Teenage Nutrition - Vegetarianism and the Aftereffects of a Change in Diet

Book excerpt: Table of Contents Introduction Vegetarian by Choice or by Circumstances Self Starvation on Purpose Meals on the Dining Table “I Am Not Going to Eat This…” A Tall Tale of Bacon and Eggs – The Difference between a Vegetarian and a Vegan Diet The Motivation behind a Teenagers Choice to Turn Vegetarian Effect on General Growth Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction You may not believe it but meat eating or the choice not to eat meat has long been the topic of discussion, for centuries, among people of every civilization and nation. In ancient times, it was taken for granted that human beings would eat meat, along with vegetables, roots, and other natural food items, in order to survive and feed their families. That was because they were closer to nature, and human beings descended from meat eating mammals – the great apes, who do not mind eating any smaller animal, if trapped, along with fruit and vegetables – took it for granted that their diet would also consist of meat. On the other hand, with the coming of spiritualism in the minds of philosophers and wise men, who really could not be bothered about diet, because they were so busy thinking up some vague philosophical topic like what is life, what is a soul, what is the reason for living, and other such elevated thoughts, naturally, their followers also ate the same diet, eaten by the Masters. This book is for all of those parents, who are worried about the nutrition of their children, and whether they are getting enough of healthy ingredients in them, to help them grow properly, mentally, physically and psychologically. In many parts of the East, people do not eat meat, but that was because millenniums ago when they decided to turn vegetarian, they were finding it very difficult to survive in harsh environments. So they could not track animals, nor could they trap them. So they decided that a vegetarian diet would do very well for them. And this became the rule instead of the exception, and in a couple of generations, this became the lifestyle. Then came some philosophers and they added not eating meat to the religious rituals so that a person would be proud of being a vegetarian, because he was following one particular religious believer and path. Many of the religions, including Hinduism in the east, where they say that vegetarianism is a part of spiritual elevation will be surprised to know that before Hinduism came into existence, the people living in that area were definitely meat eaters, who enjoyed venison, game, domesticated poultry, and other meat dishes. There are many parts of the world, where even today, the cuisine is totally vegetarian, and the people are not meat eaters. In many parts of Asia, especially in the Indian subcontinent, there are areas, where people have not eaten meat for millenniums, because they make do with fruit and vegetables and milk products.