Vegetarian Lifestyle

Before I get into the nitty gritty of a vegetarian diet and all of the benefits of it, I want to talk on the practice of Ahimsa, or non-harming.

In the yogic sense is, Ahimsa is defined as

“respect for all living things and avoidance of violence toward others and violence to your body that can cause you fatigue and deplete your body’s energy and life force.”

I speak on this practice because for many people, this is the reason they choose to go vegetarian.

We are becoming more and more aware that consuming animals and animal products cause harm to our bodies, the Earth, and the animals themselves; specifically, with conventional farming (meaning purchasing meat from the grocery store).

When we purchase meat and seafood from the grocery store, we do not know fully where the meat product came from, how the animal was treated, and what the other consequences are by killing the animal.

So, the best way to work around this is to adopt a vegetarian or plant-based lifestyle. This diet allows us and our body to feel good physically, mentally, and spiritually:

 

  • Food should make us feel good physically

 

Eating food shouldn’t make you want to take a nap afterwards. It shouldn’t make you feel foggy or drained of energy. Instead, you should feel full of energy after eating and comfortable while you’re not eating.

 

  • Food should make us feel good mentally

 

While eating, you shouldn’t feel any guilt, shame, doubt, or fear. Instead, you should be surrounded by feelings of thankfulness and gratefulness.

 

  • Food should make us feel good spiritually

 

You should eat food that aligns with your moral principles. Food should make you feel energized on a spiritual level.

With this, a vegetarian diet is the best way to honor your body, mind, and spirit while also practicing Ahimsa.

A vegetarian diet is one that omits meat, fish, and poultry from the diet.

It is associated with a multitude of health benefits including weight loss, reduced risk of cancer, and improved heart health.

Many people are hesitant to try a vegetarian diet due to concerns of inadequate protein intake. You can actually consume just as much protein on a vegetarian diet as you can with an omnivore diet.

The vegetarian lifestyle includes eating a diverse mix of fruits, vegetables, grains, healthy fats, and proteins.

·      Grains: Quinoa, barley, buckwheat, rice, oats

·      Legumes: Lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas.

·      Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts

·      Seeds: Flaxseeds, chia and hemp seeds

·      Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, melons, pears, peaches

·      Vegetables: Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots

·      Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocados

·      Proteins: Tempeh, tofu, seitan, nutritional yeast, spirulina, eggs, dairy products

Although the vegetarian diet is beneficial in many ways, it is not for everybody.

This is where the practice of Ahimsa comes in. With Ahimsa, we work to not harm ourselves, those around us, the Earth, etc. but sometimes what our body needs outweighs the need to not harm other beings.

What I mean by this is that some individuals need meat in their diet; their body may be out of balance without it.

You can still practice Ahimsa and consume meat by verifying the source and humane treatment of any animal products you consume or even better buying meat from local sources.

Therefore, choose to not harm yourself and honor what your body needs while also honoring the food in front of you.

Picture of Macie Thornhill, RDN, LDN, RYT

Macie Thornhill, RDN, LDN, RYT

Founder & Owner of The Mindful Eating Dietitian

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