Following a vegetarian diet means putting off meat and fish from your diet, but you can be consuming egg and dairy products.
You may consider a vegetarian diet for many reasons. It may be because being vegetarian is a way to be healthier. Other reasons may be because of religion, environmental concerns or animal rights.
In becoming a vegetarian, you have to consider the type of vegetarian you want to be.
Types of vegetarian diet
```Vegetarian```
In this diet, you don’t eat meat, poultry, or fish. The kind of animal product you include in your diet further divide this category;
If you eat both eggs and dairy products, you are considered a lacto-ovo vegetarian.
If you eat dairy products but not eggs, you are a lacto vegetarian.
You are an ovo vegetarian if you eat eggs but not dairy products.
```Vegan```
A vegan diet have no meat, poultry, or fish. You also don’t consume dairy products, eggs, or other animal products like honey.
```Partial vegetarian```
A partial vegetarian does not include meat in his diet but eat some animal foods.
Pescatarians avoid all other meat but fish.
pollo-vegetarians eat poultry but avoid other meat and fish.
A vegetarian diet has many benefits if followed correctly.
When following a vegetarian diet, and you eat processed foods, excess sugar while consuming little veggies and fruits, you do not reap many of the benefits this diet provides.
Some of the benefits of vegetarian diet includes;
Good for heart health:
Vegetarians have a lesser risk of developing heart disease as opposed to non vegetarians.
Reduces the risk of cancer:
Research shows that vegetarian diet slightly reduces the risk of cancer
Prevents type 2 diabetes
Lowers blood pressure:
Plants foods like veggies and fruits are lower in fat and sodium. This helps in regulating your blood pressure from going high.
Promotes bone health
Vegetarian diet is also helpful in weight loss
If you're wondering about the nutrients gotten from animal sources, know that you don't have to eat meat to access the nutrients for a healthy system.
This is because if you follow a vegetarian diet, you consume a high amount of fresh, healthful, plant foods, that provide your body with antioxidants and a good source of fibe.
You become more active in making overall healthy choices when you choose to follow a meat free diet.