Features
Friendly eating
By Amelia Reyes
Jan 10, 2008, 12:11

Will I gain weight from this? How many calories are in this meal? How many times do we ask ourselves those questions?

Others, however, care less and think of the vicious ways these animals died just to be served on a platter. They practice a simple diet, vegetarianism. They only eat food that doesn’t consist of meat or any slaughter by-products.

Here are some types of vegetarianism: Ovo- lacto vegetarianism, Lacto vegetarianism, Ovo vegetarianism, Veganism, and many others. But the most common one is veganism, a diet that excludes all forms of animal by-products.

The earliest civilizations that practiced vegetarianism came from ancient India and Greece. They believed in the idea of nonviolence towards animals and promoted this idea through philosophy and religion. But during the Christianization in Rome, this practice almost disappeared but resurfaced during the Renaissance and expanded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Going vegetarian isn’t all that bad, even though you miss the burgers and chick filets. These diets lower cholesterol and saturated fat, but raises a higher level of fiber. Some studies tell us that it reduces risk of heart attacks and lowers the chances of gaining weight.

But why do some people change a common lifestyle of eating meat to eating fruits and vegetables?

“I would never become a vegetarian. I love meat too much to give it up,” said Cindi Trautman.

“I could be a vegetarian, I mean, I eat vegetables and fruit more than meat.” said Zoë Lee.

Obviously, some people have a moral or spiritual belief, like in Hinduism where eating or killing a cow is prohibited because of the belief of a sacred god residing in the animal. Others believe that slaughtering animals is unethical, violating animal rights. But most people prefer the healthy ways.

Yet here is the most asked question posed to a vegetarian: Are humans physiologically better being an herbivore or an omnivore than being a carnivore?
Scientists aren’t really sure about that, but some resource groups believe that humans are naturally omnivores. So in a way all eating lifestyles are healthy for everyone.


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