YOGALife I Summer 2010 - Sivananda Yoga

By Dr. Annika Waldmann
Growing in popularity, vegetarianism has gone mainstream. Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle is not
only justifiable on religious, moral or ecological grounds. Growing scientific evidence is confirming
that a vegetarian diet is a well balanced diet for human beings. The remarkable health benefits of a
vegetarian diet are demonstrated by a multitude of scientific and medical studies and range from
lower blood pressure, control of diabetes, prevention of cancer to an overall feeling of well-being.
The following article is taken from a Powerpoint presentation given by Dr Waldmann.
Definitions of Vegetarianism
•Dietary regimen that excludes foods being
produced from dead animals.
•Vegare (lat.) = to grow, to live
Reasons for Being a Vegetarian
Religion
•Slaughter is a sin
•Eating meat is a religious taboo
•Mercy to animals
•Renunciation of meat = asceticism
Ethics
• Killing = Wrong
• Animals rights
• Sympathy with animals
• Avoiding meat as a strategy to solve
world hunger problems
Facts on Vegetarianism
Health
• Maintaining health
• Losing weight
• Prevention of certain diseases
• Healing of diseases
• Increasing physical and brain performance
Ecology
• Saving global climate
• Avoiding animal mass keeping
There is often more than one reason.
The Major Groups of Vegetarians
Classic (true) Vegetarians
•Lacto-ovo-vegetarians •Vegans
•Lacto-vegetarians •Raw food eaters
•Ovo-vegetarians
Almost Vegetarians
•Fruitarians
•Low meat eaters •Pesco-vegetarians
•Almost vegetarians •Pollo-vegetarians
•Semi-vegetarians •“Pudding vegetarians”
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