Vegetarianism: A Path to Lead a Healthy Life

There are many routes to living a healthy and fit lifestyle. A vegetarian diet is one of those routes.

The most common type is called the Lacto-ovo vegetarian. This type does not eat beef, pork, poultry, fish, and shellfish or animal flesh of any kind. But they do eat eggs and dairy products.

With this type of diet, there is less fat and cholesterol because there is no meat. There is also a higher level of fiber from vegetarian foods such as apples, beans and spinach.

There are many misconceptions about vegetarians. Vegetarians do not only eat vegetables and fruit. They must include all of the parts of a normal balanced diet.

The key to maintaining healthy eating habits is to eat a variety of foods such as fruit, vegetables and a source of protein and iron.

Protein is not found in meat alone. Beans, tofu, milk, lentils, eggs, peanuts and hard cheeses are all good sources of protein.

According to The American Heart Association, reducing fat intake is recommended to lower the risk of chronic disease.

A easy way to stay away from taking in too much fat is to stay away from most fast food chains.

Other benefits of a balanced vegetarian diet include lower blood pressure, lower rates of diabetes and lower obesity rates.