Varieties of vegetarians
Strictly speaking, vegetarians are people who don't eat meat, poultry, or seafood. But people with many different dietary patterns call themselves vegetarians, including the following:
Vegans (total vegetarians): Do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or any products derived from animals, including eggs, dairy products, and gelatin.
Lacto-ovo vegetarians: Do not eat meat, poultry, or fish, but do eat eggs and dairy products.
Lacto vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, but do consume dairy products.
Ovo vegetarians: Eat no meat, poultry, fish, or dairy products, but do eat eggs.
Partial vegetarians: Avoid meat but may eat fish (pesco-vegetarian, pescatarian) or poultry (pollo-vegetarian).
Adopting a vegetarian diet can be a fantastic entry into experiencing better health. A vegetarian diet is associated with a higher consumption of fiber, folic acid, vitamins C and E, magnesium, unsaturated fat, and countless phytochemicals. This often results in vegetarians having lower cholesterol, being thinner, having lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of heart disease. Let’s explore some of the other benefits of adopting a vegetarian (or vegan) lifestyle.
- Improve Mood
Arachidonic acid is a substance that usually comes from dietary animal sources and, no surprise, vegetarian diets are not high in arachidonic acid. This can be beneficial, as research has shown a link between arachidonic acid and mood disturbances. Researchers at Benedictine University performed a study to investigate the impact of restricting animal products and mood and confirmed that mood improvements do happen when eating meat, fish, and poultry are restricted.
Additionally, Croatia’s Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health conducted mental health surveys amongst vegetarians and found them to have lower levels of neuroticism.
- Improve Symptoms of Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes skin redness and irritation and can be debilitating for those who suffer from it. However, according to research published by Brazil’s Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, a vegetarian diet may positively improve symptoms.
- May Reduce Incidence of Diabetes
According to Loma Linda University School of Public Health, vegetarian diets are associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of diabetes. Information published by George Washington University School of Medicine has also confirmed that vegetarian diets offer an important benefit for the management of diabetes and can even reduce the likelihood of development by one half.
- Reduces Risk of Cataract Development
Oddly enough, research released by the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford has shown a strong relation between the risk of developing cataracts and diet; with a higher risk falling on meat eaters and the lowest risk groups being vegetarians and vegans.
- Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
According to the JCU University Skin Cancer Research Clinic, there is a relationship between a vegetarian diet and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Why? Most vegetarian diets are full of antioxidant rich foods. Antioxidants are molecules that can reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress, including atherosclerosis.
- Vegetarians Usually Have Low Cholesterol
There’s no health benefit, at all, to eating animal fat. It should come as no surprise that when you remove it from your diet, you will also remove the detrimental effects it has on your health life. After examining the long term effects of following a vegetarian diet, Korean researchers very comfortably concluded that body fat, and cholesterol levels were lower in vegetarians than omnivores.
- Less Risk of Stroke and Obesity
There are always exceptions but, in general, vegetarians and vegans tend to be much more deliberate in their food choices and far less likely to binge eat or choose foods based on emotions- two habits that greatly contribute to obesity. According to the University Hospital Ghent Department of Paediatrics in Belgium, following a vegetarian diet is a good way to reduce your chance at having a stroke or being obese.
- Less Chance of Developing Kidney Stones
New York University Langone Medical Center reports that eliminating animal protein consumption in favor of vegetables will result in a higher urine pH; whereas low urine pH has been associated with stone formation.
- It Can Satisfy All Your Nutritional Requirements
If you think vegetarians and vegans are nutritionally deficient or always hungry, think again! The official position of The American Dietetic Association is that a comprehensive and well designed vegetarian, or vegan, diet can be nutritionally sound and appropriate for all ages and stages of life, including infants, the elderly, and even athletes. Good health, reduced incidence of disease, and better management of existing health problems are all associated with following a vegetarian diet.
On the spiritual path those that are most inclined to lead a peaceful existence that respects the value of all life often adopts the vegetarian lifestyle. It is in accordance with the yogic principle of ahimsa, which is to observe nonviolence and abstain from injuring any being in any way. However, in the process of bhakti-yoga, devotion goes beyond simple vegetarianism, and food becomes a method of spiritual progress. In the Krishna temples, food is offered to the Deities in a special sacrament, after which it becomes prasada or prasadam. This means the mercy of the Lord. Thus, the food we eat after it is offered to the Lord becomes a means for our purification and spiritual development.
Devotional service or Krishna consciousness is often described as a process of singing, dancing and feasting. But the feasting is done with spiritual food, Krishna prasadam.
In the Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna says, “All that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.” So offering what we eat to the Lord is an integral part of bhakti-yoga and makes the food blessed with spiritual potencies. Then such food is called prasadam, or the mercy of the Lord.
The Lord also describes what He accepts as offerings: “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.” Thus, we can see that the Lord does not need anything, but if one offers fruits, grains, and vegetarian foods, He will accept it. The Lord does not accept foods like meat, fish or eggs, but only those that are pure and naturally available without harming others. So we offer what Krishna likes, not those items which are distasteful to Him. We also do not use garlic, onions, or mushrooms when we prepare food for Krishna.
The Lord is fully satisfied in Himself. He is the creator of all so everything is already His. He supplies us with food through nature, but we give thanks to Him by offering it back in a mood of loving devotion. So if His devotee offers something with love, out of His causeless mercy Krishna accepts it. The Lord is never hungry for our food, but for the love and devotion we offer. And then He reciprocates with that love.
So on the spiritual path eating food that is first offered to God is the ultimate perfection of a vegetarian diet. The Vedic literature explains that the purpose of human life is reawakening the soul’s original relationship with God, and accepting prasadam is the way to help us reach that goal.
The food is meant to be cooked with the consciousness of love, knowing that it will be offered to Lord Krishna. In the spiritual world, Radharani cooks for Krishna and She never cooks the same preparation twice. The temple kitchen is understood to belong to Radharani.
The ingredients are selected with great care and must be fresh, clean and pure vegetarian. Also, in cooking for Krishna we do not taste the preparations while cooking. We leave the first taste for Krishna when it is offered.
After all the preparations are ready, we take a portion of each one and place it in bowls on a special plate and take it to the altar to offer it to the Deities or pictures of Krishna.
Then the preparations are presented with special prayers as we ask that God accept our humble offering. The Lord accepts it with the most important part being the love with which it is offered. God does not need to eat, but it is our love for God which attracts Him to us and to accept our offering. Even if the most sumptuous banquet is offered to God but without devotion and love, Krishna will not be hungry to accept it. It is our love which catches the attention of Lord Krishna who is then inclined to accept our service.
After He glances over and tastes that loving offering of vegetarian preparations, He leaves the remnants for us to honor and relish. Krishna’s potency is absorbed in that food. In this way material substance becomes spiritualized, which then affects our body and mind in a similar way. This is His special mercy for us. Thus, the devotional process becomes an exchange of love between us and God, which includes food. And that food not only nourishes our body, but also purifies our consciousness.
By relishing the sacred food of Krishna prasadam, it purifies our heart and protects us from falling into illusion. In this way, the devotee imbibes the spiritual potency of Lord Krishna and becomes cleansed of sinful reactions by eating food that is first offered in sacrifice to God. We thus also become free from reincarnation, the continued cycle of life and death. This process prepares us for entering the spiritual world since the devotees there also relish eating in the company of Krishna.
Not only do we make advancement, but also all of the plants that are used in the preparations as an offering to God are also purified and reap spiritual benefit. However, we become implicated in karma if we cause the harm of any living being, even plants, if we use them for food without offering them to God. Thus prasadam also becomes the perfect yoga diet.
Therefore, the cooking, the offering and then the respectful eating or honoring of this spiritualized food all become a part of the joyful process of devotional service to the Lord. Anyone can learn to do this and enjoy the happiness of experiencing prasadam.