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Going the veg way? Here's what you should know!

Last updated on: February 22, 2008 15:58 IST

While in our country the distinction between being vegetarian and non-vegetarian is a part of life, in many other parts of the world people often wonder, "If not meat, then what do they eat?"

The concept of a diet that comprises only of legumes, cereal, fruit and vegetables sounds impossible to most hardcore non-vegetarians, but many today, particularly youngsters, are headed the veg way -- it is a trend that is slowly but surely catching on.

Did you know that there are types of vegetarians too?

Also read: 4 steps to a flat tummy

Type	What do they eat?	What do they avoid?
Lacto- vegetarians	Cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruit, milk	Meat, fish, eggs, poultry
Lacto-ovo-vegetarians	Cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruit, milk and eggs	Meat, fish, poultry
solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-right-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt" width=136> Vegan	Cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruit	Milk, eggs, meat, fish, poultry

So why are people turning vegetarian?

While some of us change our food preferences for health reasons, others do so for humanitarian or environmental reasons and still others do it just for weight loss!

If you have converted or are planning on converting to vegetarianism here are a few benefits you should be aware of:

Vegans lower their saturated fat intake by avoiding meat.
Vegetarian diets include more roughage or dietary fibre which helps you feel full for longer and keeps you feeling light and energetic.
Vegetarians are usually lighter on the scale, since they consume lesser fat in their food and usually have lower blood pressure than non-vegetarians.
Whole-fat milk products and eggs tend to raise serum blood lipids due to their saturated fat and cholesterol content. Total blood cholesterol levels are lower in vegans than in lacto-vegetarians or non-vegetarians.
Diets high in meat may increase the incidence of colon cancer, by increasing the fecal concentration of various carcinogens. A high intake of animal fat also may increase the risk of colon cancer. It is also possible that carcinogens are produced by cooking meat at very high temperatures.
Counting calories? Cook sensibly

The down side:

Unless vegetarians choose a proper balance of foods, they are at risk of several deficiencies, especially vitamin B12.The other nutrients at risk are riboflavin, calcium, iron and the essential amino acids lysine and methionine.
Zinc deficiency can occur in vegans because the phytic acid in whole grains binds zinc, and there is little zinc in fruit and vegetables. Since B12 is present only in animal foods and a limited number of specially fortified foods, vegans should probably take B12 supplements prescribed by a physician.
Low protein digestibility and quality are other potential risks, since vegetarian foods like cereals and pulses are not good sources of complete protein. Cereals are lacking in amino acid lysine, while pulses are lacking in amino acid methionine; however, if they are combined with each other they provide a better quality protein.

In conclusion, vegetarianism is an individual choice. There are plenty of benefits and a few nutritional disadvantages to being completely vegetarian.

Giving up milk is not such a great idea as it is the only remaining source of good quality animal protein in a vegan diet.

However, if you have decided to give up on meat, fish, eggs and poultry, taking multivitamin supplements is a good idea (under the guidance of your doctor/ nutritionist).

Happy eating!

Samreedhi Goel is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. She runs Size Wise, her own training studio. She also conducts fitness workshops. Besides training with the International Sports Science Association, USA, she has a PG Diploma in nutrition and food technology and writes for a variety of publications. You can reach her at sizewise@rediffmail.com.

Samreedhi Goel