in vegetarians. Another fear of vegetarianism is calcium deficiency, which could lead to the loss of bone density, and illnesses like osteoporosis. These fears are totally un-justified in a proper vegetarian diet, by proper I mean the eating of varied vegetables and fruits.

For instance, here is a table of calcium in foods. Grains Calcium (mg) Brown rice, cooked, 1 cup 23 Corn bread, 1 2-oz, piece 133 Corn tortilla 42 English muffin 92 Pita bread, 1 piece 32 Wheat bread 1 slice 30 Wheat flour, all-purpose, 1 cup 238 Whole wheat flour, 1 cup 49 Fruits Calcium (mg) Apple, 1 medium 10 Banana, 1 medium 7 Dried figs, 10 figs (187 grams) 269 Navel orange, 1 medium 56 Orange juice, calcium fortified, 8 oz 300 Pear, 1 medium 19 Raisins, 2/3 cup 53 Vegetables Calcium (mg) Broccoli, 1 cup, boiled 178 Brussel sprouts, 1 cup, boiled (8 sprouts) 56 Carrots, 2 medium, raw 38 Celery, 1 cup, boiled 54 Collards, 1 cup, boiled 148 Kale, 1 cup, boiled 94 Onions, 1 cup, boiled 58 Potato, 1 baked 20 Romaine lettuce, 1 cup 20 Butternut squash, 1 cup 84 Sweet potato, 1 cup, boiled 70 Cauliflower, 1 cup, boiled 34 THE GOODNESS OF MILK... Iron-Deficiency - Milk is very low in iron. To get the recommended daily intake of 15 mg of iron, an infant would have to drink more the 31 quarts of milk each day. Milk also causes blood loss from the intestinal tract depleting the body's iron... Diabetes - Of 142 diabetic children tested in a recent study, 100% had high levels of an antibody to a cow's milk protein.

It is believed that these antibodies destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas... Calcium - Green leafy vegetables such as kale are as good or better then milk as calcium sources... Fat content - Other then skim varieties, dairy products are high in fat, as a percentage of total calories: Whole milk - 49% fat Cheddar cheese - 74% fat Butter - 100% fat. Contaminants - Milk is frequently contaminated with antibiotics and excess vitamin D. Of 42 milk samples recently tested, only 12 percent were within the expected rand of vitamin D content. Of ten samples of infant formula, seven had more then twice the vitamin D content then reported on the label, and one had more than four times the label amount... Lactose - Many people of Asian and African heritage are unable to digest the milk sugar, lactose, which then causes diarrhea and gas.

The Lactose sugar, when it is digested, releases galactose, a simple sugar which is linked to ovarian cancer and cataracts... Allergies - Milk is one of the most common causes of food allergy. Often the symptoms are subtle and may not be attributed to milk for some time... Colic - Milk proteins can cause colic, a digestive upset that bothers one in five infants. Milk-drinking mothers can also pass cow's milk proteins to their breast-feeding infants..