5 things to know about Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat, and may also include abstention from by-products of animals processed for food.
People become vegetarians for a number of reasons, including health, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic, and even economic reasons. However, the most frequent reason is based on ethical objections to animal cruelty.
- Its believed that a vegetarian may be happier than the non-vegetarian counterparts. A recent study shows that a vegan had lower scores on depression tests and mood profiles when compared to meat or fish-eaters. Moreover, there is an element of freshness to most vegetarian foods, especially when it comes to organic produce. So it is bound to cleanse our minds and keep our thoughts positive.
- A plant-based diet increases the body’s metabolism, causing the body to burn calories up to 16% faster than the body would on a meat-based diet for at least the first 3 hours after meals.
- Believe or not but there is no health benefit in eating animal fat. As cholesterol comes only from animal foods, vegetarian diets are cholesterol-free. Although cholesterol is an essential component of each human cell, vegetarians do not need to worry about not getting enough cholesterol, because the body can make all the cholesterol it needs from vegan foods. Korean researchers after examining the long-term effects of following a vegetarian diet concluded that body fat and cholesterol levels were lower in vegetarians than omnivores.
- A well-rounded vegetarian diet includes healthy fats from foods like olive oil, peanut butter, nuts, and seeds. But less than healthy foods like french fries and doughnuts fall into the vegetarian category as well. So even vegetarians need to watch which fats they take in.
- Did you know: The word vegan is derived from vegetarian. It was first used in 1944 when Elsie Shrigley and Donald Watson thought that being vegetarian included too many animal by-products and did not encompass a completely plant-based diet.
1st of October is World Vegetarianism Day, How will you be celebrating today?