Today many people are focused on maintaining their health and overall energy because of the growth of various new diseases. As a result, the majority of people are choosing vegetarian foods and include new vegan varieties in their meals. Many health professionals and dieticians are recommending vegetarian foods since it will help to improve health as well as make a balanced diet. We can now discuss the dangerous factors of having non-veg foods.
1. Digestive Ailments
Intake of non-veg foods will create digestive problems. Non-veg foods have a high rate of protein content and this makes digestion difficult. Consuming non-veg foods may also create constipation and other complicated digestive problems as a result.
2. Expected Life Reduction
Recent researches and studies conclude that your expected life span will get reduced if you are having non-veg foods daily.
3. Health-Related Diseases
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension (increased blood pressure), cardiac arrest, atherosclerosis, etc are common in non-veg eaters since the accumulated fats or cholesterol will obstruct the blood vessels.
4. Hormonal Imbalance
Non -veg foods contain a large amount of cholesterol and consuming this daily will cause steroid hormone imbalance.
Health benefits of having Vegetarian foods
There are a lot of advantages to having vegetarian foods.
1. Helps in weight loss
A low amount of calories and saturated fats are seen in a plant-based diet. So it will help to reduce weight.
2. Better skin
A vegetarian diet will help to prevent UV light damage, lead to melanoma, wrinkles, and dry skin. Following a vegan diet will also help to gain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can support healthy hair, skin, and nails.
3. Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
A plant-based diet is fiber-rich and helps to keep the cholesterol level to normal. Nuts and Soya foods are the major food items that contain a large amount of soluble fiber.
4. Reduces cancer risk
An animal-free diet always reduces the risk of cancer. A plant-based diet with heavy fruit and vegetable intake reduces the risks of female-specific cancers and colorectal cancer.
5. Prevents type 2 diabetes
Low-glycemic foods, for instance, whole grains, legumes, and nuts help in normalizing blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
6. Decreases asthma symptoms
Some animal foods cause allergies, inflammation, or increase asthma symptoms. But a vegetarian diet contains purely natural rich contents and may reduce asthma symptoms and those following a vegan diet show less dependency on medications.
7. Improves bone health
Animal foods reduce the level of calcium in our bodies and may cause bone loss and osteoporosis. But Osteoporosis rates are lower for those who are following a vegetarian diet.
Types of vegetarian diet
A vegetarian diet doesn't mean you are able to eat only a plant-based diet. There are classifications in the vegetarian diet. People follow a vegetarian diet according to their way and perspective. Because some people have some deficiencies and disease conditions that can't be cleared through only taking fruits and vegetables and they might need non-veg items in a limited amount to solve the deficiencies. So let us have a look at different categories of the vegan diet and what foods are labeled under each category.
1. Vegetarian
People who are following a vegetarian diet consume animal products and are further classified into:
* Lacto-Ovo vegetarians: they eat both eggs and dairy products
* Lacto vegetarians: they eat dairy products but not eggs
* Ovo vegetarians: they eat eggs but not dairy products
2. Vegan
Those who are following a vegan diet will strictly follow a plant-based diet. People under the vegan category will not eat meat, poultry, or fish. They also avoid all dairy products, eggs, gelatin, and honey.
3. Partial vegetarian
A partial vegetarian eats some animal products but completely avoids meat. They are classified into two:
* pescatarians: eat fish but avoid all other meat
* pollo-vegetarians: eat poultry but avoid other meat and fish
4. Flexitarian
Flexitarian is also called semi vegetarian. Those who are following the flexitarian path will eat only plant based diets normally but they may consume meat, dairy, eggs, poultry, and fish occasionally and in a limited amount.
So if you are planning to move to a vegetarian diet, the major challenge you may face will appear when you are going outside, on a trip or a party, or while attending some events that provide only non-veg foods. So what will you do at that time is the biggest question. Those who are following a flexitarian diet may adjust according to the situation. But Vegan categorization will face more trouble at that moment. So here are some tips for eating vegetarian foods without breaking your diet:
1. Pack your favorite snacks and light meals when you are going on a road trip or traveling to some other place.
2. Choose veg meal-providing hotels or inform them early about your meal chart if you are going to stay in a hotel.
3. Today, many restaurants or delivery services or takeaways provide a variety of vegan recipes. If you are going out for an event or planning a staycation, you can search for the nearest vegan recipe providers or restaurants.
4. If you are going for a vacation you can also pack all your needed vegetables and fruits and ready-to-cook food items.
5. If you are going to attend a party, you can also give your meal preferences to the coordinator of the party or event.
