If you are interested in healthy eating then you have probably read a lot of articles with pros and cons of vegetarianism. You might even be asking yourself this question “Should I be a vegetarian or not?”
I read a lot of blogs, magazines, books and just random articles and all of them have a different take on vegetarianism. Some of the most prominent personal development bloggers are vegetarians but some of them are not. My question is “Is it REALLY important to be a vegetarian in order to be healthy or to live a balanced life?”
There is a lot of evidence why vegetarianism is good for your body and my friend Lana Kravtsova has written a wonderful post about it (read it here please). However, I am not a vegetarian and I am not planning on being one. You read a lot about people who chose to be vegetarians and how much better their lives get. However, my sister-in-law turned to meat-eating after 8 years of vegetarianism and she feels great about the decision. She is as energetic and as healthy now as when she used to be a vegetarian but now she says that she likes the taste of food better. I think that it is important to consider all the options before you choose your lifestyle. Here are my thoughts on vegetarianism:
Moderation is the key. I must admit that eating a lot of meat and dairy products is a death sentence, especially if you choose red meat, eggs, low quality poultry (with tons of fat in it) and whole milk products. The meat industry is also far from being environmentally friendly so I do share concerns about the humane treatment of animals.
However, if you use animal products moderately (a few times a week, choose only low fat meat and dairy) then your diet will be very healthy. If you choose free range and pasture fed meat then your impact on the environment is minimal.
Healthy animal products are more expensive that is why you will be using them less often (at least that’s what I do).
If you look at the list of countries with people living actively to 100 years or older you will not find any vegetarians there (these regions are Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California – a religious group of Seventh Day Adventists), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica) and Icaria (Greece)). Diets of people in these regions are mostly plant-based but they also eat animal products in moderation.
Physical strength and vegetarianism do not mix. I tried vegetarianism for about 4 months several years ago (actually I forgot about moderation and went into a complete extreme – raw-foodism). I felt great and I didn’t miss meat at all. I even managed to go on a very physically demanding camping and mountain climbing trip for 10 days. I managed to get through the camping trip but when I got back to teaching fitness 5 times a week my body fell apart. I didn’t have enough energy to teach the entire class, I was extremely tired in the evenings and I started having various health problems.
Exercise is a big part of my life that is why I am not going to torture my body by depriving it of essential nutrients (animal protein being the most important for muscles.)
Not everything vegetarian is healthy. I think it is more important to get rid of fast food and junk food in your diet rather than meat. Vegetarian junk food is still junk food and vegetarian meals can also contain unnatural chemicals that are horrible for the body. Soda is a vegetarian food but we would not call it healthy, wouldn’t we? Mindfulness and clean eating is more important than vegetarianism in my opinion.
Vegetarianism is a great spiritual practice. When I hear the word “vegetarian” my immediate association is Mahatma Gandhi. I admire him and I constantly learn a lot from his teachings. I know that Gandhi was a vegetarian but he also tried and liked meat when he was young. However, because of his mom’s strong religious beliefs he remained a vegetarian. When she died he chose to stay a vegetarian as a spiritual practice, a way to gain self-control without aggression and to live a life of non-violence.
I greatly admire people who chose vegetarianism as a way to gain spiritual clarity. It is not the only way but it is their way. I am just not one of those people.
The concept of balance. All of us have different bodies and different tastes. I can’t live a day without something sweet (anything from an apple to a decadent cake) but what I hate most are greasy and fattening dishes (bacon and chips are at the bottom of my list.)
When you choose what foods you will eat and what you won’t you must consider your personal tastes. If living without meat is a daily struggle for you then it won’t give you clarity or happiness. You can choose to avoid certain types of animal products (like red meat) while leaving the healthiest options in your diet (wild caught fish, lean poultry).
Food is an important part of our lives and it is important to find balance on your plate as well as in your daily life.
Vegetarians miss vitamins and minerals. Fruits and veggies are packed with antioxidants and vitamins but still they miss some vital nutrients. Vitamin B12, iron, calcium and vitamin D are the hardest ones to find in a vegetarian diet. If you chose to be a vegetarian you must take supplements to replace these nutrients. I am not a big pill-fan so I prefer to get my vitamins from my plate.
I do not claim to know all the answers and this post is just my thoughts on the topic. The vegetarian diet for me personally is not balanced and this is the reason why I do not follow it. I might change my opinion one day but right now this is how I feel.
If you are interested, most of my protein comes from fish and shell fish (wild caught salmon, tuna and muscles being my favorite choices). I eat poultry about once a week and red meat about once a month or less. Eggs and dairy are also part of my diet but in moderation.
What is your attitude to vegetarianism? Do you have any questions? I am ready to have a discussion on this post and to hear your opinion.
This post was written by Anastasiya . Follow me on Twitter or StumbleUpon and keep your life balanced!
If you are interested in healthy eating then you have probably read a lot of articles with pros and cons of vegetarianism. You might even be asking yourself this question “Should I be a vegetarian or not?”
I read a lot of blogs, magazines, books and just random articles and all of them have a different take on vegetarianism. Some of the most prominent personal development bloggers are vegetarians but some of them are not. My question is “Is it REALLY important to be a vegetarian in order to be healthy or to live a balanced life?”
There is a lot of evidence why vegetarianism is good for your body and my friend Lana Kravtsova has written a wonderful post about it (read it here please). However, I am not a vegetarian and I am not planning on being one. You read a lot about people who chose to be vegetarians and how much better their lives get. However, my sister-in-law turned to meat-eating after 8 years of vegetarianism and she feels great about the decision. She is as energetic and as healthy now as when she used to be a vegetarian but now she says that she likes the taste of food better. I think that it is important to consider all the options before you choose your lifestyle. Here are my thoughts on vegetarianism:
However, if you use animal products moderately (a few times a week, choose only low fat meat and dairy) then your diet will be very healthy. If you choose free range and pasture fed meat then your impact on the environment is minimal.
Healthy animal products are more expensive that is why you will be using them less often (at least that’s what I do).
If you look at the list of countries with people living actively to 100 years or older you will not find any vegetarians there (these regions are Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California – a religious group of Seventh Day Adventists), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica) and Icaria (Greece)). Diets of people in these regions are mostly plant-based but they also eat animal products in moderation.
Exercise is a big part of my life that is why I am not going to torture my body by depriving it of essential nutrients (animal protein being the most important for muscles.)
I greatly admire people who chose vegetarianism as a way to gain spiritual clarity. It is not the only way but it is their way. I am just not one of those people.
When you choose what foods you will eat and what you won’t you must consider your personal tastes. If living without meat is a daily struggle for you then it won’t give you clarity or happiness. You can choose to avoid certain types of animal products (like red meat) while leaving the healthiest options in your diet (wild caught fish, lean poultry).
Food is an important part of our lives and it is important to find balance on your plate as well as in your daily life.
I do not claim to know all the answers and this post is just my thoughts on the topic. The vegetarian diet for me personally is not balanced and this is the reason why I do not follow it. I might change my opinion one day but right now this is how I feel.
If you are interested, most of my protein comes from fish and shell fish (wild caught salmon, tuna and muscles being my favorite choices). I eat poultry about once a week and red meat about once a month or less. Eggs and dairy are also part of my diet but in moderation.
What is your attitude to vegetarianism? Do you have any questions? I am ready to have a discussion on this post and to hear your opinion.
Keep it balanced!