Find out the advantages as well as the disadvantages of being a vegetarian by reading this article.
There are a lot of vegetarians in the world today, and their number includes the likes of actress Drew Barrymore, actress Kim Basinger, actor Kirk Cameron, and actress Ashley Judd, just to name a few.
Vegetarianism is growing by leaps and bounds in the world today.
Generally, vegetarians do not eat meat because they believe in the rights of animals. Some will eat fish and poultry, while others will not even eat an egg. Some vegetarians even go as far as refusing to eat or use anything that comes from any kind of an animal source. Some will eat dairy products, while others do not.
There are advantages to changing over to a vegetarian diet as well as some disadvantages, and here they are:
Advantages:
1. By following a vegetarian diet, you are most likely to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetbles. These are essential to good health.
2. By avoiding all sources of red meat, you will not have to worry about eating too much red meat and raising your bad cholesterol levels.
3. Protein, which is found in red meat, and which is also necessary for the healthy maintenance of the human body can alos be found in nuts, seeds, tofu, veggie burgers, and grains. You can get all of the nutrients and vitamins you need on a vegetarian diet.
Disadvantages:
1. By follwing the idea that animals have rights and therefore we should not use any animal products or by-products, then vegetarians should not drink alcoholic beverages as some of them are clarified by using animals ingredients. Biscuits and pie crusts are likely to be made using animal fat, so they should also be avoided. Vegetarians should not eat off of bone china dinnerware or use utensils that have bone handles. They should avoid vitamin or medicine capsules as most are made with gelatin. They should not use paint brushes as well as other brushes unless they arer made with synthetic fibers as most brushes are camel hair or other. They must watch for whey and emulsifiers in chocolate. They cannot wear cashmere clothing, nor wool, nor mohair, nor can they use felt. Vegetarians cannot use down-filled pillows or bedding. They cannot eat anything that contains gelatin. They cannot chew certain types of gum becuase the gum contains animal glycerin. They cannot eat any type of gravy. They should not use any type of hand or body lotion which contains lanolin, (sheep). Vegetarians should not wear any type of leather shoes, belts, coats or jackets, nor carry leather billfolds, purses, luggage, or cases. They may not be able to eat noodles, pasta, pastries, cakes, pies, and the like. And they cannot use cameras because the film is made from gelatin. They must buy their pets special dog and cat food and not use most of the store brands becuase they contain meat and meat by products. Vegetarians cannot use soap and body cleansers becuase they are likely to contain animal fats. Toothpaste has to be bought specially as many toothpastes contain glycerin. This is just a partial listing of what vegetarians cannot eat or use. There are hundred of other restrictions to add to this list.
