Famous Vegetarians

In my opinion, vegetarianism is a rapidly expanding diet trend, and like most other trends it is supported by a long list of celebrity advocates.

Celebrities have some kind of power over the consumer markets and tend to influence the decisions people make.  Katy Perry is noted for her "cute, girly, vintage" style, and next thing you know, every teenaged girl is sporting the same style.  Jessica Biel is seen practising yoga on the beach, and the relaxing meditation method becomes the "hottest" exercise.

You get the point, celebrities do something, and we mimic it.

Becoming vegetarian is one of those things that celebrities do and the public expresses an interest.  We have a strange inclination to follow the choices made by our favourite celebs.  It's almost as though they promote these trends, such as becoming vegetarian, just by doing it.

Celebrities have the ability to bring issues into the spotlight and generate public discussion.  When we hear that a well-known celebrity has recently adopted a vegetarian lifestyle we wonder why and we want to know more about their decision.

This interest leads to increased focus on vegetarianism and oftentimes leads to some celeb fans making the decision to adopt this lifestyle for themselves.

Here is a list of just a few celebrity vegetarians:

Pamela Anderson
Russell Brand
Ellen DeGeneres
Paul McCartney
Ozzy Osbourne
Natalie Portman
Prince
Alicia Silverstone

   

More on Protein

Just in case you didn't feel satisfied by the information in my last post, I thought I would provide a more detailed account on vegetarian/vegan friendly protein sources.

The soybean is an important protein in any meat-free diet.  Soybeans contain all essential amino acids – there are 10 – and provide a respective amount of protein to the human body. 

Soybeans can be consumed in their original form, and actually make a great addition to your favourite trail-mix, but they can also be found in a wide variety of soy-based products.  Soy milk, tofu, veggie burgers and dogs are only a few of the products available to vegetarians and vegans.  The soybeans are miraculous in that the many different forms take on a variety of flavours guaranteed to satisfy a range of tastes. 

Aside from soybeans, vegetarian/vegan protein comes from sources such as:

Legumes: garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans

Grain: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, quinoa, rye, wild rice

Vegetables: artichokes, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, green peas, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, spinach, watercress, zucchini … to name a few

Fruit: apples, bananas, melons, grapefruit, peaches, pears, pineapple

Nuts and Seeds: almonds, cashews, hemp seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts

And the list goes on.  So, as you can see, there are a wide range of proteins available to those who chose not to eat meat.  These options offer a variety of textures and tastes of which you’ll surely never be bored. 

Oh, and one last thing, to further support my previous claim that people tend to think we need more protein than is necessary, The Happy Cow says that “we need only 2.5 – 10% of our calories from protein, and ALL vegetables offer us more than that.”   

Basic Vegetarian Diet

I think that everyone, at some point or another, has seen Canada's Food Guide.  This guide is an outline for the recommended daily intake of each food group.  The idea is to follow the recommendations in order to live a healthy life.

For vegetarians, this food guide needs to be altered just slightly.  Since vegetarians will not be consuming anything in the meat category some substitutions must be made. 

Many people assume that if you don’t eat meat you must eat a lot more fish (in some cases), eggs, cheese and carbohydrates.  This is not necessarily true.  Vegetarians must properly substitute meat with foods that will provide their bodies with similar nutrients.

A proper, balanced vegetarian diet is broken down as follows:

Whole grains and potatoes:

6 – 11 servings per day
1 serving = 1 slice of bread, ½ cup of cereal, rice or pasta, 1 medium potato

Fruit and vegetables: 

5 or more servings per day

1 serving = 1 medium apple, banana or orange, a handful of cherry tomatoes, 2 or more heaping spoonfuls of cooked vegetables

Legumes, nuts and seeds: 

2 – 3 servings per day
1 serving = a small handful of nuts and seeds, ½ cup cooked beans, 15g serving of tofu

Dairy and dairy alternatives: 

2 – 3 servings per day
1 serving = 1 egg, a small slice of cheese, a small container of yogurt, a small glass of milk

Fats, sweets and snacks: eat sparingly

The basic vegetarian diet should contain a variety of foods from each of the above mentioned groups.  The best way to be healthy is to consume nutrient rich foods that your body can use, as opposed to calorie laden foods that have little to no dietary benefits. 

Source: Graimes, Nicola. 330 Vegetarian Recipes for Health. London: Hermes House, 2010. Print.

Vegetarian vs. Vegan

This message goes out to those of you who cannot seem to understand that being a vegetarian and being a vegan is not the same thing.  Vegetarianism and veganism are similar – yes, this is true – however, there are many distinct differences between the two.

As discussed last week, vegetarians abstain from eating animal flesh, aka meat.  "The Vegetarian Handbook" states that vegetarians survive mainly on plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.; however, some also consume animal by-products such as eggs and milk.

Vegans, on the other hand, abstain not only from all animal foods and by-products, but also from using any products derived from animals, as defined by "The Vegetarian Handbook."  Essentially, a vegan is an extremely strict and emphasized vegetarian. 

Many vegan diets are comprised of wholesome, energy-filled foods.  These diets are designed with a focus on unaltered, unprocessed foods such as raw fruits and vegetables, buts, seeds and grains.  There is little to no consumption of anything processed; therefore alcohol, coffee, tea, soda and even tobacco are considered taboo. 

Vegetarian and vegan diets are both concerned for the well-being of animals; however, their commitment and the degree to which they take action vary.  So, to all of you who think vegetarians and vegans are all the same, hopefully now you will see they are not.  

Source: Null, Gary. The Vegetarian Handbook: eating right for total health. Revised Edition. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1996. Print.

Life Changing Decision

The decision to give up a life of eating meat in exchange for the vegetarian alternative is a unique experience for everyone.  Some of us have been influenced by a close friend or family member or maybe even a celebrity role model, while others have been inspired by animal advocacy, religious reasons or the idea of a healthy lifestyle (Thinking about vegetarianism? Becoming Vegetarian).  Some vegetarians contemplate the switch for weeks, months, or maybe even years, whereas others make their decision based on impulse.  Every story is different and the reasons are endless. 

Personally, I was one of those 
people who made the decision on a whim.  I had had thoughts about the possibility of giving up meat and pursuing a more herbaceous diet, but I had never really been serious about making the change.  Or so it seemed.  One night, while visiting a friend in Toronto, we got on the topic of animal cruelty and vegetarianism.  My friend confessed that she had been thinking about becoming a vegetarian, and I agreed that the thought had crossed my mind once or twice.  We went for dinner and when we returned, I experienced an incredible “Ah ha!” moment.  This is when I made the announcement that I was going to be a vegetarian.    

My new life choice came as a shock to, well, to everyone.  You see, I was known for loving chicken nuggets and pepperoni pizza, so the news that I had given it all up was surprising, even to me.  Ever since this moment, my interest in vegetarianism has continued to grow and I am fascinated to learn about other people who have chosen this lifestyle and what made them do it.