In a not-so-distant past, the vegetarian diet was fairly easy to understand. People didn’t eat meat and that was all that needed to be said. Today, however, there are 25 different variations of the vegetarian and vegan diets. It’s possible to include or exclude certain foods from a vegetarian diet and still fall under the umbrella of vegetarianism. 

The general consensus is that there’s a greater emphasis on plant foods over animal products. Some people transition to this diet for health reasons, while others adhere to it for environmental reasons. Vegetarianism is a staple dietary practice in many cultures that has become more popular than ever within the last 20 years. Nowadays, there are plant-based meat alternatives that entice people to veer away from animal food products. There are different views about these meats, given that they are highly processed, but many people like that they make vegetarian diets more accessible. 

Why Are There Different Variations?

People like options and don’t always want to color inside the lines. In order to feel comfortable with dietary choices, many people need flexibility. For example, one group of people may gravitate towards certain foods that others want to avoid. Enjoying animal-based foods or eating processed, plant-based meats can detract from some of the traditional benefits of following a vegetarian way of eating, though. A classic vegetarian diet that excludes animal products has been associated with weight loss, balanced blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. 

If you are interested in the vegetarian diet and want to learn about the popular variants, continue reading. You may find the option that best suits what dietary goals you want to accomplish. 

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

Potentially the most classic variation of the vegetarian diet, lacto-ovo vegetarianism avoids poultry, seafood, and meat. This diet allows for the consumption of dairy products, honey, and eggs. Some people have cultural or religious reasons for choosing this diet, for example, sects of Buddhism and Hinduism follow this way of eating. Others follow it because it is approachable for an introduction into a plant-based way of life. 

Flexitarian

This may be a more “ridiculous” term in regards to vegetarianism because there is no real definition. It essentially follows a plant-based diet, or diet similar to lacto-ovo vegetarians, but it’s acceptable to include meats and other animal products whenever the mood strikes. For someone who is new to the concept of plant-based eating, this is an excellent dietary option. In theory, a flexitarian should focus on getting nutrients from plant-based foods, but nutrients also come from animal foods. 

Ovo Vegetarian

This variant omits dairy but it does allow for egg or egg product consumption. It’s common for vegetarians who are lactose-intolerant to subscribe to this way of eating. People who choose this diet should make sure to choose eggs that are organic and free-range. This helps to lower exposure to antibiotics and pesticides. 

Lacto Vegetarian

As the name suggests, this diet allows for the consumption of dairy products, but it omits meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs. Similar to the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, some people adhere to lacto vegetarianism out of respect for Hinduism, Jainism, or Buddhism. Just because this diet allows for dairy, nutritionists don’t advise consuming dairy products in excess. It’s very common for excess dairy consumption to increase the risk of inflammation, bloating, and constipation.

Vegan

This diet eliminates all animal products, including foods that have animal origins. For instance, strict vegans will not consume honey, dairy, or eggs. Some go so far as to avoid buying merchandise made from animal products like leather. Many studies on the vegan diet exist because it is naturally low in saturated fat and rich in fiber. Following a vegan diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and support weight loss efforts. Because the vegan diet restricts certain foods, people may need to supplement omega-3s, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. 

Raw Vegan

Out of all the vegetarian diets, this is the strictest variation. Excluding all foods from animal origin, this diet focuses on raw fruits, vegetables, and raw nuts and seeds. There is no cooking, so people who want to enjoy legumes or grains must enjoy sprouted varieties. The reason this diet is popular is because of the fact that it offers many beneficial enzymes that foods lose during the cooking process. Cooking foods above 115º F starts to diminish the nutritional content. The raw vegan diet may promote weight loss, healthy cholesterol levels, balanced blood sugar, and mental clarity. 

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The idea that people can only find brain-boosting and depression-fighting compounds in meat or animal products is absurd. If you suffer from a neurological mental health disorder, there are many plant-based foods that contain amazing depression-fighting and stress-relieving properties. You can find three depression-fighting compounds, which people think are only found in meat, and how to get them into your system below.

Essential Item #1: Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Numerous studies have found that omega-3s are essential for a healthy functioning brain and body. These healthy fatty acids help to lower cholesterol, decrease inflammation in the body, and help alleviate ailments such as arthritis and asthma. They are also essential for fighting the debilitating effects of neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s, as well as fighting to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and tumors. They are also a key weapon in the fight against depression.

Most websites will tell you that the best omega-3 sources are fish, cod liver, or other fish products. Flaxseeds are high in omega-3s, but the omega-3s can be difficult to absorb because the body usually passes them before it can break them down. You could grind them, though. We also recommend eating chia seeds, hemp seeds, winter squash, beans, berries, or vegetables in the cabbage family. Some of the best vegan sources of long-chain fatty acids are plants from the sea, notably sea vegetables like seaweed and micro-algae. Sea vegetables contain less fat than most land vegetables and provide a significant source of meat-free omega-3s.

Essential Item #2: Probiotics

Your gut has plays a large role when it comes to your mental health. In fact, research suggests that 80-90% of serotonin—the neurotransmitter that helps to boost your mood in a happier direction—is manufactured within the stomach. Keeping your gut healthy is a fantastic step toward fighting depression, which is why some psychologists prescribe probiotics to their patients. While there are vegan probiotic supplements, there are many vegan sources of natural probiotics. Building good gut bacteria without meat is pretty easy when you regularly consume fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi.

Essential Item #3: Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 helps to keep your energy levels up by supporting the transportation of oxygen throughout the whole body. Additionally, it activates several processes that keep the nervous system functioning within your brain and along your spinal cord, reducing your risk of depression. A study mentioned in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that nearly 30% of all women over the age of 65 were deficient in B-12, suggesting that a quarter of all cases of depression could be solved by Vitamin B-12 supplementation.

Unfortunately, B-12 is only available in animal products including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy, so the only way to get this essential ingredient is through fortified cereals or other non-dairy milk. When you opt to consume B-12 fortified foods, you are getting an essential nutrient without participating in the terrible, terrible world that is our animal farming industry.

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If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the US would save:

• 100 Billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months.
• 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock — enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year.
• 70 million gallons of gas — enough to fuel all of the drivers of Canada and Mexico combined.
• 3 million acres of land — an area twice the size of Delaware
• 33 tons of antibiotics.

My favorite statistic is this: According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads.

See how easy it is to make an impact?

Source: The Startling Effects of Going Vegetarian for Just One Day | Alternet

We have always said that if you don’t care enough about yourself to eat right, then at least do it for your family. Well, these surprising calculations from Alternet give us another mantra: if you don’t care enough about yourself to eat right, then at least do it for your planet.

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Body odor on a hot summer day or after a long run is common, but smelling during the workday? Not so fun. Several factors can cause body odor, but there are measures to prevent and kill odor-causing bacteria.

Body odor is a natural phenomenon — but did you know that meat eaters smell worse than vegetarians? That’s because so much of the meat protein gets trapped in the colon that the body has to “air”, by releasing those toxins out of the pores of the skin.

The article goes onto detail some causes of body odor and how to stop them. But this chart’s helpful too.

PS. Their point about yogurt is a good one, but if you’re a vegetarian, we recommend you get your probiotics from fermented foods like kimchi and coleslaw.

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Women’s Health Magazine recently published an article with the sensational headline: “The Scary Mental Health Risks of Going Meatless”. In it, they interviewed several psychologists who cited a lack of meat as the reasons that some of their vegetarian patients experienced mental health issues. To “fix” them, all these sad meatless schlubs had to do was eat a steak.

These anecdotes are the lead-in to the real “bread and butterolive oil” of the article: two studies that found a connection between worse mental health and a vegetarian diet. It’s an alarming read that makes non-vegetarians thankful they eat meat. And vegetarians quick to immediately disregard the whole article as flawed or biased or…whatever. 

The thing is, the vegetarians are right in this case. The whole thing is flawed. It seems that journalists aren’t very good at interpreting scientific research. Or maybe they’re just lazy. Here’s the abstract from one of the studies they cite:

In Western cultures vegetarian diet is associated with an elevated risk of mental disorders. However, there was no evidence for a causal role of vegetarian diet in the etiology of mental disorders.

Did you see that last part? (If you didn’t maybe you, too, should be a journalist.) Look at it again:

However, there was no evidence for a causal role of vegetarian diet in the etiology of mental disorders.

In other words, according to the very study they cite, no one could figure out whether vegetarianism causes mental disorders in the first place. Sure, there may be some kind of connection there, but whether to draw an arrow from vegetarianism to mental illness or just draw a big circle around the whole thing to indicate they’re connected is unclear.

Causation – or figuring out if something causes something else – is a hard thing to pin down. Science often discovers patterns in the data, but that doesn’t always mean one follows the other. For example, statistically speaking, we know that vegetarians tend to be more female and make more money than the rest of the population, but that doesn’t necessarily mean dropping meat from your diet is going to turn you into a man or lower your income.

It’s the same for mental health.

The premise of the article is that by eating a vegetarian diet, we are missing some depression-protecting thing that’s only found in meat. And while there is an increasing body of research to indicate that, yes, meat does afford the brain some benefit, vegetarianism isn’t the end all, be all of your mental health issues. That being said, if you are a vegetarian, suffering from a mental health issue, take a look at this article about what to do about it.

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