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Healthy Meal Plans The Vegetarian Way

May 21st, 2011 2:56 am

There are many types of healthy meal plans for weight loss. While, as long your diet is balanced most programs all accomplish the same thing. Yet, among all of the different types of customizable programs, it’s my opinion that none are as clean and healthy as what you would find in all-vegetarian meal plans. Most people would define a vegetarian as someone who only consumes fruits, vegetables, grains & seeds and conversely does not eat any meat, such as fish, poultry, beef, bison or shellfish. However, most would be surprised to know that there are actually many different types of vegetarian preferences and unique diet plans.

Firstly, you have the traditional hardcore vegan who is a person that as completely sworn off the consumption of any and all animal products. The traditional vegan diet is the pinnacle of weight loss catering to healthy meal plans. Partly due to the fact that the most common foods responsible for weight gain are not allowed on a vegan diet. There are certain kinds of vegetarians who till still eat dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese yet they refrain from eating eggs. These types are called lacto vegetarian. The options for a lacto vegetarian meal plan have much greater variety than a regular vegan. Therefore due to the diet composition, they will normally consume more calories as well. A vegetarian who is in need of more sources of protein will eat both eggs and dairy products. These are called ovo-lacto vegetarians. Their healthy meal plans have typically have the highest content of protein among all vegetarian diets. They have the most liberal eating habits out of all types of vegetarians.

The Form of Vegetarianism Called Fruitarianism

May 14th, 2011 3:29 am

There are other forms of vegetarianism that are not as commonly found throughout society, and one of these forms is known as fruitarianism. As you mayhave guessed, fruitarianists strive towards diets that consist completely of fruits of plants and trees. In this article, we’ll discover some of the commonalities of fruitarianism so that you might gain a better understanding of what this lesser-known practice is all about.

The fruitarian diet can really differ depending upon the individual that is undergoing the practice. Some feel that making the majority of their meals, or fifty percent or more of their meals, consistent of fruits. Others feel that the definition of a fruit may include such foods such as nuts, grains, or bell peppers. Some argue that a true fruitarian will only eat fruits that will naturally fall off of the plant, so that they may avoid killing the plant by harvesting the fruit.

As far as motivation for the diet, many of the individuals that follow a fruitarian diet do so due to religious reasons; they may employ a holistic approach to medicine and argue that a fundamentalist lifestyle should be sought after, stating that Adam and Eve ate fruit in order to set a good example. Others simply feel that they want to avoid destroying life as much as possible, treading lightly on the earth and being gentle to both plant and animal life.

The diet is certainly not without its critics. The United States National Institute of Health has concluded that a fruitarian is not able to attain the proper levels of vitamin B12 in their diet. This can be damaging to their health. Also, the lack of protein that the diet promotes can be problematic in terms of an individual?s level of health. If you are contemplating a frutarian diet and are concerned about how the diet can be sustainable and maintain your level of health, you may want to thnk about supplementing your diet with protein, vitamin B12, and several other key nutrients that you are unable to obtain eating fruit alone.

The fruitarian diet can be very difficult to maintain. If you find yourself agreeing with the fundamentals of the diet, you may want to contemplate trying to ease into frutarianism by consuming more fruit and gradually decreasing your consumption of animal products. In the end, you may find that the slow and steady path towards a fruitarian diet can be ultimately more successful than trying to immediately switch your diet up. Also, be sure to do plenty of investigation concerning the types of supplementation you will need in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.