Vegetarian Diets

Famous Vegetarians

Socrates, Plato, Pythagorus, Plutarch, Leonardo da Vinci, Tolstoy, Shelley, George Bernard Shaw, Thoreau, Gandhi, Johnny Weissmuller (the first “Tarzan”), Bob Dylan, Joanna Lumley, Paul McCartney, Paavo Nurmi (“The Flying Finn” - 9 Olympic gold medals), Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Peter Brock, Greg Chappell, Carl Lewis, Killer Kowalski (champion wrestler), Julie Christie, Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Drew Barrymore, James Cromwell, John Cleese, Penelope Cruz, Joaquin Phoenix, Eric Stoltz, Reese Witherspoon, Steven Seagal, Brooke Shields, Gwynneth Paltrow, Terrence Stamp, Willem Dafoe, Richard Gere, Ellen Burstyn, Woody Harrelson, Ashley Judd, Guy Pearce, Alicia Silverstone, Steve Martin, Jude Law, Mariel Hemingway, Barry Gibb, Bryan Adams, Joan Baez, Damon Albarn, Kate Bush, Leonard Cohen, Dennis Weaver, Ian McKellen, Brian May, Bob Marley, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Gabriel, kd lang, Ricky Martin, Belinda Carlisle, Billy Idol, Shania Twain, Alanis Morissette, Chrissie Hynde, Moby, Meatloaf, Christie Brinkley, Chelsea Clinton, Ricki Lake, Jerry Seinfeld. 

KEY CONCEPTS AND FACTS

Vegetarianism is part of a lifestyle with many attitudes and behaviorsVegetarian diets are health- promotingTraditional vegetarian diets provide a wide variety of nutritious foods.Nutrient-deficient vegetarian diets use too narrow a range of foods

Reasons for VegetarianismVegetarians number in the hundreds of millionsMuch of world is vegetarian because meat is scarce and expensivePeople may adopt vegetarian diets because of:

religious beliefshumanitarian concernsdesire to cause no harm to animalsdesire to preserve the environment desire to preserve food supply by “eating low on the food chain” believe that animal products are unhealthful or unsafewant to keep their weight downwant to lower the risk of cancer or heart disease

Religions of India Hinduism (originated before 1200 BC)Jainism originated ~500 BCBuddhism originated ~500 BC

and spread to Tibet, China, and JapanOften Vegetarian due to reverence for life and belief in

karma and reincarnationPlant foods have prana, life energyAhimsa, not harming living beings

Greek Philosophers

Socrates, Plato, Epicurus and Pythagoras advocated vegetarianism

for reasons of compassion:“For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain can not reap joy and love.”

Pythagoras ~530 BC

ChristianityChristian vegetarian traditions include Trappist monks and many others, motivated by compassion and also a desire to live simply.“Not to hurt our humble brethren (the animals) is our first duty to them… men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, will deal likewise with their fellow men.”

St. Francis of Assisi, c. 1200

Protestant Vegetarian MovementBegan in England in early 1800’sHealth was the main concernBelief that meat was harmful to the bodyU.S: Seventh Day Adventist Church, 186313 million members worldwide“temperate and healthy lifestyle”Church owns large vegetarian food companiesMany church members today are lacto-ovo vegetarians

East Meets West

Mahatma Ghandi:"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."Martin Luther King, Jr:- "One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them."

Health & Environmentalism

- - "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

- Albert Einstein

Environmental Concerns

Meat protein production requires:6-17 times more land4-26 times as much waterup to ?? times as much fossil fuel as the equivalent amount of vegetable protein?

Calories of Fossil Fuel Expended to Get One Calorie of Protein

Pounds of grain needed to produce one pound of bread compared to one pound of animal weight

gain.

Environmental Concerns

Emissions of greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, biocides and compounds that cause acid rain are at least 6x greater for meat production than for plant food production

How Big is your Ecological Footprint?How Big is your Ecological Footprint?

Humanitarian Concerns

Land which could be used for growing plants for direct human consumption is used to produce animal feed. This land could support 5-10 X as many people on a vegetarian diet.This may be a concern in your lifetime.

land which could be used

However, today, world food supply is abundant!

Enough wheat, rice and other grains are produced to provide every human being with 3,200 calories a day. In addition, are vegetables, beans, nuts, root crops, fruits, grass-fed meats, and fishBut many people are too poor to buy readily available food. Even most "hungry countries" have enough food for all their people right now. www.foodfirst.org, 2006

Corn Ethanol: Using Food for Fuel

Basic food prices have increased, putting a serious burden on the world's poor.The increase was largely caused by U.S. and European government support for biofuels, particularly corn ethanol.

From “Vegetarian Times”If you want to help animals…If you want to help the environmentIf you want to help your health…If you want to enjoy your life……the simplest, quickest and most effective thing to do is to become a vegetarian

If you were a vegetarian, what would your reason be?

Vegetarians, Etc.

Vegetarian Statistics

Vegetarians of Many Types

A spectrum of vegetarian diets

Semi-vegetarians may avoid red meats or all meats except seafood.

•American Vegetarian Society just says vegetarians eat no meat, poultry, fish

Vegetarian Diet Options

Can be very healthyLacto-ovo vegetariansLacto-vegetarians Vegans

Can lead to malnutritionMacrobiotic DietFruitarian, raw food, etcThe junk food vegetarian diet

Vegan Diet & PhilosophyEmpathy for all creatures and appreciation and love of ecologyLive without consuming or otherwise harming animals: Eat no animal products Avoid use of animal products This diet requires some nutrition knowledge to be adequate especially for pregnant women and children.

Macrobiotic DietPhilosophy values organic foods and balancing “yin” and “yang” foodsTo maintain proper yin/yang balance, all extremely yang foods and all extremely yin foods are avoided Yin foods: refined sugars, chocolate, tropical fruits, soda, juices, coffee, etc.

Yang foods: meats, eggs, dairy products, etc.

Sometimes nutritionally adequateNot adequate for pregnant women and small children

Restrictive Vegetarian Diets and Health

Fruitarian diet, raw food diet and various “fad” vegetarian diets are not nutritionally adequate

Dangerous for pregnant women, children, and sick people, who have high nutrient needs

Junk Food vegetarian or vegan dietCommon food staples are: cheese pizza, potato chips, soda, candy, macaroni and cheese, and all types of packaged donuts, cookies, etc.

Vegetarian Diets and Health

“Well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescenceOfficial position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada

Benefits to Health

Vegetarian diets beneficial for health and disease preventionVegetarians in developed countries generally have adequate protein intakesVegetarianism lowers risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, chronic bronchitis, gallstones and kidney stones, and colon cancerVegetarians rarely become obese or develop high blood cholesterol

Health and Longevity

One research study showed that life expectancy of a 30-year-old vegetarian Adventist woman was 85.7 years,

6.1 years longer than averageFor a vegetarian Adventist man, life expectancy was 83.3 years, 9.5 years longer than average

Guidelines

VarietyFruitsVegetablesGrainsNutsSeedsBeansDairy**

Special Considerations

Diets with few or no animal products may be low in sources of complete protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and zincWith a traditional diet or with knowledgeable food selection, nutrient inadequacies will not occur

Plant Protein SourcesAnimal products provide all nine essential amino acids in the right balanceSoy proteins are complete protein sources for children and adultsBody needs sufficient essential amino acids to build and replace protein substances If essential amino acids are missing, protein construction stops, and available amino acids are used for energyEssential amino acids are not stored, body needs fresh each day

Amino Acids low in some plant foods:

IsoleucineLysineTryptophanSulfur-containing:

• Methionine• Cysteine

Vegetarian diets combine complementary plant foods

Grains Seeds:Sesame, sunflower

Legumes Incl. peanutsDairy Products

Food Sources of ProteinMilk, 16 oz. 16 grams1 cup oatmeal 6 gramsPeanut butter

sandwich 16 grams 2 cups rice and beans 20 grams________________________

58 grams

Plant Protein Sources

Many combinations of plant foods yield complete proteinsSoy products will complement other plant proteinsMilk, and eggs, like meat, contain complete proteins and will complement the essential amino acids profile of any plant source of proteinComplementary protein sources should be consumed daily

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 present only in animal products

Vegetarians who don’t consume animal products obtain vitamin B12 from fortified products such as soy milk and breakfast cereals or from a multivitamin or B12 supplement

Vitamin D

People get vitamin D from the sun and from milk

Vitamin D found in few foods, most of our intake comes from vitamin D-fortified milk

If milk is not part of the diet and exposure of the skin to sunlight is limited, vitamin D-fortified soy milk and breakfast cereals or a multivitamin with vitamin D

Calcium Sources

Vegetarians who exclude milk and milk products rely on: good plant sources of calcium (kale, broccoli, bok choy, and beans) and calcium-fortified products such as soy milk, breakfast cereals, and orange juiceIf calcium supplements are used, they should include Vitamin D.

Getting Enough Zinc

Many plants are good sources of zincZinc from plants is poorly absorbed, only a small portion of zinc consumed becomes available for use by the bodyTo get enough zinc, vegans should consume whole grains, beans, nuts, zinc-fortified breakfast cereals, and other sources of zinc regularly

Traditional Diets

Most traditional diets are largely vegetarianIncomplete plant proteins are balanced in variety of foodsIron in legumes is well-absorbed due to adequate vitamin CVitamin B-12 is in meat, milk, eggs, and bacteria and dust in environment

Add meatless meals a couple times a weekTry new recipes for a few vegetarian main dishesLearn to enjoy low meat or meatless meals from many cultures

The Flexitarian Diet

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