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BY HERBERT VEGO
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January 23, 2018
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TIME was when I would not eat vegetables. I had no appetite for them. Instead, I devoured meat – especially beef and pork — as if it would no longer be available the next day. It’s the other way around today. I may not like the taste of certain vegetable preparations, but I’d always clamor for them without eliminating minimal meat.
There are different types of vegetarian. Some consume eggs and dairy products, while the strictest kind, vegans, eat no animal produce at all. Some people call themselves vegetarians, but they consume fish.
I have no alternative but this semi-vegetarian lifestyle. Eleven years ago, my chest x-ray revealed that I was suffering from atherosclerotic aorta. There was a time when I thought I was dying due to unprecedented dizziness, body weakness and muscle pains. My doctor warned that I could die of high blood, heart attack or stroke unless I slowed down on meat and other fatty foods.
With no money to buy expensive drugs that could not guarantee cure after all, I decided to spend more time reading books and articles on vegetarianism; it could be the answer to my problem. One of the books recommends strict adherence to vegetarian diet as much as possible. This could reverse atherosclerosis or inflammation of the arteries. I have been feeling better because of heeding the advice.
Vegetarianism, everybody knows, is the practice of eating foods mainly from the plant kingdom, rarely from animals. Those who eat no animal or dairy products are more correctly described as vegans.
Historically, vegetarianism sprang from philosophical and religious beliefs. Followers of Hinduism and Buddhism, for instance, have for centuries avoided animal flesh because of the belief in the sacredness of life and the reincarnation of souls into the bodies of other animate beings. The Seventh-Day Adventists preach vegetarianism purely for better health. The Roman Catholic Trappist monks also practice vegetarianism for a different reason: to fulfill vows of austerity and self-sacrifice.
Modern vegetarianism entered public consciousness during the 19th century, specifically in 1847 with the establishment of the Vegetarian Society in Great Britain, which also taught that killing animals is both cruel and unnecessary; and that using available land to raise vegetables, grains and fruits instead of livestock makes better economic and ecological sense.
Today, scientific studies show that diets rich in fatty animal foods may contribute to the early development of diseases, including obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and colorectal cancer.
The plant-based diet has the advantage of being low in saturated fats, cholesterol and salt, but most vegetables can be lacking in essential nutrients received from meat, fish and poultry. The good news, however, is that certain grains – say mongo – are as rich in protein as meat. An excellent substitute for milk and other dairy products are fortified soy beans.
In the United States, the American Dietetic Association recommends that vegetarians take vitamin and mineral supplements always. Advantages aside vegetarians risk having low levels of certain nutrients which they should be careful to include. Plant foods are naturally lacking in Vitamin B12. So, vegans who avoid dairy products and eggs need a regular source of this vitamin.
Many Hollywood stars have publicly embraced vegetarianism. To quote Alice Silverstone, “Since I’ve gone vegetarian, my taste buds have opened up to a whole new world.”
To be candid, I don’t intend to be a pure vegan. But I see to it that I eat fruits and vegetables to neutralize each meat meal. (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
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