How to stay healthy on a vegetarian diet

You may be thinking that a vegetarian diet and staying healthy go hand in hand; this is not always the case. Depending on the degree of vegetarian diet you limit yourself to, you may be missing vital vitamins and minerals in your diet. Let’s start with a look at the different degrees of vegetarian diets that exist and then how to stay healthy on a vegetarian diet.

• Semi-vegetarians: These people eat dairy, eggs, poultry, and fish, but do not eat red meat.
• Pesco-vegetarians eat dairy, eggs, and fish, but no other meat.
• Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy products and eggs, but no other animal products.
• Lacto-vegetarians enjoy dairy products, but not other animal products.
• Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but no other animal foods.
• Vegans are by far the most extreme vegetarians. They do not eat dairy, eggs or any other animal products.

Because vegans have the most restrictive diet, they are at the highest risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in their diet. The biggest risk vegans suffer from is vitamin B-12 deficiency. This is a potentially very dangerous vitamin deficiency because it can cause serious mental problems and even permanent nerve damage.

Vitamin B-12 intake needs increase during pregnancy and during lactation; therefore, a vegetarian with a vitamin B-12 deficiency before these times will suffer even more during these physically stressful times in their life.

Vegetarians who consume dairy products are mostly safe from vitamin D deficiencies, but those who do not eat any dairy products can suffer from conditions such as rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults.

Iron is another concern for vegetarians. An iron deficiency can cause anemia. Since vegetarians tend to eat high-fiber, soy, and bran in their diets, they may think they are getting enough iron in their diet, but with a high-fiber diet, iron has a hard time being absorbed into the blood. stream.

OK, I’m not trying to paint a gloomy picture of a vegetarian lifestyle, just to point out the drawbacks. There are things that all vegetarians of any grade can take to stay healthy.

Staying healthy on a vegetarian diet means taking certain steps to ensure your good health. Here are some examples of how to maintain a healthy vegetarian lifestyle:

*Take a multivitamin every day to ensure that vitamins and minerals that are hard to get from plant sources get into your system another way.

*To get enough calcium in your diet, eat calcium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, broccoli, green vegetables, and bok choy.

*To ensure you get enough vitamin B-12, consume soy products and cereals fortified with B-12, along with B-12 supplements.

*To increase your vitamin D intake, spend time in the sun every day! The sun is the best source of natural vitamin D. You can also add vitamin D-fortified margarine to your diet.

*To make sure you get enough iron in your diet, eat these foods: iron-fortified breads and cereals, vegetables like tofu, green leafy vegetables, and dried fruit. If you’re trying to increase your iron intake, be sure to include vitamin C in your diet to increase your body’s ability to absorb the iron-rich foods you’re eating.

Staying healthy on a vegetarian diet doesn’t have to be difficult, but you do need to do your homework. If you have any questions about improving your health, don’t hesitate to see your doctor to make sure you’re eating the right foods to stay healthy.