World Vegetarian Day!!! October is Vegetarian Awareness Month

Today Saturday, October 1, 2011 is World Vegetarian Day and what better way to start a month than to cleanse you body of all those toxins from hormones and artificial additives placed into the meats ingested by my carnivorous peers. As you guys know, I am a proud non-meat eater and have been so for about 4 years now! Although I must say I do appreciate the smell of an open BBQ pit, I simply do not ingest the products of beef, pork, or chicken and don't miss it - however - I do consume fish and only refrain from shellfish due to a little thing known as anaphylaxis and that's not a good look- lol

Thus, I do not consider my myself a "full-fledged" vegetarian but most people find it easier to understand that fact that I don't eat meat when I simply use the label. I have found that there are many levels to vegetarianism and I will share that with you but today's holiday that continues throughout the month encourages us non-meat eaters to get meat eaters to embrace our practices for at least this 24-hr period.

World Vegetarian Day, October 1, is the annual kick-off of Vegetarian Awareness Month. Make a difference this October by informing others about the benefits of vegetarianism. You will be helping to create a better world because vegetarian diets have proven health benefits, save animals’ lives and help to preserve the Earth. You can pledge online at http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/ and find out more about the benefits of vegetarianism.

Types of Vegetarians

Yes, there are many different kinds of vegetarians. Every person makes their own individual food choices, but most vegetarians can be divided into these main categories:

• Vegans avoid all animal products. They don't eat eggs, dairy products, or even honey. Many vegans also avoid anything made from animal products, such as leather, fur, and wool.
• Fruitarians eat only fruits, seeds, nuts, and other plant components that can be gathered without harming the plant.
• Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but not eggs. They may or may not avoid non-dietary use of animal products.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat both eggs and dairy products. This is the most common group of vegetarians and what most people think of when someone says they're "a vegetarian."
• Pesce-vegetarians include fish in their diet. (This is me)
• Pollo-vegetarians eat fowl, such as chicken and turkey, but avoid red meat and pork.
• Flexitarians mainly eat vegetarian food, but will occasionally make exceptions.

Very strict vegetarians don't really consider people who place themselves in the pesce, pollo, or flexitarian categories to be "real" vegetarians, but it's not like there are firm labeling guidelines. Many people begin their transition to vegetarianism by eliminating red meat and then slowly purging their diet of other animal products. And once people discover the incredible variety of vegetarian choices, they'll never miss the meat! 


Have a Happy World Vegetarian Day!!!