Vegetarian and Vegan Living Ideas and Nutrients Easily Explained ...

Confused about the vegan or vegetarian way of living or the nutrients needed for optimum health, then read on to find out more ...

There is endless information out there about Vegan and Vegetarian Living these days, but what is the difference between a vegan and simply a vegetarian. Or what about nutrients … how on earth do vegans and vegetarians get their nutrients if they are not eating meat anyway?

Well you’d be surprised how easily it actually is to have a very healthy well balanced vegan or vegetarian diet and thrive with boundless energy, less disease and unlimited goodies to choose from for meals and snacking.

But first let’s explore the difference between the two:

A vegetarian simply doesn’t eat any animal by-products (meaning no meat, poultry, fish or other water animals or bits taken from them like gelatine or animal fats). So the difference between a Vegan and a Vegetarian is what, well vegans go a few steps further than vegetarians and do not consume any animal by-products whatsoever these include eggs, dairy (including cheese, butter) plus vegans don’t use products that have been tested on animals either. Honey is also usually avoided, because bees are frequently killed during its production. And finally, vegans avoid wearing animal products like wool, leather and silk or using cosmetics and toiletries that contain animal ingredients.

So in short, veganism is a little more restricting from the stand point of view that you one may need to read labels on products much more frequently than a non-vegan, but it gets easier with time and is so very good for the heart, body, mind and soul. 

As stated above there is an abundance of foods available to choose from for healthy living all filled to the brim with the nutrients that everyone needs to survive in this world (just because a person eats meat doesn’t necessarily mean they are not deficient in some form or another, or that they are healthy … in fact as you will see below * some natural vegetarian foods are much more superior than their meat counterparts).

Being on a balanced began diet can be the healthiest diet on earth; there are no worries whether a person will receive all their nutrients on such a diet.  Let me clarify in a bit more detail for you…

Protein: essential for growth, repairing tissues and protecting against infections. Protein can be found in pulses, nuts, grains, seeds and also in tofu dried apricots and potatoes. In fact according to leading nutritionists, it is almost impossible to get protein deficiency on a vegan diet due to the average level of protein in pulses (*did you know pulses protein levels are greater than that of meat).

Iron: can be found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, pulses, tofu, wholemeal bread, pasta, dried fruits, pumpkin seeds, humus, lentils, sesame seeds, oats, fortified cereals and cocoa to name a few. Now don’t forget that Vitamin C can enhance absorption of iron, so iron deficiency should not be a problem if you have a well balanced intake of vitamin c rich foods like broccoli, kiwi fruit, oranges, parsley and even mangoes.

Calcium: sources for vegans and non-vegans alike can come from leeks, pulses, nuts, seeds, tofu, soy milk (fortified), wholemeal breads, almonds and Brazil nuts, and green leafy vegetables.

So ultimately there is no reason for any imbalance within a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle and should be little chance of a deficiency as long as you eat a well balanced healthy diet.

Now if you are not sure were to start or need some ideas on what food to eat, then here is a list of various foods you can choose from:

Veggie Burgers, Veggie Hot Dogs or Sausages, Tofurky, Vegan Mince, Veggie Bacon, Almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, oat and potato milks (some contain sweeteners or come in flavored options and most vegan milks are fortified with calcium and vitamins D & B12 as well). Non-dairy Ice Creams, sorbets and desserts, egg  replacers, tofu, seitan, soy margarine, tempeh, TVP (texturized vegetable protein), soy cheeses including sour, creamed and whipped creams. And we can't forget about the many fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables to choose from as well.

So as you can see the abundance is only limited to your imagination. Therefore living with compassion and exploring the vegan or vegetarian way of life could and most probably will change your life for the healthiest.

Rebecca has worked in the vegetarian and vegan industry for years. She is the founder of http://www.VeganSecrets.com/blog a portal with many interesting vegan and vegetarian books, articles, veg living tips, tricks and information on everything vegan, vegetarian and cruelty-free.