Heidrun Peters   Affiliate Marketer
Vegan, Vegetarian, Macrobiotic ... What's the Difference?

:: By Sally Kneidel and Sara Kate Kneidel -->
So,
you?re vegetarian and you don?t eat eggs,but your brother?s a
vegetarian and he eats fish. And your best friend, she doesn?t even
drink milk, but your neighbor calls herself vegetarian, even though you
saw her eat chicken the other day. What?s going on? The truth is, being a
vegetarian can mean lots of different things. Everyone has a different
definition of what they do and don?t want to eat. Fortunately, if you
want to be more specific, there are a number of useful terms. Let?s
break it down.
Vegetarian
This
is a general term. About 5 percent of the current U.S. population
considers themselves to be vegetarian, although a number of varying
dietary habits fall into this category. Usually this term refers to
someone who doesn?t eat any kind of meat, including beef, pork, chicken,
turkey, and seafood. However, there are many people who don?t quite
match this description, but still use this label. These include ?
Pollo-Vegetarian
This
is someone who follows a mostly vegetarian diet but is known to eat the
occasional McChicken sandwich or nibble at some turkey jerky. In
reality, birds are meat, so this isn?t really a form of vegetarianism,
but lots of people who call themselves vegetarians do indulge in a bit
of chicken every so often.
Pesco-Vegetarian
Again,
this is someone who follows a mostly vegetarian diet but who does eat a
little meat?in this case, seafood. For some reason, lots of people
don?t seem to count aquatic creatures as animals. This is often for
health reasons: fish is a healthier choice than pork or beef, for
instance. Other people choose to eat fish because it doesn?t affect land
use as much as raising livestock does. However, overharvesting and
polluting our seas and lakes is a significant environmental concern.
Nonetheless, this is a popular diet, although, like pollo-vegetarianism,
it?s not technically vegetarian.
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian
This
person eats no meat, including seafood, but does eat dairy products and
eggs. Most lacto-ovo-vegetarians follow this basic rule: if you have to
kill the animal to get the product, then don?t eat it. Therefore, milk
is okay, but gelatin, which is made from horse hooves, is not.
Lacto-Vegetarian
This
person eats no meat or eggs but does eat dairy products. Dairy products
include cows? milk and any food you can make from cows? milk, such as
ice cream, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, butter, and so
on. Other animal products, such as goat cheese, are also included.
Ovo-Vegetarian
A
person on this diet eats no meat and no dairy products but does eat
eggs. This isn?t too common. (The lives of hens that provide table eggs
are at least as miserable as chickens raised for meat, and eggs are no
healthier in our diets than meat, so it?s little wonder there are few
ovo-vegetarians.)
Vegan
About
1 percent of the U.S. population follows a vegan (pronounced ?VEE-gun?)
diet. This excludes all meat, eggs, and dairy products, and usually any
other food produced by animals, such as honey. A strict vegan also
avoids products that may seem innocent, such as refined sugar (white
table sugar), because animal bones are used to process it. Many vegans
also refuse to use nonedible animal products, such as leather, silk,
wool, feathers, and so on. This can get really complicated. For example,
did you know that camera film isn?t vegan? Gelatin is used to
manufacture it. Or that some lotions contain lanolin, which comes from
wool? Strict vegans have to be very well informed.
Macrobiotic
A
follower of the macrobiotic diet is mainly vegetarian, but this diet
sometimes includes seafood. All other meat products are excluded,as well
as eggs and dairy products. Basically, this diet focuses on eating
local and seasonal foods that balance each other in harmonic ways. Some
people follow this diet as a philosophy of life and others follow it for
health reasons.
Fruitarian
A
fruitarian is a person who eats only fruits and vegetables, often
including beans, nuts, and grains, usually raw. It is important that
these things are taken from the plant without killing it.
Raw or Living Food Diet
A
person who follows this diet eats only raw foods. The concern is that
heating foods above 116?F destroys important enzymes that help with
digestion. This person also believes that cooking diminishes the vitamin
and mineral content of the food.
Hurray for all types of
vegetarians! All of these choices can be healthy?some more than
others?but it is important to be well informed about the health benefits
and risks of any diet that you choose to follow. Although people often
feel strongly that their choice is the best and may be critical of
others, the reality is that cutting your meat consumption in any way is a
positive step. Reducing the amount of meat in your diet benefits your
health, promotes animal wellbeing, and helps the planet support the
growing human population.
From Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet' by Sally Kneidel and Sara Kate Kneidel. ? 2005 Fulcrum Publishing.

(End of Article)

Source: This is an article from GAIAM Community.

Gaiam.com
is a health-conscious, environmentally responsible lifestyle company
whose goal is to bring LOHAS to the mainstream. The Lifestyles of Health
and Sustainability (LOHAS) concept is centered on the idea that our own
health and happiness is connected to the health of our planet. Taking a
holistic approach to our content and product selection, we encourage
wholesome lifestyle choices with healthy, green products for your home
and body.

Related Video:
More-Ganics: Get More Organics In Your Diet
Essential Tips for Healthy Eating

Related Articles:
Celebrity Planet: Nicole Kidman Grows Produce...And Her Family
Eating Healthy & Organic on the Go


More Vegetarian Books




Related Ebooks:
How To Do The Raw Food Diet With Joy
Vegetarian Recipe: The Chinese Way
Quick Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking
Vegetarian Secrets Exposed ...
Natural Healing Recipes













Labels:
Gaiam.com,
Health Food,
Vegetarian
Dec 15th 2010 05:49