Vegetarian Nutrition: A Superior Diet with Superior Nutrition
Have you ever heard someone say that you can't possibly survive on a vegetarian diet? You may have heard that you'll develop all kinds of nutritional deficiencies and become pale and sickly if you do not eat meat. For a long time, vegetarian nutrition was thought of as an oxymoron.
In fact, if you went vegetarian early on in life, you probably heard endless tales of woe from your parents and teachers. Everyone claims to know someone who got very sick when subscribing to a vegetarian diet.
It's now been proven that a vegetarian diet is healthier than the typical meat, potatoes, and dairy American diet. Vegetarian nutrition is superior to the meat-derived kind because it comes from sources that are closer to nature and full of disease-fighting natural substances.
The sources of vegetarian nutrition are plant-based and great for keeping you healthy for the long term. Studies have proven that a vegetarian diet can cut down on many ailments like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, among others. Even the vegetarians who aren't very strict about their lifestyle and their nutritional intake are generally seen as healthier than their meat-eating counterparts. When you look at it that way, vegetarian nutrition doesn't seem like such an impossible concept at all.
Keep Track and Stay Informed
One of the most important things to remember about vegetarian nutrition is that you will not starve from eschewing meat. You will not suddenly develop jaundice, anemia, and anorexia, no matter what some people would like you to believe.
However, it is possible with any diet to miss key components and become deficient in them. If you eat nothing but bread and cheese after going vegetarian, you will get sick. You will not be getting the vegetarian nutrition that you need to stay healthy. In all likelihood, this is the type of situation that your parents or teachers were warning you about - if you neglect your health and just live on one or two foods, then your body will certainly not be able to function in the best way possible.
It's essential to stay informed about what your body needs and do your best to provide the optimum vegetarian nutrition. You owe it to yourself and to your loved ones to stay in prime shape through careful nutritional planning and observation. Who knows - you might even inspire them to become more nutritionally conscious as well!
