Becoming a Vegetarian

Becoming a vegetarian is not just for health nuts anymore. People become vegetarians for many reasons, because of religion, animal rights, and just general health and wellness reasons. Many report that the main benefit of a vegetarian diet is improved health. So what do vegetarians eat? Well, that depends on what type of vegetarian you are most interested in becoming. Generally though, becoming a vegetarian means not eating meat. Some make exceptions for chicken, fish and meat by products like eggs and dairy. Strict vegetarians, also called vegans, eat only a plant based diet and eat no meat or its by-products.

Vegetarianism has become very chic trendy and popular in the last several years. Research is showing that eating a vegetarian diet can lower your risk for:

It's possible that your feeling of “well being” might have something to do with the fact that you're eating more whole foods and less processed foods that are loaded with chemicals and preservatives.

I'm a big believer in letting your body decide which foods are best for you. I also believe that everybody's biological and chemistry profile is different and some people are more suited to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle than others. So listen to your body if you convert to a vegetarian diet. Your body will tell you which foods it likes and dislikes. If a food is disagreeable with your body you may experience headaches, fatigue, rashes, gas, bloating, excess mucus etc. Some people are more suited to a higher protein diet that includes having some grass fed meat. Dr. Mercola has a great book to help you determine which foods are right for your metabolism. In the book you'll fill out a questionnaire that will help you determine your nutritional profile. If you are not converting to vegetarianism for philosophical reasons, it might be worthwhile to take get the book and see what your results are.

When becoming a vegetarian your diet will likely include a variety of greens, root vegetables, juices, whole grains, nuts and seeds to make sure that you get a wide variety of nutrients. Unfortunately some people fall victim to the advertising gimmicks of processed and fast food. A highly processed "vegetarian diet" is is not going to give you better health results. Processed foods are usually loaded with MSG, trans fats, artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Or the new name "corn sugar" which is just a disguise for high fructose corn syrup.

The next time you go to the grocery store, study and enjoy your produce department. You're probably familiar with the apples bananas and strawberries but have you ever tasted mangoes, kiwi or pomegranates? You've probably also had green peppers and onions but have you ever tried red and yellow peppers or leaks? In becoming a vegetarian you will want to enjoy a wide variety of whole foods. While there are some raw food enthusiasts, most people enjoy a hot cooked meal and it might be wise to invest in a good vegetarian cookbook.

Probably the biggest criticism of becoming a vegetarian is in the difficulty of getting all of your essential nutrients. Since you will be avoiding animal products, it will be difficult to satisfy your vitamin B12 requirements and you may have to take a supplement. However, many believe that eating a wide variety of whole grains, beans, nuts and vegetables should be sufficient in providing the essential nutrients your body needs.

Another criticism frequently heard is that a vegetarian diet requires more work in selecting the correct foods to satisfy your protein and essential amino acids requirement. Your protein source will depend on the type of vegetarian diet you have chosen. Legumes, soy and dairy are the typical choices.

Becoming a vegetarian is a choice but you may want to think carefully about how you're going to implement this change. Will your conversion be a "cold turkey" approach or will you be more successful by slowly phasing meat and fish out of your diet. If so, it might be helpful cut out one type of meat per month. In other words this month you're cutting out beef, next month you'll cut out chicken, you get the idea.

If you find the diet too restrictive, you don't have to be a total vegetarian. You can enjoy increased health benefits just by increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet. If you continue to eat a small amount of animal based protein, make sure it's grass fed, pastured or wild. It's totally up to you and I applaud you for taking control of your health by improving your diet. Good luck to you.

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