What is the difference between a vegan and a vegetarian? Cutting out meat will help you lose weight. List of forbidden foods for vegans

Vegetarianism Is this a new fashion trend that emerged at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, or a historical fact? When did the first vegetarians And what were their motives?

Let's go back to the origins and facts. The now popular word vegetarian” was first uttered in the first half of the 19th century in the British Vegetarian Society.

A couple of centuries ago, a man who was called a vegetarian, declared not so much about the rejection of meat food, as he spoke about his philosophical views on life. And only years later, this well-known term - vegetarianism - began to clearly indicate not only the way of life, but also the gastronomic preferences of a person.

The phenomenon itself arose not in the 19th century, but much earlier.

Let's fast forward to Ancient Egypt and lift the veil of secrecy over the views of the Egyptian priests, the keepers of the ancient sacred traditions. Most of them were true vegetarians - they not only did not eat meat, but also did not touch the carcasses of dead animals. The priests believed that abstaining from meat was necessary for successful communication with the gods, enlightening the spirit and conducting mysterious rituals. Many Egyptians followed suit. According to historians Herodotus and Pliny the Elder, the Egyptians, for the most part, ate raw fruits and vegetables.

Olympus, powerful gods, cradle of poetry, mathematics, philosophy. Ancient Greece! In it, a significant part of the population was vegetarians. One of the main elements of their diet is fruits. Not everyone knows that the famous ancient Greek philosophers - Socrates, Pythagoras and Plato - adhered to vegetarian views on life! Pythagoras believed in the transmigration of souls, and therefore refused meat food. Many followers of Pythagoras inherited the vegetarian traditions of their teacher.

Plato, who shared the views of Pythagoras, in the work "Dialogues" spoke about his idea of ​​\u200b\u200ban ideal society. What was it like? First of all, one in which there is no place for meat food. In the understanding of the great ancient Greek philosopher, it was the addiction to meat that gave rise to conflicts and misunderstandings, contributed to the emergence of new diseases - both physical and mental.

Plutarch, who lived in Ancient Greece, were more philosophical views to vegetarianism. He could not approve and understand how a person can decide to kill a living creature that has its own life, which is endowed with mental abilities.

Historical facts indicate that in the period from 6 to 2 millennium BC in ancient india hatha yoga was born, a system that allows a person to improve spiritually and physically. But for this you need to make an effort and give up animal meat. Meat food conveys to man all the suffering and illness of the slaughtered animal. In ancient India, it was believed that it was the eating of animal meat that caused the aggressiveness and anger of people. While vegetarians become healthier, stronger - in spirit, culturally advanced people.

Of great importance for the development of vegetarianism was the emergence of Buddhism in the first millennium BC. The founder of this religion was the Buddha, who, together with his followers, advocated the rejection of wine and meat and the ban on the killing of any living being. Nowadays, Buddhists are divided into vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Unfortunately, not all Buddhists living in Tibet or Mongolia can adhere to one of the main precepts of Buddhism due to strict climatic conditions. According to the Buddha's precepts, there are three types of impure meat: the meat of an animal killed specifically for a specific person, the meat of an animal killed at the behest of a specific person, and the meat of an animal killed by a person himself. Buddhists believe that the main thing is not to eat unclean meat if a person is directly related to it.

The ancient Incas, whose secrets were hidden by time and whose life still intrigues posterity, were also vegetarians. Their way of life was shared by the ancient Romans and Spartans. The latter, as you know, lived in conditions of complete asceticism, but possessed great willpower, were hardy, strong and wonderful warriors. Who knows, maybe the secret of their excellent health and great willpower is hidden precisely in vegetarianism?

The early Middle Ages is a period when humanity forgets about vegetarianism.

Among the great people of the Renaissance were adherents of a vegetarian lifestyle, for example, Leonardo da Vinci. He believed that in the future, the killing of animals would be treated in the same way as they are now treated with the killing of a person. The French philosopher Gassendi believed that eating meat by a person is an unnatural phenomenon, and that a person is obliged to eat only food. plant origin. As arguments, he pointed out that human teeth are not designed for chewing meat.

Despite these not numerous, but significant arguments, vegetarianism, as a conscious and voluntary phenomenon, did not exist.

The famous English scientist J. Ray, who made a huge contribution to the development of zoology, stated that, despite the theories of adherents of eating meat food, food of animal origin does not add strength to a person.

The English writer Thomas Tryon, in his book entitled The Path to Health, stated that eating meat leads to disease. Animals get sick, live in difficult conditions, and their meat bears a certain imprint. In addition, the writer stated that the killing of any living being for the sake of food is unacceptable.

By the 50s of the 19th century, vegetarianism began to emerge as a holistic and scientific theory about the benefits of plant foods for wellness And spiritual harmony. The impetus for the development of this theory in the UK was a number of reasons, one of them was the spread of Indian beliefs in the metropolis. The economic crisis also contributed, which led to a rise in the price of a significant part of food products. Schopenhauer believed that a vegetarian is a person with higher moral and ethical standards, and Bernard Shaw stated that he eats like honest man without eating the corpses of innocent creatures.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Leo Tolstoy made a great contribution to the development of vegetarianism. He became committed to this lifestyle in 1885 after meeting the Englishman William Frey. The latter proved that the human body is simply not designed to eat meat. Some of his children helped Leo Tolstoy to propagate the vegetarian teachings. Their views resonated in the hearts of many people, and years later, the son of one of his followers, Yu.S. Nikolaev, lectured on the benefits of a plant-based diet and actively communicated with representatives of Western vegetarian organizations.

At the end of the 80s of the 20th century, a conference was held in Russia, in which representatives of Armenia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia took part. They decided to create a vegetarian organization. The idea was brought to life in 1992. The resulting "Vegetarian Society" had several important tasks and goals. Members of the society promoted a plant-based diet and sought to instill in people a caring attitude and love for nature.

In the 21st century, vegetarianism begins new stage development. In India, as before, the majority of the population are convinced vegetarians (their number is about 40%). In China, absolute vegetarianism is practically not developed. In Belgium and France, vegetarianism as a way of life is developing, but at a slow pace. People visit vegan restaurants, but only a few decide to give up fur and leather clothing. There are over one million vegetarians in the world today.

Over the millennia of existence, a lifestyle such as vegetarianism has come a long way. From popularity and oblivion to revival.

We have prepared this article for those who have a superficial understanding of vegetarianism and do not distinguish it from veganism.

To begin with, vegetarianism and veganism are not the same thing. Simplified, of course, you can call all people who have refused meat vegetarians. But it won't be quite right.

Inside this large group there are many subgroups. We will not go into the wilds and talk about each of them today. Let's focus on two basic ones.

Vegetarianism as a diet

Vegetarians refuse lethal food - meat, fish, sea creatures. Yes. But they do not exclude kill-free food of animal origin. It happens that they eat everything that is not connected with the murder as such - eggs (chickens do not hatch from industrial eggs), milk, dairy products, honey. In this case, they are called lacto-ovo vegetarians. This is the most common group.

It happens that from animal food vegetarians eat only eggs, and then they are called ovo-vegetarians.

If all that vegetarians take from animals is their milk, then they are called lacto vegetarians.

Don't confuse a vegetarian diet with a raw food diet! You can read about the raw food diet at.

Veganism as a diet

Vegans stick to more strict diet than vegetarians, eating only products of plant origin (however, some of them still allow themselves honey). Vegans do not drink milk, kefir, do not eat cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, etc. based cow's milk do not eat eggs.

It is in these nuances that the answer to the question of how veganism differs from vegetarianism lies, if we consider them simply as diets. The first (veganism) is more strict, which involves eating only plants, the second (vegetarianism) is less, allowing the use of some animal products.

If veganism and vegetarianism are not just a diet

Above, we considered only the food aspect of the issue. Often people just want to improve their health. Therefore, do not eat all or some animal products. However, if there are more reasons, in particular, ethical ones, then the concepts of veganism and vegetarianism are expanding. For ethical reasons, these people not only exclude animal food from their diet, but also refuse all or many things in their lives that would be associated with animal abuse.

And again, this is more strict - they exclude such things completely, and vegetarians only partially. For example, in the wardrobe of vegans you will not find clothes made of wool. And vegetarians usually wear it. But both the first and the second refuse clothes made of leather. After all, to get it, the animal must be killed.

Vegans do not go to circuses and zoos, protesting against any exploitation of animals. Vegetarians often allow themselves this, since the main thing for them is that the animal is not killed.

An important conclusion: for ethical reasons, vegetarians oppose only the killing of animals, while vegans oppose any exploitation of them.

What came first - veganism or vegetarianism?

At first, there was only one version of such a food system, which did not include eggs or milk. That is, in fact it was. But such strict restrictions did not suit everyone. That is why there is such a division. Moreover, veganism first had the name " veganism", to distinguish it from the usual, so to speak, non-strict.

Not everyone who adheres to such food systems knows that the first of October of each year is World Vegetarian Day. As you might guess, the main purpose of the selection special day is to promote its various aspects. There is also a vegan day, celebrated exactly one month later - the first of November. As a rule, on this day, events are held everywhere aimed at informing the population about what veganism is.

Vegetarianism is partial or complete failure from products that are of animal origin.

This principle of nutrition is becoming more and more popular and already very common in the world, and in our country in particular.

But is there any truth in these principles, and moreover, is there any benefit? What is the harm of vegetarianism, what are the pros and cons of vegetarianism.

Vegetarian nutrition

With vegetarianism, a person uses about 300 types of vegetables, root crops, about 600 types of fruits and about 200 types of nuts. Sources of protein are nuts, legumes (especially soy, lentils, beans, peas), as well as spinach, cauliflower, kohlrabi and wheat. Sources of fat are vegetable oils - olive, sunflower, linseed, hemp, mustard, coconut, bean, corn, walnut, poppy, almond, cotton, etc.

• 25% - raw leafy and root vegetables according to the season in the form of salads;
• 25% - raw fresh fruits or well soaked dried;
• 25% - green and root vegetables cooked on fire;
• 10% - proteins (nuts, cottage cheese, dairy products);
• 10% - carbohydrates (all types of cereals and bread products, sugar);
• 5% - fats (butter, margarine, vegetable fats).
• The use of seasonings and vinegar is excluded.

To more fully meet the need for proteins, a combination of the following products is recommended:

• rice with beans or sesame;
• wheat with legumes, peanuts, sesame and soy;
• legumes with corn or wheat;
• soy with rice and wheat, with wheat and sesame, or with peanuts and sesame;
• sesame with legumes, with peanuts and soybeans, with soybeans and wheat;
• peanuts with sunflower seeds.

Types of Vegetarianism

There are several gradations of vegetarianism, but the main ones are four:

1. Classical vegetarianism - a type of food in which only fish and meat are prohibited. But milk, eggs, honey are allowed. Sometimes the reasons for the transition to classical vegetarianism are not caused by ideology, but by the rejection of the body. palatability any meat products- a kind of allergy.

2. Lacto-vegetarianism - a type of food in which honey and milk are allowed. Eggs are prohibited, along with meat and fish.

3. Ovo-vegetarianism - a type of diet in which milk is prohibited, and honey and eggs, on the contrary, are allowed.

4. Veganism - with such a diet, only foods of plant origin are allowed. Mushrooms are allowed for consumption, although they have nothing to do with plants. There are separate subclasses of vegans, for example, raw foodists, who eat exclusively unprocessed food, that is, raw. Or fruitarians, who oppose, in principle, any "killing", that is, not only animals, waterfowl, etc., but also plants. Fruitarians eat only fruits of plants: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds.

In fact, there is no clear division in the literature, therefore, the subspecies of vegetarianism are very conditional, and the advantages of vegetarianism are often unscientific. Some vegetarian schools allow fish to be eaten, but meat is forbidden. And in some cases, the situation is generally absurd - for example, only red meat is prohibited, but white meat can be eaten.

It is up to you to make a choice in favor of vegetarianism or not, and we will only tell you the objective disadvantages of vegetarianism and the advantages of vegetarianism, about the harm that vegetarianism brings, and how it really helps the body. So, vegetarianism - pros and cons.

History of Vegetarianism

What is a vegetarian diet? Vegetarianism is not a newfangled diet that promotes weight loss and healing of the body, but a thousand-year-old system that implies a complete or partial refusal to eat animal products.

The term "vegetarianism" was introduced into use by the British, some scientists believe that this word is derived from the Latin "vegetus" - peppy, strong, full of strength. Members of the British Vegetarian Society in 1842 became convinced that in India a plant-based diet brings undoubted benefits and, promoting it at home, introduced the term Homo Vegetus, which means a harmoniously developed personality. At first, the word "vegetarian" was more philosophical in nature, only over time it began to refer to a person adhering to a plant-based diet.

Vegetarianism does not just mean a certain set of dietary rules, but rather life position person. Many people who adhere to a vegetarian diet have advocated for animals, feeling their own involvement in the world of wildlife. Vegetarianism is adhered to by Buddhists who try not to harm even insects, believing that killing it will negatively affect the karma of the "killer". Vedic culture calling for plant based diet, stands up for life in harmony with nature and in peace with animals (they are against their destruction). Priests in Ancient Egypt they did not eat the meat of animals, so as not to interfere with their "magical" abilities. The ancient Greeks also practiced vegetarianism.

The sacred books of many peoples contain indications of the preference for eating plant foods. So, in the Bible, in the book of Genesis, it is said that initially people had to eat food of plant origin. The Qur'an mentions that stomachs should not be made graves for animals.

Myth: Vegetarianism is not for everyone.

There is an opinion that vegetarianism is not suitable for people living in cold climates. A clear refutation of this is the settlement of vegetarians in Siberia, which has existed for 17 years. A team of doctors carefully studied the health status of each member of the community. They noted positive influence vegetarian lifestyle on the state of cardio-vascular system organism. Iron and vitamin B 12 were in normal amount in blood.

Researchers have carefully studied the diet of this group. Basically they don't use White bread and muffin, black bread is used instead own cooking. Among the cereals, millet, buckwheat and rice are the priority, less often oatmeal, barley or pearl barley porridge are eaten.

Most of the members of the settlement do not eat pasta, vegetable oil. If oil is used, it is either olive or sunflower. All respondents consume lentils, soybeans, peas and beans.

The consumption of vegetables and fruits in this group depends on the season. Carrots, cabbage, garlic, onions, potatoes, pumpkin, turnips are always present in the usual diet. During the season, dill, celery, green onion, mint, cilantro, wild garlic, nettle, blueberries, strawberries, pears, plums, dandelion. The diet is also rich in dried fruits.

It is believed that such vegetarians will have to eat all day to replenish their strength. However, even in cold regions, this is not necessary. The fact is that products of plant origin in small portions give the body everything necessary substances to ensure proper metabolism.

Since vegetables and fruits are digested better, the body spends less energy on the digestion process.

So, vegetarianism is useful not only for those living in warm regions. At proper nutrition it will be useful in northern latitudes as well.

Cons of Vegetarianism

According to some estimates, eight hundred million vegetarians live on our planet. There is a lot of talk about how useful vegetarianism is. However, this way of eating also has its downsides. The main disadvantage vegetarian menu is its imbalance in the main nutrients. The diet of adherents of this diet is dominated by carbohydrates, but it contains very little protein and fat, which the body also needs.

Many vegetarians talk about what they successfully replace animal protein vegetable. But this is not entirely true. First of all, vegetable protein is absorbed much worse than animal protein. So, no more than thirty percent of the protein is absorbed from leguminous plants. In addition, vegetable protein does not contain all useful amino acids that the body needs and that we get from meat.

In addition to protein, meat also contains other essential substances, such as iron. Eating tons of apples and pomegranates will not make up for the lack of iron in the body the way meat does. Therefore, vegetarians often suffer from anemia. In addition, vitamin B12 is deficient in the diet of vegetarians. This vitamin is not produced in tissues human body, but if it is not enough in the diet, they begin to break down nerve endings, cells are poorly restored. This vitamin is found in seafood, meat, offal, cheeses and dairy products.

In addition, a vegetarian diet does not include foods containing vitamin D at all. A lack of this vitamin in children leads to rickets, and in adults to osteoporosis, tooth decay and other unpleasant phenomena. And another vitamin, which is almost absent in plant foods, is B2 or riboflavin. This one is present important vitamin in eggs, offal and dairy products. If it is not enough, a person suffers from dizziness, he has wounds on the mucous membranes, he is lethargic and cannot work fruitfully. In small quantities, this vitamin is produced by microbes living in the intestines.

And that is why doctors categorically do not recommend this image nutrition for children and adolescents. Vegetarian diet leads to weakening defensive forces organism, since in plant foods there are not many vitamins, minerals and other substances necessary for the life of the body. In this regard, the most acceptable for human health is vegetarianism, in which it is allowed to eat eggs, dairy products and fish.

For those who have consciously chosen a vegetarian diet for themselves, it is advisable to adhere to following recommendations:

☀ Remember that vegetarianism prescribes not only to exclude certain foods from the diet, but also to healthy lifestyle life - give up smoking and alcohol, do not use drugs.

☀ Do not close the meat “gap” formed in the menu with high-calorie plant foods (legumes, nuts, honey) in in large numbers Otherwise, weight gain cannot be avoided.

☀ Take regularly multivitamin preparations With high content vitamins B 12 and D.

☀ To compensate for calcium and iron deficiency, include legumes, nuts, mushrooms, green vegetables, buckwheat, drink fresh Orange juice And soy milk. These products, rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, will to a certain extent replace meat, fish, and dairy products.

☀ Because plant food(with the exception of legumes) is digested faster, eat a little, but more often.

☀ Prepare vegetable and fruit salads immediately before use - this way vitamins are better preserved in them.

☀ Diversify the menu: reducing the diet to one or two (even very healthy) products will definitely lead to health problems.

who are vegetarians

More than 15 million North Americans identify themselves as "vegetarians". About a third of them completely exclude meat, poultry and fish from their diet. The rest sometimes allow themselves a bird or fish, but refuse red meat. It may seem rather strange that there are so many people who eat meat and at the same time consider themselves vegetarians. Perhaps this can be explained by the fact that for many, vegetarianism is a smart choice and a serious step. .

Vegetarian life

Although vegetarians in no case can be called a homogeneous group, there are certain differences that distinguish this category of people from the rest of the population. The most characteristic and obvious of these differences is a strong interest in one's own.

Foods that have undergone minimal industrial processing are generally preferred, often avoiding salt and caffeine and opting for only natural products without artificial dyes, preservatives and food additives.

However, even among vegetarians, giving great importance health and environmental issues, there is a huge difference between individual groups, characterized not only by adherence to a particular diet, but also by the reasons for choosing this lifestyle.

For some people it is a way of gaining and maintaining good health while for others it is a matter of ethics, religion, ecology or animal rights.

Many vegetarians set themselves enough difficult questions regarding the degree of their involvement in a vegetarian culture, for example: "Can a real vegetarian eat marshmallows?" or “Will I still be a vegetarian by eating a Christmas turkey?” However, all this is not decisive.

Much more important is whether a person has an internal agreement with the chosen way of existence, and how vegetarianism corresponds to it. life path. Each of us goes through own way leading to vegetarianism, but the right moment for this comes individually.

" A "vegetarian" can be called a person who completely refuses to eat the flesh of animals, be it beef, chicken or fish. Those people whose diet contains both plant and animal food are sometimes called "omnivores."

Vegetarians are usually divided into groups, depending on which foods they accept and which they refuse. Each of these groups is divided in turn into many categories that differ from each other in religious beliefs, traditions and personal experience any vegetarian.

If a person refuses animal food for the sake of his own health, he can be flexible in his approach to vegetarian diet; however, if the choice is made on the basis of ethical or religious principles, such a person tends to have a stricter view of the chosen path.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians

Lacto-ovo vegetarians refuse any animal flesh, but include eggs (ovo) and dairy products (lacto) in their diet. IN North America this kind of vegetarians are about 90-95 percent.

Pure vegetarians or vegans

Pure (or absolute) vegetarians, which are also called vegans, avoid any animal products, including eggs, dairy products, gelatin, and even because it is produced by bees. Although the terms "vegan" and " pure vegetarian"can replace each other, there is a difference between them.

Vegan beliefs are somewhat broader than just dietary restrictions, as they avoid, if possible, everything that is of animal origin. They do not wear leather, wool or silk, do not use fatty soaps, and do not take photographs that require gelatin, which is based on bones and connective tissues animals. It is known that gelatin is also used for the preparation of some confectionery which vegans also refuse.

Other Reasons for Choosing a Plant-Based Diet

There are many people who are gradually moving to a vegetarian diet, reducing the consumption of animal foods. Some of them do not eat red meat, but sometimes they allow themselves chicken and / or fish. Others - periodically eat meat, but most of the time they try to stick to it. vegetarian diet nutrition. People who prefer a near-vegetarian diet are sometimes referred to as "semi-vegetarians".

The choice of a vegetarian lifestyle is often directly related to the corresponding philosophical or religious views, or the ideas of a social group. One of the most prominent philosophical groups of this type is macrobiotics, which preaches the need for a simple life in harmony with nature. Followers of the macrobiotic diet emphasize the importance of using whole, local foods such as cereals, fresh grains, seaweed, and legumes.

Refined salt and sugar they replace sea ​​salt and vegetable sweeteners (such as rice syrup). Macrobiots ignore products that have undergone industrial chemical processing. food additives and concentrated fats. Animal products (meat, poultry and dairy products) are not recommended in macrobiotics, with the exception of a small amount of white fish.

There are many similarities between the macrobiotic diet and current nutritional trends adopted by health authorities in different countries aimed at reducing the incidence of chronic diseases.

macrobiotic diet comprises minimum quantity fats and cholesterol, it is rich in fiber and saturated whole grains, vegetables and legumes. Such a diet has a very beneficial effect on the health of adults.

If you have a small one, you should find a reasonable balance between the principles of macrobiotics and modern scientific developments in the field of infant and child nutrition to meet all needs child's body. To do this, the diet should contain enough calories, as well as protein, fat and reliable sources of vitamin D, zinc, iron and other vitamins and minerals, which may be deficient in a macrobiotic diet.

Dietary concepts from the East, such as the macrobiotic system, offer an interesting explanation for a harmonious diet, which in to a large extent differs from the model adopted in Western countries.

You can take advantage of one or the other dietary concept, based on Western scientific theories for creating balanced diet, adding to them oriental knowledge about health and nutrition. Such an approach would create excellent system food for people of all ages.